MossTech will expand the tools for green biotechnology. By using the simplest land plants, the mosses, MossTech will develop new green cell factories for the production of proteins, lipids and fine chemicals.
Through
training of 6 highly qualified PhD students (ESR) in modern biotechnology
MossTech will secure new tools to the fast increasing field of Plant Synthetic
Biology. Our focus is on expanding the use of green cells in biotechnological
applications.
The
consortium of three universities, one research institution and four companies
together provides a strong background for training in scientific and
transferable skills.
We have
chosen mosses, since these are structurally simple plants, but have a high
degree of chemical complexity, and are thus a rich source for novel
biosynthetic genes and pathways. Mosses in Northern Europe are adapted for high
growth rates at low temperatures and long days, which are ideal properties for
competitive biotechnological production.
The species
and chemical diversity in Northern European mosses are very high; we will to
look for novel sources for valuable lipids, terpenoids and other chemicals. We
will study the lipid and terpenoid metabolism in mosses with the aim of
establishing novel production lines for the industrial partners in the project.
Additionally,
we will provide at least 8-13 new mosses that can be used in biotechnological
research and production, along with novel transformation technologies. Overall,
this will allow us to understand complex biochemical routes leading to
alternative regulation of such pathways and will provide competitive production
of fine chemicals.