The NEXTMARINE project, which has received nearly €5 million in funding from the European Union, will be carried out under the HORIZON program. The goal of the project is to discover and use enzymes from extreme marine environments to create high-value-added products. This means that these enzymes will be able to be used to produce new, innovative products that have high economic and utility value.
The NEXTMARINE project focuses on the development of sustainable enzymatic bioprocesses, using the potential of microorganisms living in marine conditions. Among its goals is the development of innovative bioproducts and pharmaceuticals based on marine polysaccharides, which are natural compounds extracted from marine organisms. Marine polysaccharides exhibit a range of functional properties, such as bioactivity, ability to form gels and biodegradability. As a result, they find applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, among others.
In the long term, this project may contribute to the development of modern, green technologies and increase the competitiveness of the biotechnology market.
Consortium
Nine units from all over Europe - Greece, Germany, Slovakia, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Spain - are participating in the consortium, alongside TUL. These include both institutions and academic centers involved in marine and ocean research, technology, sustainable development, as well as industrial ones related to the production of healthy food, or research, development and production of drugs. The project is coordinated by the University of Crete from Greece.