BIOTECH2 Programme: BIO4960488 Extremophiles as cell factories

Contacts




To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
BIOTECH2 Programme : Biotechnology : Fine Chemicals : Paper/Pulp : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Protein/Amino Acid : Pulping : Vegetable Oil/Fat

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	BIO4960488
	Start Date	01/12/96
	Duration	36 Months

The Project
The European Commission has recognized extremophilic organisms as a priority research area in the different Biotechnology programmes, and has continuously stimulated and supported research and training activities in this field since the first Biotechnology programme of the European Union (EU), back in 1982. With the integrated project Extremophiles as Cell Factories a new large activity has been supported in the framework of the EU Biotechnology Community Research & Development Programme (4th Framework Programme) with a contribution of almost 7 million ECU and a duration of 3 years starting at the end of 1996. This project involves 59 institutions, including 13 European industries.

Main Objective
The primary goal of the project is to understand how extremophiles can be more productive and how European industries can exploit extremophiles and their cellular processes. This objective includes the development of innovative products and new industrial processes.

The Concept
The project Extremophiles as Cell Factories is based on complementary elements, where academia and industry will concentrate on selected extremophilic organisms and industrial products. The selected microorganisms belong to the thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkaliphiles and halophiles. Major attention will be focused on enzymes and proteins (e.g. hydrolases, DNA-modifying enzymes and chaperonines), and new organic compounds (e.g. compatible solutes and lipids). The project will follow a task-oriented approach in an integrated way including all disciplines needed for the exploitation of extremophiles.

Benefits
The benefits of the project will be the production of a new generation of biocatalysts and organic compounds that will be needed for the development of more efficient industrial processes. This will improve existing conventional enzymatic and chemical processes, and contribute to the further development of the European Biotechnology Industry.

Biotechnological Application of Extremophiles
The application of extremophilic microorganisms in industrial processes has opened a new era in biotechnology. Each group has unique features which can be exploited for use in biotechnological industries. The main reason for selecting enzymes from extremophiles are their high stability and reduced risk of contamination of the organisms which produce them. Additional benefits during production include improved transfer rates and lower viscosity. Due to the unusual properties of these enzymes they are expected to fill the gap between biological and chemical processes. Recent developments clearly show that extremophiles are a good source of novel catalysts of great industrial interest. Polymer degrading enzymes like amylases, pullulanases, xylanases, proteases and cellulases would play an important role, e.g. in food, chemical, pharmaceutical, paper, pulp or waste-treatment industries. Membranes of extremophiles may contain surfactants bearing unique stability that can be used in pharmaceutical formulations. Other important innovative products are cyclodextrins, compatible solutes and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The Research Programme
The research objectives of the project will be achieved by performing an integrated programme involving the following topics:

Genetic Engineering

• Development of expression systems for selected hyperthermophiles, thermoacidophiles, haloalkaliphiles and psychrophiles
• Overexpression of novel hydrolytic enzymes in mesophilic and psychrophilic hosts
• Production and application of DNA-polymerases and other DNA-binding proteins

Product Engineering (Enzymes & Proteins)

• Production, structure-function relationships, engineering and application of hydrolytic enzymes and other proteins from extremophiles
• Characterization of enzymes involved in processing of nucleic acids and biotransformation

Product Engineering (Organic Compounds)

• Production, function and application of compatible solutes and other low molecular weight organic compounds
• Formation of lipids and labeled synthetic nucleotides

Cellular Factories and Fermentation

• Development of defined media for production of enzymes and other compounds from extremophiles
• Bioreactor development for the mass cultivation of extremophiles and recombinant organisms
• Development of innovative processes to be exploited by the European industry

Coordinator for the thermo-, acido-, alkali- and halophiles
Prof. Garabed ANTRANIKIAN, TU Hamburg-Harburg

Coordinator for the psychrophiles
Prof. Nicholas RUSSELL, Wye College

Administration and Financial Management
Dr. Helmut THAMER, TUHH-Technologie GmbH

Participants

Genetic Engineering
Prof. S. Bartolucci	Università di Napoli	Napels, Italy
Prof. W. M. de Vos	Wageningen Agricultural University	Wageningen, The Netherlands
Dr. J. M. Einarsson	Genis hf	Reykjavik, Iceland
Prof. P. Forterre	Université Paris-Sud	Orsay, France
Prof. R. A. Garrett	Københavns Universitet	Copenhagen, Denmark
Prof. N. Glansdorff	Research Institute of Ceria-Coovi	Brussels, Belgium
Prof. J. U. Kristjansson	Technological Institute of Iceland	Reykjavik, Iceland
Prof. G. Marino	Università di Napoli	Naples, Italy
Dr. D. Prieur	CNRS	Roscoff, France
Dr. J. Queréllou	IFREMER	Plouzané, France
Prof. G. Schäfer	Medizinische Universität Lübeck	Lübeck, Germany
Prof. W. Zillig	MPI für Biochemie	Martinsried, Germany
Product Engineering (Enzymes and Proteins)
Prof. G. Antranikian	TU Hamburg-Harburg	Hamburg, Germany
Dr. V. Bouriotis	Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology	Heraklion, Greece
Dr. D. Cowan	University College London	London, United Kingdom
Prof. G. di Prisco	CNR	Naples, Italy
Prof. P. C. Engel	University College Dublin	Dublin, Ireland
Prof. C. Gerday	Université de Liège	Liège, Belgium
Prof. R. Haser	CNRS	Marseille, France
Prof. R. Ladenstein	Karolinska Institutet	Huddinge, Sweden
Dr. M. Manoni	PRIMM s.r.l.	Milano, Italy
Dr. S. Peelen	Unilever Research Laboratory Vlaadingen	Vlaadingen, The Netherlands
Prof. D. W. Rice	University of Sheffield	Sheffield, United Kingdom
Prof. M. Rossi	Università di Napoli	Naples, Italy
Prof. R. Scandurra	Università di Roma	Rome, Italy
Prof. P. Schönheit	Universität Kiel	Kiel, Germany
C. Sjøholm	Novo-Nordisk A/S	Bagsvaerd, Denmark
Prof. C. Vorgias	University of Athens	Athens, Greece
Product Engineering (Organic Compounds)
Prof. M. S. da Costa	Universidade de Coimbra	Coimbra, Portugal
Prof. C. Drainas	University of Ioannina	Ioannina, Greece
Prof. E. A. Galinski	Universität Münster	Münster, Germany
Prof. W. D. Grant	University of Leicester	Leicester, United Kingdom
Prof. R. Hensel	Universität Essen	Essen, Germany
Prof. B. E. Jones	Genencor International B.V.	Delft, The Netherlands
Prof. W. N. Konings	University of Groningen	Haren, The Netherlands
M. Molitor	Merlin Diagnostika GmbH	Bornheim-Hersel, Germany
Prof. H. Santos	Universidade Nova de Lisboa	Oeiras, Portugal
Prof. M. Teixeira	Universidade Nova de Lisboa	Oeiras, Portugal
Prof. A. Ventosa	Universidad de Sevilla	Sevilla, Spain
Cellular Factories and Fermentation
Prof. G. A. Alfredsson	University of Iceland	Reykjavik, Iceland
Dr. G. Ditzelmüller	Österreichisches Holzforschungsinstitut	Vienna, Austria
Prof. M. de Rosa	Università di Napoli	Naples, Italy
Prof. A. M. Gounot	CNRS	Villeurbanne, France
Prof. J. Guespin-Michel	Université de Rouen	Mont Saint-Aignan, France
Prof. O. Holst	Lunds Universitet	Lund, Sweden
Prof. B. Macris	Technical University of Athens	Athens, Greece
Prof. H. Märkl	TU Hamburg-Harburg	Hamburg, Germany
Prof. B. Mattiasson	Lunds Universitet	Lund, Sweden
C. Nachbur	Bioengineering AG	Wald, Switzerlandy
Prof. N. J. Russell	University of London	Ashford, United Kingdom
Prof. R. J. Sharp	CAMR	Salisbury, United Kingdom
Prof. W. Steiner	TU Graz	Graz, Austria
Prof. K.-O. Stetter	Universität Regensburg	Regensburg, Germany
Subcontractors
Dr. W. Liebl	Universität Göttingen	Göttingen, Germany
Prof. M. Rohmer	Université Strasbourg	Strasbourg, France
Dr. T. Schwarz	bitop	Witten, Germany
Prof. M. Thomm	Universität Kiel	Kiel, Germany
Dr. J. O. Vehmaanperae	Primalco Ltd. Biotec	Rajamaeki, Finland  Contacts Administrator Helmut THAMER / TUHH-Technologie GmbH GERMANY Cell Factories B MACRIS / Biosystems Technology Laboratory(NTUA) National Technical University of Athen / GREECE Dipl-Ing Dr Walter Steiner / Inst für Biotechnologie Technische Universität Graz / AUSTRIA Mario DE ROSA / Ist. di Biochimica delle Macromolecole Seconda Universita di Napoli / ITALY Coordinator Garabed ANTRANIKIAN / TU Hamburg-Harburg Biotechnologie/Technische Mikrobiologi / GERMANY University of London, Wye College Dept of Biological Sciences, Microbiology Laboratory / UNITED KINGDOM Genetic Engineering Willem M. DE VOS / Wageningen Agricultural University Dept of Microbiology / NETHERLANDS © Copyright 2006    Policy Statements     Updated by CPL Press: 03/07/2007 - biomatnet@biomatnet.org   with Google News Global News ... View All News Items... Events Events Diary ...