robustico.eu

Project title: Addressing copper pollution in South Europe by robustifying whole-cell copper biosensors through cell wall engineering (robustiCo)

Project leader: Asst Prof Bojan Žunar

Funding: Croatian Science Foundation

Funding: 200,000.00 EUR

Scientific field: Biotechnology

Institution: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology

Copper is indispensable in modern industry and agriculture, yet it is also an increasingly prevalent and concerning pollutant. Although whole-cell biosensors for quantifying biologically available copper exist, their accuracy significantly decreases in samples containing complex mixtures of common soil contaminants, such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons.

This reduced effectiveness of biosensors in non-laboratory conditions is a frequent issue, as these tools are based on standard laboratory strains that are easy to use but lack robustness.

To address this challenge, the research group of the robustiCo project will identify and develop yeast strains from the genus Saccharomyces, enveloped by cell walls that make them more resistant to common soil contaminants. By concentrating on the cell wall as the key protective structure of microbial cells, the group will develop a cellular platform resistant to various environmental stressors. This platform will be adapted for precise copper measurement in non-laboratory conditions and for displaying laccases on the cell wall, i.e., multicopper oxidases capable of degrading azo dyes, common pollutants in wastewater from the textile industry.

In addition to these two main objectives, the research group will map the diversity of cell walls in yeast from the genus Saccharomyces, catalogue the proteome of their cell walls, develop advanced platforms for protein display on cell surfaces, and identify mechanisms that contribute to enhancing the resilience and functionality of the cell wall.

Project leader: Asst Prof Bojan Žunar // Assistant Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Associates:

Prof Renata Teparić // Full Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Assoc Prof Igor Stuparević // Associate Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Damir Baranašić, PhD // Laboratory for Computational Biology and Translational Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia

Ana Novačić, PhD // Senior Scientific Assistant, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Antonia Paić, mag. ing. biotechn. // Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

We’re currently procuring the equipment needed for the robustiCo project.

The results of the robustiCo project will be shared through several original scientific publications.