RHODOLIVE: Biovalorization Of Olive Mill Wastewater To Microbial Lipids And Other Products via Rhodotorula glutinis Fermentation (2018-2021)

(H2020 ERA-net CoBioTech funded project)

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a significant by-product of the food industry of the olive oil producer countries in Mediterranean basin, with a high environmental impact, when not appropriately treated. However, at the same time OMW is rich in organic compounds, which can either be used directly after extraction, or valorized via biocatalytic processes. RHODOLIVE suggests an innovative circular bioeconomy approach for the valorization of this side-stream of the food industry, by treating the OMW with a non-conventional yeast, in order to accumulate and produce microbial lipids, biophenols and carotenoids, which will be used in the development of functional food products.

Read more ...

LEANPROT: Systems Biology Platform For The Creation Of Lean-proteome Escherichia coli strains (2015-2018)

(FP7 ERA-net ERASysAPP funded project)

Escherichia coli is a well-established and the most widely used organism for the production of recombinant proteins (used in medical and industrial applications, as molecular biology reagents, etc.). Production of proteins is the most resource exhaustive process for the cells and therefore needs to be optimized to achieve maximal productivities. Natural environment of E. coli is much harsher compared to the near optimal growth conditions used in production processes. In order to survive cells produce many native proteins that could be considered unnecessary for the cells in industrial production conditions. In this project we aim to remove the most resource exhaustive unnecessary proteins from the host cells to free up resources for recombinant protein production. We will focus on this by using a novel metabolic modeling approach with constraints of protein production and cell geometry together with proteomics-based host cell physiology characterization. Novel lean-proteome strains with removed unnecessary proteins will be tested for the improved production capacity of several recombinant proteins used in research, industry and diagnostics.

Read more ...

SMARTPLANTS: Control of Engineered Metabolism by Flowering and Temperature Triggered Plant Regulatory Networks (2015-2018)

(FP7 ERA-net ERASynBio funded project)

A major goal of plant synthetic biology is to create smart plants that are able to respond to key cues and display a variety of agronomically valuable traits such as enhanced stress resilience or the biosynthesis of high value compounds. The objectives of the SmartPlants consortium coordinated by Prof. Alain Tissier are to develop parallel regulatory networks (PaRNets) that are based on cues that plants normally encounter in their growth cycle and to translate these into metabolic engineering-based outputs to produce high value or stress-protecting compounds. Both the regulatory network and the metabolic engineering optimisation procedures will be assisted by modelling in iterative rounds.

Read more ...

Application of non-traditional yeasts in the improvement of bioethanol production from inuline containing raw materials - biotechnological and systems biology approach (2014-2015)

(ERAF funds)

Biosystems group is joining the project of Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology of University of Latvia under the leadership of Dr.biol. Armands Vigants. We contribute by development of central metabolism model of Kluyveromyces marxianus and modeling of possible metabolic engineering activities.    

“Metabolic engineering of respiratory chain of Zymomonas mobilis” (2013-2016)

(Latvian Council of Science grant Nr. 536/2012)

Project continues earlier collaboration with the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology of University of Latvia (prof. Uldis Kalnenieks) and prof. Daviad A. Fell (Oxford Brookes University, UK). We aim to extend the scope of Z.mobilis models and analysis of its central metabolism.     

Application of Information Technologies in Apiculture (2013-2017), www.itapic.eu

(Latvian Academy of Sciences)

The project has been funded within the ICT-AGRI 2012 call for transnational research projects. Partners from Germany, Denmark and Turkey collaborate under the leadership of Aleksejs Zacepins to teach following objectives

·       Development of a specific bee hive monitoring system to improve beekeeping practice;

·       Development of a precision beekeeping web service system including wireless sensor networks for apiaries and a measurement database;

Promotion of implementation of precision beekeeping in EU countries.    

Establishment of Latvian interdisciplinary interuniversity scientific group of systems biology (2009-2012), www.sysbio.lv

(Financed by European Social Fund and Republic of Latvia)

End of 2009 project of European Social Fund “Establishment of Latvian interdisciplinary interuniversity scientific group of systems biology” within activity 1.1.1.2. „Attraction of Human Resources to Science” was started. Project is a joint activity of three scientific groups from three universities.

Aim of the project is to develop methodology for modelling, metabolic engineering and scale-up to laboratory bioreactor of several bioprocesses related to bioethanol production. Organisms of interest are Z. mobilis and S. Cerevisiae. Website of the project is www.sysbio.lv

Modular Education for Interdisciplinary Systems Biology (2007-2009), www.mosbio.eu

(financed by European Comission)

EU Leonardo da Vinci Lifelong learning program Transfer of Innovation project “Modular Education for Interdisciplinary Systems Biology”(MOSBIO) was financed 2007-2009 to develop educational modules of Systems Biology to help specialists of monodiscipline entering interdisciplinary Systems Biology.

Six partners from five countries were involved. Repository of modules (consist of presentations, video lectures and links) see on www.mosbio.eu

Applications of cellular control networks in the control of bioprocesses (2009)

(Financed by Latvian Council of Science 2009)

Smart metabolic control can be built on correct interpretation of existing control networks. On the other hand amount of alternative mechanisms encoded in genome can be found only when the main (normally used) pathway is disabled.

Simulations of structural evolution of control networks are used to predict number of alternatives and their structure.

Detection of preswarming condition of bee colony based on dynamics of microclimate (2008)

(Financed by Latvian Council of Science starting 2008)

Swarming of bee colonies is one of the biggest riscs in industrial beekeeping reducing productive power of bee colonies. Early detection of preswarming condition would allow to preent swarms and reach incresed production numbers.

It is planed to use multiparameter measuring system of hive microclimate parameters (temperature, humidity, concentration of carbon dioxide and oxygen) to find out parameters or their combinations that indicate preswarming.

Result of the study should be a prototype of a portable device that measure the essential parameter (or some of them)and is able to start an alarm if preswarming condition is reached.

Rationalization of biofuel production using dynamic models of biochemical reaction networks (2008)

(Financed by Latvian Council of Science starting 2008)

Project is devoted to the studies of biofuel production related biochemical models (SBML standard) from Systems Biology positions. Modern technologies aim to use as raw material agricultural and other types of organic waste. Biochemical processes become critical both regarding scope of possible raw materials and energetical efficiency of the process.

Subcategories