Project description
Developing microbial consortia to biodegrade polyfluoroalkyl substances
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), widely used in household products, are often transported in wastewater and end up in other aquatic ecosystems. They have been found in over 90 % of European rivers and are known endocrine disruptors. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MIXFUN project will investigate how PFASs affect aquatic microbial communities, aiming to identify organisms that can biodegrade PFASs. Based on the findings, it will develop biological systems (microbial consortia) of organisms with high biodegradation potential and establish optimal conditions (ultraviolet radiation and temperature) for their growth and biodegradation capacity. Ultimately, MIXFUN expects that these consortia could provide a natural and sustainable way to biodegrade PFASs for the benefit of both human health and ecosystems.
Objective
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are compounds widely used in commercial and industrial applications. Due to their presence in many household products, they are often found in wastewater effluent and urban runoff, from where they reach other aquatic ecosystems. PFAS present several significant issues associated to their persistence, transport (they have been detected in more than 90% of European rivers); and health effects as endocrine disruptors. The main objective of the MIXFUN project is to understand how PFAS may impact the structure of aquatic microbial communities by favoring organisms capable of degrading them, and to use this information to develop biological systems (microbial consortia) based on organisms with high biodegradation potential in combination with physical conditions (ultraviolet radiation-UVR and temperature) that enhance their capacity. We know that the presence of organic carbon in PFAS molecules could be their Achilles' heel, and that those microbial organisms capable of using this carbon could biodegrade the compounds in a cheaper and more sustainable manner than physico-chemical treatments. Additionally, temperature can influence biodegradation metabolism, while UVR has shown a photodegradative effect on PFAS. Since microorganisms coexist in their natural environment with fluctuations in UVR and temperature, our proposal to create a hybrid system of microbial consortia under various UVR and temperature conditions could yield satisfactory results. To achieve this, we plan to identify mixotrophs and fungi that are favored through a gradient of PFAS-contaminated lakes and subsequently develop mixotroph-fungi consortia. By combining empirical data and predictive models, we will be able to determine the optimal growth and biodegradation conditions for these consortia. As a result, we expect to determine how the use of these consortia can take the degradation of PFAS to the next level, benefiting both human health and ecosystems.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering water treatment processes wastewater treatment processes
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology microbiomes
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences hydrology limnology
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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.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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-2024-PF-01
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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.
18071 Granada
Spain
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.