HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024-RIA-03 – Sustainable, bio-based alternatives for crop protection

Plant-based extracts are known to show anti-choline esterase, anti-aplha-amylase, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity towards selective species but their use in agricultural applications is limited to extracts from a few species of plants. Celignis is looking to explore common European feedstocks that are rich in polyphenols/flavonoids (such as wheat straw, hard and softwood forest residues, and brewers spent grain etc.) to isolate the anti-choline esterase compounds or fractions. Celignis previously undertook exploratory analysis on some European feedstocks for high-value bioactives in CBE/BBI RIA project UNRAVEL and identified the most prominent bioactives in each feestock.

Celignis’s existing EnXylaScope biomass fractionation process extracts the lignin together with extractives from wheat-straw and hardwood residues using a chemo-enzymatic approach. We believe this process can be applied to other feedstocks to release the polyphenol- and flavonoid-rich fractions which can then be fractionated. This a labile process compared to the solvent extractions that were undertaken in UNRAVEL. Each crude fraction will be tested for bioactive properties suitable for crop protection application (anti-choline esterase, anti-alpha-amylase, anti-phytopathogens etc.).

More details at:

https://www.celignis.com/horizon-ju-cbe-2024-ria-03.php

Background on Celignis:

Celignis is an SME that was spun-out from an EU research project (the FP7 advanced biofuels project DIBANET) that was written and coordinated by Celignis's founder Daniel Hayes.

It has now been over ten years since the end of that project and over that time Celignis has grown in size and reputation and now occupies a valuable niche as being the premier analytical and bioprocess development provider to clients in the biomass sector. We provide a wide range of compositional analysis services and bioprocessing expertise to a diverse array of customers (including SMEs, multinationals, and universities) looking to utilise biomass feedstocks, residues and wastes for the production of biobased products, biofuels, and energy.

In April 2023 Celignis joined the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) as a Full Industry SME Member, meaning that we can contribute to the strategic direction and future calls of the CBE-JU and that Celignis is an eligible partner for all CBE-JU actions. The CBE requires that any Large Industry or SME partner in Innovation Action (end TRL 6/7) or Flagship (end TRL 8) projects is a BIC member.

Celignis is a partner in 1 ongoing CBE project, with a further 3 (successful awardees of CBE-JU funding in the 2023 call) starting between May and Sept 2024. The ongoing project, PERFECOAT is a RIA (Research and Innovation Action) project, whilst the 3 upcoming projects (BIONEER, PROMOFER, and MANUREFINERY) are Innovation Action (TRL 6/7) projects. The extensive developments in processing capacity (up to 1m3) by Celignis Bioprocess over the last few years make us particularly suited to participation in such higher-TRL topics.

Regarding our completed CBE-JU projects, they were funded as part of the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) programme. Click here to read more about our ongoing and completed CBE/BBI projects.

In addition to these CBE projects, Celignis is currently active in a number of other research projects funded by the EU's Horizon programme. Click here to read more about these projects and here to learn more about our completed EU projects.

"Celignis had successful proposals in over 40% of the CBE-JU Innovation Action topics in 2023. Our Full-Industry BIC membership and extensive scaled-up bioprocessing capabilities make us particularly suited to participation in IA proposals"

More details on Celignis at:

https://www.celignis.com/about.php