The 8th of the International Conference on Biorefinery and Biomanufacturing (ICB 2023) was held between 23-27th of July 2023 in Athens, Greece. This event is jointly organized by Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), China, the University of Western Macedonia (UOWM), Greece and University of Patras (UP), Greece. Over 300 participants with diverse interests in the development of biorefineries and biomanufacturing took part in this conference. Mr. George Taxeidis from NTUA was invited to contribute to this event with a presentation on BioICEP project titled: “Plastic waste biotransformation: A route to a circular economy”.

The success of BioICEP continues due to the strong partnership approach undertaken by both the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and European partners.

Despite the unpredictable constraints and restrictions that occurred within the three-year period of the Covid-19 pandemic, a variety of significant accomplishments and positive impacts have been produced throughout the EU China flagship Horizon 2020 consortium.

The implementation of an EU – China liaison officer played an instrumental role in building this successful relationship and led to substantial benefits including 13 articles published under the scope of BioICEP in peer-reviewed journals, open and dynamic channels of communication, the provision of research information from the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Ireland to Shandong University, China, and the development of presentations and collaborative publications circulated in both Mandarin and English.

During the recent Engineering Microbiology Journal conference in Qingdao, China, Dr. Liu Pan and Professor Qi Qingsheng were awarded the title of ‘outstanding paper’. Their research which was undertaken as part of the BioICEP project focused on the design of a microbial co-culture system in which Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) biodegradation was coupled with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis. The award was presented by journal editor-in-chief Zhang Youming, who congratulated them on their achievement.

Dr Liu Pan and Professor Qi Qingsheng who received the award for ‘outstanding paper’ during the recent Engineering Microbiology Journal conference in Qingdao, China.

Vice President of the Microbial Technology Research Institute, Professor Qi Qingsheng who co-coordinates the Chinese consortium stated “This is an excellent opportunity to work together and fuse our considerable research efforts across China and Europe, developing new disruptive green technologies to deliver plastic circularity for the future prosperity of our people and the planet.”

Manager of the Centre for Polymer Sustainability, Dr Margaret Brennan Fournet who is the lead coordinator of BioICEP continued, “The EU China flagship Horizon 2020 program is key in bringing to life our compelling cross-continental ecological innovation, transforming our relationship with plastics and plastic waste pollution while opening up new technology markets for the sustainable plastics of the future.”

From the onset of the project, Shandong University promoted a strong education and public engagement ethos by developing a clean the beach programme, which focused on ‘Plastic Hazards and Microbial Degradation’. The initiative brought researchers from the ‘Microbial Technology Research Institute’, local students and teachers together to raise awareness of the impact of plastic degradation on the local marine environment. It also included information on how the public can put measures in place to protect local regions and wider society. In addition, it facilitated a growing appreciation in students for the work undertaken within universities and research institutes, as well as fostering an interest in pursuing STEM-based careers in the future.

Following on from the success of the previous EU – China liaison officer Dr Yuanyuan Chen, the newly appointed Dr Bor Shin Chee is continuing to develop and foster relationships, facilitating communication and ensuring cross-continent understanding. Dr Chee recently returned from a research visit to Shandong University in China, where she undertook key work on microbial consortia development for the degradation of plastic mixtures. During her tenure, Dr Chee worked collaboratively with Chinese partners to exchange knowledge and research with one another, building a solid foundation for success.

Dr Bor Shin Chee (centre) with researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology at Shandong University Qingdao Campus, China.

Throughout the project, knowledge sharing and materials transfers remain a core activity of BioICEP and include the development of novel approaches to PET and petroleum-based plastics degrading enzymes, which break down plastics for continued use and reuse, increasing environmental sustainability and building towards the circular economy.

The strong ethos of partnership and collaboration continues throughout project’s fourth year, as researchers from NSFC and the European consortium, Prof Qi and Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Principal Research Fellow for Eco-Biotechnology & Drug Development, University of Belgrade recently visited the Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry (Polish Academy of Sciences) to strengthen and discuss ongoing and future collaborative initiatives.

The final BioICEP general assembly is currently being organised by Prof Tang, Prof Young and Prof Qi of NSFC and will take place in the early new year. The final assembly will provide a key networking opportunity for all partners travelling from both regions to reflect on the success and impact of the BioIPEC project, both within China and the European Union.

Pictured L – R: Dr Tinyuan Su, Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Prof Qingsheng Qi and Dr Xuemei Lu at the Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry (Polish Academy of Sciences).

For more information and news on the BioICEP project, sign up to our newsletter (https://www.bioicep.eu/newsletter_suscribe.php) and stay tuned to our social media channels. Twitter: @BioICEP_H2020 & Instagram: @BioICE

More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667370321000035

BIOTRANS 2023 (16th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotransformations), is organized by the french network CBSO (Club Biocatalysis in Organic Synthesis), an independent association created in 1990, involving academic labs and private industrial research centers developing innovative technologies focused on enzymes used as biocatalysts for the synthesis of organic compounds. This year, event was held on June 25-29, 2023, in La Rochelle, France. NTUA partners have presented their research in the scope of BioICEP project with two posters. George Taxeidis showed results from his PhD thesis with a poster titled “Novel fluorescent compounds for screening and characterizing PET-degrading enzymes” while Konstantinos Makryniotis presented the poster titled “Side to side comparison of a novel wild-type polyesterase from Deinococcus maricopensis with LCCICCG indicates promising degradation of semi-crystalline post-consumer PET”.

For more info: https://www.biotrans2023.com/welcome

Organized by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the 2023 hybrid conference hosted leading materials researchers from around the world on 3 - 6 July 2023 in Dublin, Ireland. This was the flagship event for the RSC Materials Chemistry Community (previously Materials Chemistry Division), and a great forum for materials chemists to network with and build strong collaborations within their community and related disciplines. Jeovan Araujo presented results in the scope of BioICEP project with a poster titled “Natural composites of Montomorillonite and Revalorised Cellulose for the Sustainable Fabrication of Colored Bioplastics”.

For more info: https://www.rsc.org/events/detail/72840/16th-international-conference-on-materials-chemistry-mc16

The 10th FEMS Congress of European Microbiologists took a place in Hamburg, Germany from July 9 -13th, 2023. This event is dedicated to showcasing the latest developments in microbiology and connecting to microbiologists from all over the world. iBET partner Dr. Cristiana Torres held a lecture titled: “From wastes to biopolymers”, while IMGGE students took part in this event with posters: “Expression of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes in Streptomyces spp.” by Milena Stevanovic and “Streptomyces live interactions with textile materials” by Vukasin Jankovic.

For more info: https://www.fems2023.org/

BioICEP project coordinator, Dr. Margaret Brennan Fournet, took part in writing an article for businessnews.ie. This article highlights importance of connection between universities and industry via delivering a workforce with the relevant skills to meet industry’s needs. Margaret Brennan Fournet, Assistant Director of the Polymer Recycling Innovation Sustainability and Manufacturing (PRISM) Research Institute, says an aim is to help manufacturing industries achieve sustainability for their products and processes. The technologies include new low-carbon eco plastics generation and using waste postconsumer plastics as a resource for conversion to new plastics without further fossil fuel extraction.

Read the article.

The 9th EnviroChem 2023 Chemistry and Environmental Protection Symposium organized by the Environmental Chemistry Section of the Serbian Chemical Society was held in Kladovo, Serbia from 4 to 7thof June 2023. Researchers, scientists and experts, who deal with various fields of environmental chemistry, recognized the possibilities that the Symposium provides, which is a unique opportunity to exchange their ideas, the latest scientific achievements or technological innovations with colleagues, which is why the number of participants has grown over the years. This year, our IMGGE partners presented several studies at this event: Marija Nenadovic (poster: “Exploring PhaZ depolymerase sequence space for the bio-cyclable loop for biopolymers”), Marija Ljesevic (oral presentation: “Microbial degradation of bis (2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate”) and Branka Loncarevic (oral presentation “Exopolysaccharides from microorganisms which degrade BHET: Optimization of production”). Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic took part in a side event called “Science Bar”, a conceptual place where experts, researchers and the interested public meet to exchange ideas and information in an informal way. Dr Nikodinovic moderated the discussion in the section: “From microplastics to bioplastics”.  

Partners from NTUA have attended the event titled: “ChemExpo - 10 years of Chemecon" that took a place in Serafio in Athens on 12th of May. PhD students Romanos SIaperas and Christina Pentari shared their experience in research concerning biotechnological plastic degradation and discovery of novel plastic-degrading enzymes. Over 300 young students studying Chemical Engineering as well as major Greek industries attended this event

Join this webinar, organized by the BIOICEP project, in which we will invite other European projects to talk about their innovations and discuss goals and challenges in common towards a greener Europe. Guest projects are ECOPLASTIC, MIX-UP, UPLIFT, BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE, PRESERVE and BUDDIE-PACK. 

REGISTER HERE

AGENDA
11:00    Welcome remarks and opening
11:10    BIOICEP - ECOPLASTIC
11:25    MIX-UP
11:40    UPLIFT
11:55    BUDDIE-PACK
12:10    BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE
12:25    PRESERVE
12:40    Round table discussion

Closing remarks and end of the webinar    

Our IMGGE partners organised a lecture for high school students attending Biology and Chemistry Program. Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic presented the BioICEP project and discussed plastic pollution problems and potential solutions. 40 students took participation in this event at the Institute for molecular genetics and genetic engineering on the 22nd of March 2023.

Project PFAStwin organised a seminar called Project administration and management - examples of good practice. Among the others, the seminar was held by Dr Jasmina Nikodinovi?-Runi?. The seminar was held in the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Chemistry in Belgrade, 24. March 2023.

The topic of the episode was Plastics. It was an interesting talk with BioICEP and BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE. Both Horizon 2020 projects focused on the field of circular economy and innovation. Join the full episode here: video

Dr. Sanja Jeremic was a guest at morning program on Serbian National Television talking about BioICEP project and raising awareness about plastic pollution in a response to recent reports of microplastics found in human bloodstream.

As the project turns two years old, one of the researchers of the project, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, PhD, from the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), answers some questions on the progress of the project.

How would you rate these first two years at a technical level with BioICEP?

I am really proud to be a part of this multidisciplinary team that has made remarkable progress toward BioICEP goals. I am really happy that we are attacking the global plastic waste problem from multiple directions (i.e. green mechanochemistry and biotechnology and trying to reach synergies between approaches). We have also set common grounds for addressing the hardest mixed plastic waste that everyone is trying to stay clear off.

What would you highlight from this second year?

Great communication between material scientists and microbiologists was established supported by some really excellent publications. Some new potent microorganisms and enzymes have been discovered and excellent tools for targeted screens of biocatalysts for plastic degradations have been established.

What are you looking forward to next year?

As I mentioned, I am looking forward to the challenge of working with mixed plastic waste samples, both pre-treated and untreated and to continued interaction with BioICEP consortium members. Looking forward to some in-person meetings.

On the 1st of March, on the occasion of the International Seminar on Biotechnology Applied to the Plastic Sector, experts from the BioICEP Project (Bio Innovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics) will discuss the objectives, progress and results up to date in the first workshop of the project.

Sharing the same goal and playing a key role, Pablo Ferrero, principal investigator from AIMPLAS, will introduce the BioICEP project on 1st March from 2:25 PM to 3 PM.

The workshop will take place within the framework of the seminar, which will address the challenges and opportunities introduced by biotechnology in the plastics sector, in terms of management and possible treatment of waste from the sector, and the trends and initiatives that are being implemented at an international level.

You can register here to attend the workshop and the seminar.

21st European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry (EMEC) was held on November 30 – December 3, 2021 in Novi Sad, Serbia. This, already traditional, international meeting of researchers from all over the world was held at the Matica Srpska, one of the most important academic institution in Serbia. This conference covered a broad range of topics within the field of environmental chemistry, and interdisciplinary presentations with 150 posters and presentations and presenters from 15 different countries.

Our partners from NTUA have been awarded for the best poster presentation “Discovery of novel polyesterases capable of degrading a variety of synthetic polyesters”. Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, our partner from IMGGE, held a Section Lecture tittled “Progressing Plastics Circularity: Mechano-Biocatalytic Approaches for Waste Plastic (Re)valorization (Overview and progress of BioICEP H2020 project)”. Jasmina’s talk can be found on the link, starting at 1:14:20

November 17th and 18th, will take place the Pollination Days 2021 an event organized by LOGOPLAST PARTNER, which this year will be dedicated to Sustainability & Innovation, Recycling, Regeneration, as well as Social Responsibility, covering all packaging ecosystems, providing us with a better understanding of this complex network.

In this event, will be presented BIOICEP PROJECT.

AIMPLAS, Plastics Technological Institute in Valencia, has organized the third edition of its international seminar Plastics are Future. The event will celebrate its next edition on October 6 and 7, with a hybrid format. This will allow attendees to access the sessions both in person, or from any other place via streaming.

The event will be developed through four differentiated blocks. In the first two, will take place during the first day, it is planned to discuss how plastic materials can respond to environmental challenges in sectors such as mobility or construction. Also, how polymers can help us fight against super resistant viruses or bacteria, as well as against diseases such as cancer. During the second day, innovative solutions for agricultural production and to guarantee food safety through packaging will be presented. The last of the blocks will be dedicated to the new concept of Industry 5.0.

In total, there are about twenty presentations that will be given by experts from research centers. This is the case with Fraunhofer; Cidetec; the UPV; TNO; Imdea; Public Health of the Generalitat Valenciana; AEBAM; the University of Warwick; Faith; Cajamar; the Inta and AIMPLAS. Professionals from companies such as Biofabrik, Lis Data and Finboot Tech will also take part.

For more info click here.

Dr. Jasmina Nikodinvic Runic presented BioICEP project and solutions for packaging circularity, in the TV show “Knowledge is power” (Radio Television of Serbia, Serbian public broadcaster).

The European Researchers' Night is a Europe-wide public event, which displays the diversity of science and its impact on citizens' daily lives in fun, inspiring ways! The 2021 edition takes place on 24 September in 29 countries. 

For more info, click here.

The Biotrans 2021 symposium provides the unique chance to bring the recent advances in biocatalysis research to every location in the world. Download the IMGGE abstract: "Towards novel PET-ases: Whole-cell biotransformation of PET-related substrates"

Due to the pandemic situation, ISBP2020/2021 and ESBP2021, the two major symposiums on biopolymers, are transformed into a weekly online international seminar series. To this end, group leaders, PhD students, company members working in the biopolymer field can present their results in a ≈ 30 min keynote lecture or in form of 10 min short lectures (two in a row per webinar).

Our friend Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, presented her work on mcl-PHA films for biomedical applications.

Link to the recorded presentation.

Download the abstract.

The THESSALONIKI 2021 Conference aims to stimulate the interest of scientic community, competent authorities of public and private sector and inform them about the latest developments and achievements in the feld of solid waste management with special emphasis on municipal solid waste. Waste prevention, separation at source & recycling, biological Treatment (composting & anaerobic digestion), the treatment at central facilities constitute priority subjects of the conference agenda.

For more info click here.

Net Beach Action. Shandong University Qingdai campus is located on the beautiful Yellow Sea coast, every evening nearby residents and tourists often go to the seaside Binhai Park to play, and usually they will find garbage on the beach. This garbage not only affects the mood of viewing, but also causes pollution to the marine environment. Volunteers from the MBMR team came to Marina Park on the afternoon of May 23rd. Teachers and students were divided in 3 groups: science group, sampling group and the net beach group. The science group gave residents and tourists advice on preventing plastic pollution and urged them not to throw away garbage. The sampling group went deep into the sea and sampled the sea water, sediment and plastic garbage. Last group searched for garbage along the coastline. Garbage mostly included food bags, beverage bottles and paper towels.
Tourists even joined our volunteers and participants in this noble act and helped with cleaning!

On June 24-25, took place the BioICEP Consortium Meeting, where were reviewed the project key achievements to date and the progress towards expected each work package.

Our friend Dr. Evangelos Topakas, from Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece, will be in sessions Biocatalysis Session in the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Catalysis Sciences in 2021 (ECCS 2021), that will be hosted online at https://eccs2021.sciforum.net/.

10th Anniversary of Catalysts

The year 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Catalysts, a peer-reviewed open access journal of catalysts and catalyzed reactions published monthly online by MDPI. Catalysts has published more than 4000 papers in the form of reviews, research papers, and communications. More than 700 of these papers have received over 10 citations. To celebrate this 10th anniversary, we are arranging a series comprising special content and events. We hope you will join us in celebrating this milestone of our journal and enjoy the collections below.

For more info: click

Clean the beach action!
Our partners from Shandong University in China, led by Professor Qi Qingsheng, vice president of Microbial Technology Research Institute, organized all teachers and students of the Microbial Synthesis and Metabolic Regulation Task group to carry out a public event in order to raise environmental protection awareness and cultivate public interest in plastic degradation research and social responsibility.
MBMR volunteers participated in the State Key Laboratory of Microbiology Technology 2021 “Qi Meng Wei Lai” public open day activities. Participants had a chance to learn about plastic pollution problems and possible ways of intervention. Using their own research, scientists talked about important topics, such as:

→ Properties, advantages and disadvantages of different plastics and their degradation process,
→ Environmental problems caused by petroleum-based plastics and serious consequences as a result of no intervention,
→ Environment friendly bio-based plastic introduction and importance.

Children also learned about the dangers of plastic pollution and developed a love for biology and research. This popular science activity was intended to make everyone involved to get a better perspective on plastic pollution problem.

PhD students involved in BioICEP project have presented their work at EFB2021 virtual conference. EFB2021 is the major scientific conference organised by the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) with 81 speaker and 206 poster presentations. EFB is Europe’s non-profit federation of National Biotechnology Associations, Learned Societies, Universities, Scientific Institutes, Biotech Companies and individual biotechnologists working to promote biotechnology throughout Europe and beyond. As the independent “Voice of Biotechnology in Europe”, EFB promotes the safe, sustainable and beneficial use of fundamental research and innovation in life sciences, while providing a forum for interdisciplinary and international cooperation.

Hosted by leading postgraduate researchers who are studying across Limerick Institute of Technology, Mary Immaculate College, University Limerick and Athlone Institute of Technology, is a space where postgraduate students across all disciplines can share their research journey. It aims to support postgraduate researchers' intellectual and career development most notably through postgraduates' presentation seminars, poster pitches, well-being, research skills workshops, and moments outlining their experiences about life as a researcher. 

The Shannon Region Postgraduate Research Conference (SRPRC), hosted by leading postgraduate researchers who are studying across Limerick Institute of Technology, Mary Immaculate College, University Limerick and Athlone Institute of Technology, is a space where postgraduate students across all disciplines can share their research journey. It aims to support postgraduate researchers' intellectual and career development most notably through postgraduates' presentation seminars, poster pitches, well-being, research skills workshops, and moments outlining their experiences about life as a researcher. This year, SRPRC was held online on the 18th and 19th of May with 300 participants. Diana Garza, PhD researcher from Athlone Institute of Technology took a part in this conference and presented her work on BioICEP project winning award for the best use of graphics in poster section. Her poster was titled 'Microbes with the appetite for plastic: Exploring the enzymatic potential of the contaminated sites.

Download the presentation here.

Dr. Margaret Brennan Fournet (Material Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology) present at The Quest for Zero Polluting High Performance Plastics.

Check out all their evens here.

Dr. Margaret Brennan Fournet presented BioICEP on the online radio of Shannonside Radio live, which launched in 1989 together with its twin-station Northern Sound. She's been speaking to MaryClaire Grealy about the work of the Department and how they are working on making plastics such as packaging for our meat more sustainable.

Find the podcast Here

ECP4, The European Composites, Plastics and Polymer Processing Platform (https://www.ecp4.eu/) is pleased to announce that the Bi-Annual Conference "Strategic Research Needs for the European Plastics and Composites Industry" will take place on the 21st of April 2021 as a virtual event.

Building upon the success of previous years and after the publication in December 2020 of the “Sustainable Plastic Strategy”, ECP4 is happy to invite you to this conference that focuses on trends and solutions for the circularity challenges of many plastic industrial sectors.

Our collegue Dr. Margaret Brennan Fournet, Materials Research Centre, Athlone Institute of Technology, represented at the Irish Horizon Europe Launch event the success story of our project BioICEP.
Running from 2021-2027, Horizon Europe will be the most ambitious Research and Innovation programme in the world with a budget of €95 billion. 
Building on the achievements of Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe offers a broad range of opportunities for Irish researchers, innovators and Irish companies of all sizes in the pursuit of new discoveries, scientific and technological advancement and innovation.
This event provided an overview of the Horizon Europe program and offered practical advice for researchers and innovators on how to submit competitive applications on Horizon Europe.

https://twitter.com/BioICEP_H2020

https://www.instagram.com/bioicep/

?

BioICEP celebrate 1 year of life. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT DURING THIS FIRST YEAR.

We have asked some of the partners involved in the Project.

Pablo Ferrero from AIMPLAS:

• How would you rate this first year at a technical level with BioICEP? This first year has been a difficult year due to the pandemic situation, with a lot of laboratories and facilities closed because of COVID-19. But, in my opinion, everybody in the project has done a very high effort in order to overcome this circumstances, and at technical level we have increased our knowledge about the plastic biodegradation and plastic pretreatment, so this year has been a good point to start the project.
• What would you highlight from this first year? I would like to highlight the hard work of every partner to overcome the difficulties that we have found during this year with the pandemic situation. At technical level I would like to highlight the identification of new plastic degrader strains, the development of new pretreatment methods to increase biodegradation and the identification of strains to produce new valuable bioproducts.
• What are you looking forward to next year? For next year we will keep working in the pretreatment of plastic materials to increase and facilitate the biodegradation, so we hope to enhance the microbial degradation of different plastics material through these pretreatments.

This was the first e-conference on Catalysis Science, which was very successful with 70 papers and presentations presented at https://sciforum.net/conference/ECCS2020. 

All presented papers can be accessed at https://sciforum.net/conference/ECCS2020/submissions/view. The conference proceedings papers will be published in the journal Chemistry Proceedings.

BioICEP was presented at European Researcher's Night 2020 is annual event supported by EC:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/events/european-researchers-night-2020_en

As a part of Serbia's participation (https://www.nocistrazivaca.rs/), IMGEE presented the BioICEP project in the 'EU Corner' section.

Marija Mojicevic, from Athlone Institute of Technology will present BioICEP at Biocatalysis Open Day 2020.

Biocatalysis Open Day 2020 is an online event organised by The Biocatalysis Division of the European Federation of Biotechnology.

http://www.efbiotechnology.org/biocatalysis

See the enterview here:

https://fems-microbiology.org/about_fems/network-and-activities/awards/poster-oral-presentation-prizes/fems-presentation-prize-marija-mojicevic/?fbclid=IwAR2WLYrN3yeHctTMM-UDTRLgpxJOE-KT-rhLxWDnk81ZvB3-j4MuXz78qvc

Download the presentation here

AIMPLAS and Cicloplast have organized on November 12, the fifth edition of their plastics and circular economy, sustainability and recycling debate conference. During the event, a pioneer in its theme, the bioicep project was presented.  

Find the presentation here.

Dr Marija Mojicevic has been awarded an ‘Oral presentation prize for early career scientists’ on FEMS (Federation of European Microbiological Societies) Conference on Microbiology for presentation of the latest BioInnovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics (BioICEP) results. The Presentation titled Plastic saga - The microbes strike back, gave an insight in global problem concerning plastic waste, but also presented microorganisms as a potentially useful solution.  Presented Results focused on isolation and identification of strains with the ability to produce enzymes relevant for plastic degradation. FEMS Conference on Microbiology In association with the Serbian Society for Microbiology (SSM) for the safety and welfare of attendees organized online, from 28 – 31 October 2020. FEMS is a pan-European scientific body dedicated to highlight the importance of science – and in particular microbiology within Europe. This high profile conference offers European, regional and local scientists, and in particular Early Career Scientists the opportunity to participate and avail of a wide range of networking opportunities and knowledge exchange experiences.

Winner : BioICEP ‘Postdoctoral Poster’ Dr Catherine Collins, Limerick Institute of Technology [LIT] Ireland:

Dr Catherine Collins is a Research Scientist at Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre in Limerick Institute of Technology. Her work focuses on exploring the role of fungi in the bioremediation of plastics as part of the Horizon 2020 BioICEP project https://www.bioicep.eu/. Catherine has a degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Fungal Biotechnology. She had worked on a number of fungal projects both in Ireland and the U.K. prior to joining Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre. While working at Shannon ABC, she has established her own research group which focuses on investigating mushrooms and fungi as functional foods and as sources of enzymes and other bioactives.

Winner : BioICEP ‘Postgraduate Poster’ Naiara Farias, Athlone Institute of Technology [AIT] Ireland:

Naiara has a Bachelor’s Hons Degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro- UERJ (2017) and a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ / COPPE (2019), focusing on synthesis and kinetic modelling of cationic polymerization of polyolefins.  Following her Master of Science studies, she worked in a huge Brazilian petrochemical company, Braskem, as a researcher trainee under the technology and innovation department, being part of projects to develop new products and processes. Currently, she is undertaking a Ph.D. in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) focusing on the development of sustainable flexible packaging solutions using novel biodegradable and compostable polymer blends.

More info: https://fems2020belgrade.com/

Download the presentation here: 

The BioICEP consortium will present at its next meeting the selected posters of postgraduates and researchers from each of the partner institutes and organizations to present how their current research work is in line with or conforms to BioICEP's ambitions and objectives. The BioICEP Consortium fully supports collaboration, knowledge sharing and listening to the future talents of researchers to help in our mission to drive innovation and excellence for the BioICEP project.
Download all posters

We live in the Age of Plastics. Synthetic plastics made our modern life possible being durable, lightweight, and processable. Nevertheless, the growing accumulation of plastic wastes has become a severe environmental and social issue. Recently, the improvement of plastic design and production to facilitate its re-use, repair, and recycling is a major concern, as noted in the Paris agreement on Climate Change, to decouple plastics production from fossil resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving circularity and up-cycling of the existing plastics is a major challenge and EU-China flagship project BioICEP is tackling that challenge. Reports on biodegradation of synthetic plastics by microorganisms or enzymes have sprung up, and these offer a possibility to develop biological treatment technology for plastic wastes.

Download the presentation here

The search for an effective way of managing plastic waste has been the focus of scientific research for the past couple of decades. One of the most promising approaches is the enzymatic degradation of plastic and the retrieval of monomers or their upcycling. A large number of potential plastic-degrading enzymes have been identified in microorganisms, however, most of these enzymes are not nearly efficient enough to completely degrade plastic.

Download the presentation here

The BioICEP consortium wish to extend a call for posters to the postgraduate and research community within each of the partner Institutes and organisations to propose how their current research work is in line or fits with the ambitions and goals of BioICEP. The Consortium of BioICEP fully support collaboration, knowledge sharing and listening to the up and coming talent pipeline of researchers to assist in our mission to drive innovation and excellence for the BioICEP project.

On September 15, took place the BioICEP Consortium Meeting, where were reviewed the project key achievements to date and the progress towards expected each work package.

More info at http://www.mix-up.eu

Our friend Dr. Evangelos Topakas, from Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece, will be in sessions Charis. in the 1st International Electronic Conference on Catalysis Sciences in 2020 (ECCS 2020) that is hosted online by: https://eccs2020.sciforum.net.

An often-quoted statistic is that catalysts are used in 90% of all chemical products, a reflection of the importance of catalysis in powering a modern society. This includes the role that catalysis plays in the production of fuels, chemical manufacture, fertilizer production, environmental protection and cleanup, pharmaceutical manufacture, sustainable energy, biomass conversion, polymer chemistry, and electrochemistry. ECCS 2020 will present the latest research on the use of catalysts in these critical areas. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Single Atom Catalysts (Session A)
• Electrocatalysis (Session B)
• Photocatalysis (Session C)
• Catalysts for Natural Gas Conversion (Session D)
• Catalysts for Biomass Conversion(Session E)
• Computational Catalysis (Session F)
• Catalyst Synthesis and Characterization (Session G)
• Biocatalysis (Session H)
• e-WSeS 2020 (Session I)

The BioiCEP project will be presented by AIMPLAS. The PowerPoint will be displayed directly on the website using Sciforum's patented slide viewer.

For more info: click

AIMPLAS organized a series of free webinars under the slogan ‘Plastic reinvents itself’. With the aim of bringing together topics of interest to the plastics industry. Pablo Ferrero presented BioICEP.

Wacht the webinar here.https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4147191146544437250

Our friend Christos Argirusis from TU Clausthal participated in OpenEARTH Conference on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. The conference was organized by the BalkanROAD project “Towards farms with zero carbon-, waste- and water-footprint. Roadmap for sustainable management strategies for Balkan agricultural sector”, financed by the European Union and National Funds of the participating countries, within the framework of the “Balkan-Mediterranean 2014-2020 Programme”.

https://balkanroad.eu/conference/

Click for download the poster 

Our friend Christos Argirusis from TU Clausthal participated in OpenEARTH Conference on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. The conference was organized by the BalkanROAD project “Towards farms with zero carbon-, waste- and water-footprint. Roadmap for sustainable management strategies for Balkan agricultural sector”, financed by the European Union and National Funds of the participating countries, within the framework of the “Balkan-Mediterranean 2014-2020 Programme”.

More info: https://balkanroad.eu/conference/

Download the presentation here

Link to the conference "From plastic waste to bioplastics with the help of microorganisms"

Link to the Margaret Brennan Fournet interview

Athlone Institute of Technology launched a brand new eco-initiative earlier this week with the intention of educating students, staff and the wider community about the circular economy and responsible consumption of plastic.

https://www.ait.ie/news-and-events/news/minister-kevin-boxer-moran-launches-ait-green-team-initiative

Link to the Jasmina Nikodinovic interview

Dates: 10th & 11th Feb 2020
Venue: Athlone Institute of Technology and Radison Blu Hotel Athlone