ExpectedOutcome:
In line with the European Green Deal, the EU bioeconomy strategy and the blue growth strategy, the successful proposals will support the development of microbiome-based greener aquatic industrial products/processes and/or environmental services sustaining the health of aquatic ecosystems for a healthy planet and people.
The project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Provision of a scientific base to enable the efficient production of high‑quality marine microbiome data, increased data interoperability and facilitate its use by a wide range of stakeholders. Improvement of capacity building in bioinformatics in Europe and overcome fragmentation.
- Increased engagement of all actors in the marine microbiome biodiscovery pipeline, including industry, the scientific community, and civil society in full consideration of the sustainability objectives while accelerating the profitability and economic prospects of marine microbiome-enabled products and processes.
- Proven biodiscovery strategies based on whole microbiome communities enlarging the spectrum of biotechnology-enabled products and processes of value to society based on marine bioresources.
- Better protection and sustainable use of marine (genetic) bioresources by advancing new intellectual property rights (IPR) approaches to securing clear access while ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation.
- Increased awareness on the potential of marine microbiome to boost the sustainable blue bioeconomy.
Scope:
The ocean is the Earth’s largest microbiome. Microorganisms represent nearly 90% of the ocean biomass and largely determine the functioning and health of marine ecosystems. They also contain a great variety of metabolic pathways that can yield beneficial products and processes such as medicines, high value industrial compounds and environmental services. The marine microbiome is one of the fastest growing segments of the blue bioeconomy and its study is vital to advance the discovery, understanding, protection and harnessing of the ocean.
The purpose of the action is to develop novel tools and approaches to produce, analyse and use marine microbiome data for the discovery and production of high value sustainable industrial products/processes and/or environmental services that sustain the health of aquatic ecosystems.
Applicants should address:
- Scientific and technological challenges cutting across marine microbiome fields such as: (i) developing new methods to analyse and model microbiome communities and take full advantage of post-genomic technologies and bioinformatic analysis pipelines; (ii) developing standards and common methodologies that are coherent across marine microbiome exploration, monitoring and engineering, and can adapt to the capacity of the different sectors (science, industry, people and society); and (iii) optimising the use of (pre-existing) databases and research infrastructures by ensuring interoperability and enhanced networking.
- Bioprospecting to discover biological compounds or functions that are obtained only through complex interactions involving whole microbiome communities; targeted cultivation strategies beyond lab grown monocultures; manipulate and bioengineer microbiome products that ensure the sustainable use of marine bioresources; ensure open access and benefit sharing in balance with agreements and negotiations to protect intellectual property.
Collaboration between private industry and academia, and the link with end users and society are both essential. In addition, the professional skills and competences on marine microbiomes of those working and being trained to work within the blue bioeconomy should be improved.
Proposals should assess the risks and ethics related to microbiome science & technology and guarantee the preservation of biodiversity and the compliance with EU regulations on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation (ABS) in the EU. Fostering long-term preservation in biobanks, proper documentation of rights for redistribution and full traceability of their use and benefits.
Dissemination, public engagement and establishing links between researchers and the various end users should be central to the proposals. Projects should seek synergies and capitalise on the results of past or ongoing research. Cooperation with other selected proposals under this topic and complementary topics included in this work programme[1] is encouraged.
International co-operation is strongly encouraged as a win-win scenario, while contributing to the European competitiveness and resilience.
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
Delegation Exception Footnote:
In the context of this topic marine microbiome is understood as the global collective of all microorganisms in marine and aquatic environments. The term refers also to the specific communities of microbes that live in and on individual aquatic ecosystems, including their creatures.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 3-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Cross-cutting Priorities:
International CooperationDigital AgendaOcean sustainability and blue economy
[1]Another microbiome-related topic presented in this work programme is “HORIZON-CL6-2021-CIRCBIO-01-07: Microbiomes for bio-based innovation and environmental applications.”
