Ongoing Projects

 

Polysaccharides projects in Europe

Project at University of Girona (Spain)

Accelerating the industrial deployment of nanocellulose production processes through the use of artificial intelligence algorithms (ArtInNano)

Funding Agency: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation

Start Date: 01.07.2023

End Date: 30.06.2025

The ArtInNano project arises from the need of accelerating the transition in production and characterization of nanocellulose, from laboratory to industrial scale. Currently, production processes of nanocellulose present a high uncertainty degree, making unfeasible the establishment of industrial productive centers with certain guaranty, as many of the involved mechanisms are still unknown and/or there are no monitoring systems available able to parameterize and control in real time, leading to excessive delays between sampling and the results.

ArtInNano is conceived to develop kinetic models of the most used pretreatments, as well as the seek of tangible parameters in real time with commercially available instrumentation.

Further, the fibrillation processes, in which it exists a change of scale (from micro to nano), require efficient monitoring systems and, in addition, properly correlated parameters with morphologic characteristics of nanocellulose. Not only this, but considering the myriad of raw materials, production processes and intensities, the development of algorithms based on artificial intelligence able to correlate the influence of raw material characteristics over production processes, and how the process conditions may affect the resulting characteristics of nanocellulose is a must.

In that sense, ArtInNano is divided into two work packages: the first one has as objective the determination of the involved mechanisms in TEMPO-mediated oxidation, determining the main kinetic parameters that affect the reaction, as well as its effects over the oxidized fiber characteristics.

On the other hand, to assess enzymatic hydrolysis processes, correlating the concentration of reducing sugars with easy-to-measure parameters of the processes and in real time. Finally, to assess the influence of both processes over the high-pressure homogenization process, as well as how are the morphological changes that fibers experience in their transition from micro to nano.

The second work package aims at transforming tacit to explicit knowledge, this is establishing correlations through artificial intelligence algorithms (artificial neural networks, random forests, linear regression) between raw material characteristics, processing conditions, and the final characteristics of cellulose nanofibers, being an innovative approach that only counts on few works in the literature.

Projects at Łukasiewicz Research Network- Łódź Institute of Technology (Łukasiewicz- ŁIT)

 

”Oh my, what about these wounds, i.e. what dressing to choose and how they differ?”

Funding Agency: Project co-financed from the state budget

Start Date: 01.09.2022

End Date: 31.08.2024

Choosing the right dressing material for both specialists and patients is a very big challenge. There are currently about 6,000 different types of wound dressing materials on the market. The multitude of products with very different properties, obtained by various technologies, causes difficulties in distinguishing between individual products, finding differences and finally in making the right choice.

Meanwhile, wound dressings play a key role in the wound healing process. The work will analyze dressings from all key groups and types of dressing materials. Characterization of the key parameters of the dressings will be made, which will allow the collection of numerical data of individual parameters.

In this way, it will be useful for both professionals and as well as a legible and clear guide for patients, which will introduce the highly developed and complicated market of dressing materials. Such a study will allow the patient and the professional to make an informed choice.

”Let’s stop allergies – an innovative solution to improve the quality of life”

Funding Agency: Project co-financed from the state budget

Start Date: 01.09.2022

End Date: 31.08.2024

The aim of the project is to develop innovative anti-allergic covers and their commercialization. The newly developed anti-allergic covers will be made of a multifunctional textile material characterized by high barrier efficiency in relation to house dust mite allergens, hygiene, comfort and durability of use. Duvets, pillows and mattresses are the main habitat of house dust mites, hence the use of a barrier in the form of anti-allergic covers is a basic element of allergy prevention.

The scope of work includes verification and functionalization of the designed prototype barrier fabric, development of the construction of covers for individual types of bed linen and comprehensive testing of the manufactured solution. Work will be carried out to obtain ECARF and STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX certificates.

The final result of the project will therefore be commercialized, innovative anti-allergic covers made available to the general public, with certificates confirming qualified barrier properties and human ecology, and thus the effectiveness of protection against household dust allergens.

”An ecological preparation based on natural polymers with a repellent effect on ticks”

Funding Agency: Project co-financed from the state budget

Start Date: 01.09.2022

End Date: 31.08.2024

The main goal of the project is to develop an environmentally friendly tick-repellent preparation based on properly selected natural polymers with the addition of essential oils, used in the form of spraying on green areas and to evaluate its mechanical, physico-chemical and rheological parameters as well as centrifugal and thermal stability.

Conducting biological and behavioral tests of the developed preparations on ticks in a research and development unit and tightening cooperation between this unit and entities operating in the socio-economic sphere interested in development and protection of the natural environment.

The implementation of this objective will contribute to the socio-economic development of Poland by improving the conditions conducive to the process of development and diffusion of innovative projects aimed at ensuring safety against tick-borne diseases.

Project at Abo University

3D CelluGel – Novel Bioinks 100% Based on Finnish Trees
 
Grant number 1529/31/2022
Funding agency: Business Finland
Start date: September 1st, 2022
End date: 31.08.24
 

3D bioprinting has emerged as a powerful technology that can produce 3D biomedical structures, artificial tissues and organs imitating critical characteristics of a natural tissue or organ. Such printed 3D scaffolds find a broad spectrum of applications such as high-throughput drug screening, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, organ transplantation, medical dressing for wound care as well as in vitro cell culturing studies for biomedical research.

Our proposed Research to Business project 3D CelluGel aims to evaluate different business models in order to identify the best commercialization and business strategy for making our bioinks into an international success. We will strive to make our innovation as globally recognized 3D bioprinting material products.

Project at JENA University

Biogenic films, composite adhesives, and starch ester composites for food packaging
 
Grant number 2220NR278A
Funding agency: Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture, Agency for Renewable Resources
Start date: August 1st, 2022
End date: 31.07.25
 
The aim of the joint project is to develop new thermoplastic starch esters and subsequently films, composite adhesives, and composites suitable for food packaging applications. A barrier effect against fats is aimed at by a chemical design of the starch with hydrophilic substituents, while a water vapor barrier is generated by hydrophobic fatty acid substituents.

Project at BOKU

Stereoselective Molecular Recognition MaterialsStereoselective Molecular Recognition Materials
 
Grant number: LS20-002
Funding agency: GFF Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich m.b.H.
Start date: November 1st, 2021
End date: 31.10.24
 
In this research project, polysaccharide-based selectors for the separation and analysis of chiral compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) will be developed and evaluated. The research work is thematically located at the interface between organic and analytical chemistry, the chemistry of renewable raw materials (cellulose and other polysaccharides), and in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. The separation of chiral compounds into the respective enantiomers is an omnipresent analytical and preparative challenge in medical, pharmaceutical, and chemical disciplines. This applies to, for example, the production and purity determination of chiral drugs (e.g. ibuprofen), the pharmacokinetic profiling of optically active pharmaceuticals in both human and veterinary medicine, as well as the investigation of food contaminants (e.g. mycotoxins) and environmental pollutants (e.g. chiral fungicides and pesticides). A large number of HPLC column materials based on a wide variety of chiral selectors is already commercially available, with polysaccharide-based silica gel hybrid phases having emerged as the most powerful ones. However, these are only available in neutral form. Chiral compounds also contain acidic and basic molecular structural motifs and are therefore often present in their respective ionized form as organic salts. The aim of the project is thus to study the potential of novel chiral ion-exchangers based on polysaccharide derivatives, which can be used in the above-mentioned disciplines for the separation of chiral organic acids and bases that were previously difficult to separate. The underlying molecular recognition mechanisms will also be investigated for a better understanding of the separation parameters.

Project at SEPPIC

EnXylaScope – Mining Microbes and Developing Advanced Production Platforms for Novel Enzymes To Rapidly Unleash Xylans’ Potential In a Scope Of Products For the Consumer Market

Grant number: 101000831
Funding agency: REA
Start date: May 1st, 2021
End date: April 30th, 2025

Xylan is an important structural component of plant cells. The EU-funded EnXylaScope project will find and optimise novel enzymes for producing a debranched (water-insoluble) form of xylan with properties that make it a suitable ingredient for consumer products. In total, three types of enzymatically modified xylan will be made and tested for application in six consumer products that span three sectors: cosmetics, personal care and nutraceuticals. Researchers will use advanced techniques for the discovery, production and formulation of these enzymes. EnXylaScope is designed to maximise research output and reduce the time frame required to launch these products onto the marketplace. www.enxylascope.e

Projects at University of Nottingham

Sustainable Future Foods: Mechano-Enzymatic Assembly of Complex Food Structures

Grant number: BB/T008369/1 – 2604202
Funding agency: BBSRC
Start date: October 1st, 2021
End date: September 30th, 2025

Soft Matter Biomaterials and Biointerfaces Team in collaboration with Diamond Light Source, Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre and Motif FoodWorks, a Massachusetts-based animal-free ingredient innovation company, are looking forward to train an early stage researcher to PhD level as part of a highly prestigious BBSRC DTP CASE PhD Studentship Programme. Designing sustainable foods requires novel plant-based ingredients that enable creating new textures, whilst unlocking product’s functionality in the body. This calls for discovery and development of new fibre materials with highly ordered structures that mimic some of nature’s most wondrous fibres such as silk, collagen and myofibrils.
This project seeks to discover and develop new methods for controlling enzymatic cross-linking during extensional flow and characterise ordered structures using small angle scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, as well as diving into understanding fibre’s mechanical and functional properties, focusing on applications in foods. The successful candidate will: 1) Research cross-linking reaction between proteins and polysaccharides (dietary fibre) and evaluate the impact of crosslinking on the rheological (flow) and mechanical properties of fibre. 2) Develop a new extensional flow sample environment system at the I22 Small Angle Scattering and Diffraction Beamline, Diamond Light Source, thus enabling measurements of biopolymer structuring during fluid elongation and formation of a fibre filament. 3) Characterise polymer and water dynamics using NMR spin relaxation and multi-scale imaging techniques at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre. 4) During a research experience placement at the lab facilities of Motif FoodWorks (Boston, MA, USA), research on enzyme functionality and synthetic biology-based approaches for identifying new targets for strain engineering and designing enzymes with targeted activity and specificity will be undertaken. The primary host of this Studentship is the Soft Matter Biomaterials and Biointerfaces (SMBB) Team at the University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences. SMBB is a highly dynamic, interdisciplinary team focusing on biomolecular composites, which underpin development of sustainable and healthy foods.
The successful candidate will be encouraged to participate in the activities of the British Society of Rheology, Institute of Physics Food Physics Group and European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE). Previous experience in (bio)polymers, soft matter systems or colloids is highly appropriate. Experience of bimolecular characterisation and some level of COMSOL/MATLAB/Python skills are highly beneficial. The successful candidate will have a positive approach to collaborative research and the drive to make a significant contribution to innovation and sustainable food systems.

Australia Partnering Award: Delving down-under using advanced plant phenotyping to uncover how roots grown in hard soils

Grant number: BB/V018124/1
Funding agency: BBSRC
Start date: August 1st, 2021
End date: July 31st, 2025

The overarching aim of this project is to share UK-Australian expertise in plant phenotyping with the goal to improve compaction tolerance and global food security (supporting Bioscience for Sustainable Agriculture and Food from the BBSRC Delivery Plan and the BBSRC Agriculture and Food Security Strategic Priority Area and the priority areas of Food, Soil and Water of the Australia Research Council.

Visualisation and motion analysis of in mouth processes and oral behaviours associated with wearing dentures

Grant number: BB/V509553/1 – 2453626
Funding agency: BBSRC
Start date: October 1st, 2020
End date: September 30th, 2024

This Project focusses on combining new advances in motion capture, computer-based analysis (including the use of novel deep learning algorithms) and Oral Processing analysis, to provide fundamental and genuinely new underpinning insights into facial motions during use of dental devices, denture adhesives and dental patches.

Projects at University of Girona

Knowledge development for the future use of nanocellulose in a sustainable and competitive paper industry in Spain (CON-FUTURO-ES)
 
Grant number: PID2020-113850RB-C22
Funding agency: National Research Agency – Ministry of Science and Innovation
Start date: September 1st, 2020
End date: August 31st, 2024
 
CON-FUTURO-ES focuses on innovative research that will create prospects for economic (improved competitiveness of the paper sector) and societal applications (next generation of paper products). The project scientific objectives build upon and offer a substantial added value to the international state-of-the-art.
Despite the excellent properties of NC and the high interest showed by the research and industrial community, the NC market is still far from reaching its full potential at industrial scale. Research, in the last decade, has been focused on the production of NC and their characterization, as well as on the development of knowledge and prove of concepts to improve the properties of the final products.
Despite so much fundamental research, little is known about the effectiveness (or side- effects) of the NC application on a larger scale as in paper and board production. This justifies the high number of non-successful industrial trials, which are related to the side effects of NC production and application. Therefore, more specific research is required to fulfil the industrial needs related to NC production process, control and optimization, the effects of NC in the papermaking process and, finally the recyclability of NC contained papers. These issues are related to process stability and competitiveness and prevent the implementation of NC at industrial scale.
CON-FUTURO-ES is a three years project structured in 5 Work Packages (WP): encompassing NC production monitoring, control and optimization, with different pre-treatments routes and fibrillation strategies; how to implement NC in papermaking production processes; new NC coated papers for replacing single use plastics, closuring the product life cycle with recyclability studies of NC-containing papers, and, finally, technical guides and protocols for industry will be elaborated, based on the results obtained at the four previous WPs.
The results of CON-FUTURO-ES will clearly contribute to: i) the development of environmentally friendly paper solutions, with the development of biodegradable and recyclable paper products replacing single use plastics; ii) the improvement of recycled paper products’ quality and fibers life; and iii) the replacing of non-biodegradable polymer coatings.
The impact on the Society will be the development of new bio-based products, consolidating the University-Industry cooperation to minimize the risk of innovation.
 
Development of self-healing polymeric matrices and composites with reduced impact for application in 3D printing (3DSELFCOMP)
 
Grant number: PID2020-117802RB-I00
Funding Agency: National Research Agency – Ministry of Science and Innovation
Start date: September 1st, 2021
End date: August 31st, 2024
 
The purpose of this project is focused on the design and manufacture of a polymeric matrix based on poly (lactic acid) with self-healing and cross-linking capacity for application in the field of rapid FDM prototyping (Fused Deposition Modelling). Specifically, the chemical modification of commercial poly (lactic acid) (PLA) has been proposed by incorporating a chemical functionalization that allows the reaction of macromolecular chains under specific reaction conditions. Thus, based on the proven reactivity of coumarin derivatives, particularly that offered by its unsaturation in alpha; of the cyclic ester, through 2pi-2pi; reaction mechanism, chemical bonding between two independent polymeric chains is pretended by means of UV radiation (360nm) giving rise to a 2+2 cycloaddition. This selfhealing pathway has already been described in other types of polymeric matrices, such as polyurethanes in which the coumarin fragment was introduced into the polymer during its synthesis. In our case, the polymer has already been conceived and the incorporation of the coumarin derivative (7-hydroxycoumarin) is intended by means of a radical reaction between the -CH of PLA and a methacrylic group that has previously been introduced into the 7-hydroxycoumarin through the reaction of the hydroxyl group with methacryloyl chloride. With all this synthetic procedure, two effects are pretended: self-repair capacity of the matrix in which a defect has been generated (fracture) as well as introducing crosslinking capacity into the polymer, useful for the shaping process through the FDM methodology of processing in 3D.
The mechanical properties of a product manufactured using FDM are a function of the properties of the base material and the parameters of the process, since the internal structure of the product and its geometry have a considerable weight. The FDM process creates the shapes from flat sections printed from small extruded cylinders. In this way, the cylinders will show the properties of the base material, but the adhesion zones between cylinders and between layers will be thermally welded and therefore will be weaker. This increases the mechanical anisotropy of materials and makes it more difficult to predict their behaviour under boundary conditions. The project wants to know the dependence of the degree of anisotropy with respect to the internal geometry of standardized specimens and to know if the inclusion of natural reinforcing fibers has a positive or negative influence on the properties of the materials. Also, taking advantage of the possibility of printing specimens with two materials, it will be investigated whether it is possible to increase the mechanical resistance at the same time without compromising its deformation capacity. The use of materials capable of creating cross-link between extruded cylinders can be one way to increase the stability and isotropy of FDM printed products.
With all this argumentation, two targets are planned: the use of PLA beyond single-use applications, through self-healing of the matrix, lengthening its life in use as well as the use of crosslinking capacities to manufacture more stable products or components. and predictable under conditions of use.

Project at IMT Mines Alès, France

Dispersion of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into thermoplastic polymers
 
Mathieu Bugaut will start a phD in October 2021 supervised by Aurélie TAGUET and Nicolas LE MOIGNE at IMT Mines Alès (Polymers, Composites and Hybrids, PCH team)
Start date: October 1st, 2021
End date: September 30th, 2024
 
To take advantage of the nanoscale of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), their dispersion in thermoplastic matrices remains a scientific and technological challenge. The objective of the present thesis is to study the operating conditions and parameters which would make it possible to disperse CNCs in polymers while ensuring the use of clean processes (melt-processing) and limiting the preparation steps.
 
 

Projects at University of Jena, Germany

University of Jena, Germany – Collaborative research Center 1278 – Multifunctional nanoparticles based on polysaccharides for targeted drug delivery with two-step release behavior

Grant number: SFB 1278/2
Funding agency: German Science Foundation
Start date: July 1st 2021
End date: June 30th, 2025
 
The overall goal of this project is to develop safe, polysaccharide-based and drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) with tissue-specificity that are suitable for clinical translation in inflammatory diseases. Recent results indicate that acetylation of proteins significantly affects the regulation of the immune system and cellular stress responses. Therefore, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) represent promising molecules to prevent or modulate inflammation- or infection-associated organ dysfunction. However, direct administration of HDACi is connected with low tissue-specifity as well as side effects. Polysaccharide-based expedient drug carriers have been studied in previous investigations. Importantly, a flexible drug carrier system for valproic acid (VPA), which shows rapid cellular uptake, excellent biocompatibility and HDACi-activity, was developed. Thus, VPA remains the primary HDACi of the project. However, to realize a two-step release kinetics, different HDCAi will be covalently bound to the polysaccharide backbone via newly incorporated linkers. Potential linker structures include esters, thioesters, disulfides, and hydrazones that are cleaved under physiological conditions in living cells with different rates. Tissue-specifity of the carrier devices will be realized by functionalization with targeting moieties, e.g. dye molecules, specific peptides or antibodies, focusing on the targeting of liver or kidney. Liver and kidney dysfunction as a consequence of a dysregulated host response to infection are present in life threatening systemic syndromes, such as sepsis or haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). To date, there is a lack of target-oriented organ-specific molecular therapies to improve organ function. As functionalization of polysaccharides with bulky substituents is challenging, polysaccharide derivatives bearing drug- and targeting moieties will additionally be synthesized separately and combined during the NP preparation (Figure A02-1). NPs will be analyzed with respect to cellular uptake, toxicity, biocompatibility and biological activity in state of the art in vitro models, including 2D and 3D liver and kidney cell-culture systems as well as real-time electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). In a second step, cells will be subjected to pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Shiga toxin, followed by NP-treatment, to assess NP effects under pathologic conditions. The targeting strategies will be evaluated with regard to cell type-specific NP-delivery and enhanced drug release as well as efficacy in cells of interest. Promising HDACi-coupled NPs will be further characterized in vivo regarding their safety and their therapeutic potential in suitable disease models.
Click here for more details. 

Project at VTT

Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Solutions for Natural Resources and Environment

INN-PRESSME

Grant number: 952972
Funding agency:European Union’s Horizon 2020
2021 – 2024
 
The “European Green Deal” provides a roadmap and an ambitious package of measures for creating a sustainable and green European economy, with zero net emissions by 2050. The latter provides “a future-oriented agenda for achieving a cleaner and competitive Europe in co-creation with economic actors, consumers, citizens and civil society organisations.” The INN-PRESSME Open Innovated Test Bed (OITB) provides a twofold approach to support European companies in reaching the ambitious objectives:

Developing new market-ready products and goods, from bio-based materials, by feedstock conversion. Nano-enabling will make these materials reach and exceed performances of current fossil-based materials. All materials at TRL7 will be environment-friendly according to circular economy principles.

Support the digital transition by providing companies with all data and life cycle value chain modelling tools, compatible with an industrial production move to TRL9, from feedstock conversion to material processing. This is key in maximising the use of feedstock materials in the circular economy.

More info click here

About EPNOE

The European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence is a non-profit Association promoting research, education, and knowledge-transfer between academia, industry, and civil society, in all fields related to polysaccharides science and technology.

 

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contact@epnoe.eu

 
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