Acronym BIOCLEAN
Category
Marine Biotechnology
Title New BIOtechnologiCaL approaches for biodegrading and promoting the environmEntal biotrAnsformation of syNthetic polymeric materials Programme FP7
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
FP7 - Collaborative Project targeted to a Special Group (such as SMEs)
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
KBBE – Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology
Specific Programme (FP7)
Cooperation
Funding source European Coordinator Fabio Fava Coordinator email fabio.fava@unibo.it
Coordinator institution
UNIBO - University of Bologna (Italy)
Institutions involved
NA - Biobasic Environment (France) ,
TUD - Dresden University of Technology (Germany) ,
TUD - Dresden University of Technology
(Germany) ,
NA - Felsilab Srl (Italy) ,
NA - GCE Blue Maritime Cluster (Norway) ,
UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Germany) ,
IMR - Institute of Marine Research (Norway) ,
IOPAS - Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland) ,
NA - MADEP SA (Switzerland) ,
NJU - Nanjing University (China) ,
OWS - Organic Waste Systems NV (Belgium) ,
NA - Plastics Europe (Belgium) ,
NA - SIMA-tec GmbH (Germany) ,
TUC - Technical University of Crete (Greece) ,
FHNW - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (Switzerland) ,
NA - University of Ostrava (Czech Republic) ,
Start year 2012 End year 2015 Funding (€) € 3,925,097 Website https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/312100 Summary In this project, novel and robust microorganisms (i.e., aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and fungi) able to attack polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polystyrol, polyethers and polyvinyl chloride and/or polyesters will be isolated from actual-site aged plastic wastes obtained from landfills, terrestrial and marine sites and characterized for their biodegradation potential, mechanism and taxonomy. A large number of microbes from existing bacterial and fungal collections as well as robust hydrolytic enzymes already available in the labs of the project partners will be screened for their ability to degrade/cometabolize the target polymers. The breakdown mechanisms of the most biodegradable polymers by the selected microbes will be investigated under defined aerobic and anaerobic conditions and via an integrated methodology, relying on advanced analytical methods (i.e., NMR, HPLC-MS, FT-IR, GPC, etc.) coupled to tailored microbiological and ecotoxicological monitoring methods. This to determine biodegradation rate, extent and pathway by which major polymers are biodegraded and the potential impact of the produced metabolites on target environmental biota. The opportunity to have controlled depolymerisation of some polymers by selected enzymes to get oligomers to be reused in new or hydrid polymer production will be studied. The impact of mechanical, physical-chemical (i.e., UV, O3 and γ radiation) and thermal pretreatments on the biodegradation rate, yields and pathways of the target polymers by the active microbes will be determined by using the same methodology. Pilot scale bioremediation processes relying on the exploitation of the most active microbes in slurry phase stirred thank bioreactors, solid-phase fermentation schemes and composting will be developed and assessed for each basic or pretreated polymer. SMEs dealing with the pretreatment, innovative biotreatment and composting of polymers will be actively involved in the project. Stakeholders and associations dealing with the collection, storage and reuse of polymers will be also involved in the project.
Keywords
Wastes;
Biopolymer;
Waste valorization;
Bacteria;
Marine enzymes;
Bioremediation;
Bioprospecting;
Biodegradation;
Habitat enhancement;
Fungus;
Marine Region
62
Aegean Sea (GSA 22)
1
Marine Region Map
