Soft-bodied marine animals, such as nudibranchs, use bioactive compounds as a defense against predators. In our previous work we have discovered that these compounds in nudibranch Doriopsilla fulva can be produced by bacterial symbionts rather than the animals themselves. These symbiotic bacteria represent new non-culturable bacterial lineages that produce bioactive molecules. The Nudi-Symb project seeks to explore more nudibranch species. We will use novel techniques to study individual bacterial cells, sequence the nudibranch genome and use transcriptomics to understand the interaction between these animals and their symbiotic bacteria, with the aim of contributing to the development of new medical drugs.

The FRAILTECH consortium seeks to develop an early detection technology for frailty syndrome based on DNA arrays. DNA sequencing techniques and metagenomic analysis will be combined to create a dataset to assess frailty risk. In addition, a multiscale risk calculator integrating genetic, microbiota and clinical variables will be validated. The project also seeks to generate databases for the frailty research community.

In this study the objective is to develop a rapid and cost-effective solution for detecting the risk of lower extremity impairment in the elderly. Using DNA sequencing and metagenomic analysis technologies, a reference panel will be created that will include genetic and microbiotic data as well as a risk calculator and a database for related research.

The LIVERGUT project aims to evaluate the effects of fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) in patients with cirrhosis. Two randomized phase III trials will be conducted to evaluate the reduction of portal hypertension and complications of cirrhosis.

Multicellular organisms have a symbiotic relationship with microbes, and this association is essential for their functioning. Microbiomes, which are communities of microbes, can be classified into specific types. This is relevant in the clinical setting, as it aids in diagnosis, identification of risk factors and prediction of treatment success. CLOM consists of a database of microbiome profiles and a profile classifier that employs unsupervised clustering techniques. The main objective is to enable the characterization and prediction of the microbiota and its relationship to disease, as well as for the assignment of new samples to disease-associated microbial community types.

The project focuses on the study of bacteriophage-bacteria interactions in the microbiota of the cockroach Blattella germanica. It is hypothesized that bacteriophages affect bacterial diversity and that host response to stress, such as antibiotics or temperature extremes, alters these interactions and host metabolism.

Changes with age of the interactions of the microbiota with its human host and deter-mination of a permanent core of mutualistic symbionts

The objective of this Project is the “Development of a dual strategy for the mitigation of the damage associated to stress, in tomato productive systems”.

The objective of the project BotVidSENSOR, is the development of a tool for the diagnosis of the "grey rot" disease, caused by B. cinerea, which will allow the EARLY monitoring at the POINT OF NEED of the infections caused by this pathogen in grapevine.

All of Earth’s organisms have developed biological rhythms in order to cope with the alternating periods of favourable and unfavourable environmental conditions on various time scales. Diapause is a state of seasonal latency, common in insects and other arthropods, that allows the organism to overcome recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.

Strengthening genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to increase the capacity to detect new threats and achieve quality, timely and appropriate public health actions.

In environmental monitoring programs for preventing legionelosis the presence of different several strains of Legionella spp. is likely to be found in water facilities. However, only a few of them can cause disease, whereas others only are in the environment.

The resistance to antimicrobials (RA) represents one of the main threats for the public health globally.

The environment is a key factor in the outcome of virus-host interactions, eventually modulating the infection outcome and its severity. Indeed, it has been shown in different organisms that microgravity affects their immunity.

Tuberculosis is, after COVID-19, the infectious disease that kills the most people in the world, and although it has been known for thousands of years, we still do not know some key aspects of the infection.

Soft-bodied marine animals, such as nudibranchs, use bioactive compounds as a defense against predators. In our previous work we have discovered that these compounds in nudibranch Doriopsilla fulva can be produced by bacterial symbionts rather than the animals themselves. These symbiotic bacteria represent new non-culturable bacterial lineages that produce bioactive molecules. The Nudi-Symb project seeks to explore more nudibranch species. We will use novel techniques to study individual bacterial cells, sequence the nudibranch genome and use transcriptomics to understand the interaction between these animals and their symbiotic bacteria, with the aim of contributing to the development of new medical drugs.

The tanning industry faces serious environmental problems due to wastewater contaminated with heavy metals, sulfides and toxic substances. These effluents threaten ecosystems, affecting groundwater, rivers and agricultural soils, as well as human health. To mitigate pollution, advanced technologies and environmentally friendly chemical alternatives are needed, but this presents challenges, especially in low-income countries. The presence of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is a concern, and bioremediation using bacteria is proposed as a solution. The project is based on samples from a Tunisian tannery, where bacterial strains with some bioremediation capacity were isolated, however, the samples contain a large proportion of bacteria that cannot be culutred in laboratory. The main focus is to understand the metabolic pathways in uncultured microbes in order to design effective bioremediation strategies and to study microbial interactions in this environment. Another objective is to study interactions between microbes in this unique ecosystem through single cell genomics, which may serve to enhance bio-remediation capacity.

Our objective is to sequence the whole genome of the selected nudibranch. We will start with selecting an optimal method for extracting high molecular weight DNA. This is crucial for whole genome sequencing, especially on platforms like PacBio. As there are no specific methods for nudibranch DNA extraction, we plan to test various preservation and extraction methods to obtain a concentrated DNA sample with large fragments suitable for PacBio sequencing.

The FRAILTECH consortium seeks to develop an early detection technology for frailty syndrome based on DNA arrays. DNA sequencing techniques and metagenomic analysis will be combined to create a dataset to assess frailty risk. In addition, a multiscale risk calculator integrating genetic, microbiota and clinical variables will be validated. The project also seeks to generate databases for the frailty research community.

In this study the objective is to develop a rapid and cost-effective solution for detecting the risk of lower extremity impairment in the elderly. Using DNA sequencing and metagenomic analysis technologies, a reference panel will be created that will include genetic and microbiotic data as well as a risk calculator and a database for related research.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer with high incidence and mortality. The main risk factors are tobacco use, alcohol consumption and human papillomavirus infection. Conservative treatment against this disease seeks to control the disease without surgery, but the response varies from patient to patient. Predicting the patient and tumor profile against chemoradiotherapy would be valuable in choosing the best diagnostic and therapeutic approach, avoiding ineffective and aggressive treatments.

The LIVERGUT project aims to evaluate the effects of fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) in patients with cirrhosis. Two randomized phase III trials will be conducted to evaluate the reduction of portal hypertension and complications of cirrhosis.

Multicellular organisms have a symbiotic relationship with microbes, and this association is essential for their functioning. Microbiomes, which are communities of microbes, can be classified into specific types. This is relevant in the clinical setting, as it aids in diagnosis, identification of risk factors and prediction of treatment success. CLOM consists of a database of microbiome profiles and a profile classifier that employs unsupervised clustering techniques. The main objective is to enable the characterization and prediction of the microbiota and its relationship to disease, as well as for the assignment of new samples to disease-associated microbial community types.

Using the German cockroach Blattela germanica and its dual symbiotic system as a model, we will delve into understanding the communication mechanisms among the participants (insect, endosymbiont, and gut microbiota), with special attention to the role played by antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), insect non-coding RNAs (miRNAs), and symbiont small RNAs (sRNAs), either locally or in other target tissues, using extracellular vesicles (EVs) for transport. Furthermore, we will explore the utility of the endosymbiont Wolbachia as a biocontrol strategy against pest insects (mosquitoes and cockroaches). Lastly, we will use the endosymbiont Bartonella for the design of a synthetic biology chassis with potential biomedical applications.

The project focuses on the study of bacteriophage-bacteria interactions in the microbiota of the cockroach Blattella germanica. It is hypothesized that bacteriophages affect bacterial diversity and that host response to stress, such as antibiotics or temperature extremes, alters these interactions and host metabolism.

There is a lot of interest in using bacteriophages for treating diseases caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria. In the project CDEIGENT/2021/008 we will investigate the ability of the bacteriophages to modify the bacterial composition in the human intestine affected by Clostridioides difficile infection using methods of microbial single-cell genomics.

The main aim and objective of the Action is to integrate scientists and innovators working across multiple disciplines and biological models to advance mechanistic understanding in the young field of RNA communication and create and communicate a research agenda for targeting RNA that is aligned with sustainable development goals in infectious disease and pest control.

Changes with age of the interactions of the microbiota with its human host and deter-mination of a permanent core of mutualistic symbionts

An EU-funded project encouraging and facilitating excellence in science communication, public engagement and co-creation practices.

It is estimated that antimicrobial resistance will cause more deaths than cancer in 2050. This is a serious global health problem that requires new strategies to systematically produce antimicrobial molecules against any bacterium.

Certain bacteria can split water into hydrogen and oxygen using light. Taking a cue from nature, the EU-funded PhotoSynH2 project aims to develop genetically modified bacteria (cyanobacteria) able to convert solar energy to hydrogen.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic matter is a robust technology for biogas synthesis from different types of waste (sewage sludge from water treatment, animal slurry, bio-waste, etc.). The main goal of AD is the production of methane, a renewable energy source that can be used to generate electricity, heat or as vehicle fuel.

Application of global and multidisciplinary approaches to Systems Biology for the generation of innovative biotechnological solutions to social and business challenges.