Project description
Yeast fermentation for sustainable biopesticide production
Chemical pesticides pose threats to human health and biodiversity. The European Commission aims to reduce their use by 50 % by 2030. Pyrethrins, natural and biodegradable compounds, offer a safe alternative. However, the industrial production of pyrethrins faces challenges due to limited land availability, labour-intensive cultivation, and environmental factors. Biotechnological production using baker’s yeast presents a sustainable solution. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BioPesTY project aims to develop a yeast strain engineered to produce scalable and sustainable pyrethrins. This approach incorporates biochemistry, transcriptomics, and synthetic biology principles. The project seeks to identify the missing step in pyrethrin biosynthesis and reconstruct the entire pathway in yeast, enabling the conversion of simple sugars into human-safe biopesticides.
Objective
Chemical pesticides pose significant threats to human health and biodiversity, causing millions of poisonings and deaths annually, along with a potential 40% decline in insect species. To mitigate these hazards, the European Commission has committed to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030. Biopesticides, such as pyrethrins, offer a safe and effective alternative towards this direction. Pyrethrins are natural, biodegradable compounds with potent insecticidal properties produced by Tanacetum cinerariifolium plant (Dalmatian chrysanthemum). As they are safe for humans, and rapidly degrade into non-toxic byproducts, they are approved already for organic agriculture. However, pyrethrin industrial production occurs via plant cultivation and extraction, therefore, faces restrictions due to limited availability of land, labor-intensive cultivation, and environmental factors. Scaling up production is challenging, and total chemical synthesis is unsustainable. Biotechnological production of pyrethrins using baker’s yeast offers a sustainable solution. To achieve this, in BioPesTY, I will develop a yeast strain engineered to produce pyrethrins in a scalable and sustainable manner. Using a multidisciplinary approach engaging biochemistry, transcriptomics, and synthetic biology principles, I will identify the only missing step of pyrethrin biosynthesis, and I will reconstruct the whole pathway in yest, able to convert simple sugar into human-safe biopesticides. In BioPesTY I will enrich my current knowledge on plant biochemistry, with the training I will receive in the host lab on metabolic and yeast genetic engineering, and synthetic biology, to acquire unique expertise that will prompt me to develop my own scientific niche. During BioPesTY I will be trained also in fundraising, research management, communication, teaching and academic leadership. These skills will be instrumental in launching my future independent internationally competitive research career.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture sustainable agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences synthetic biology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.