Last 13 May, 5 June and 7 June, AIMPLAS received different visits from students of the master’s degree in chemistry from the Universitat Politècnica de València, students of the Chair AIMPLAS-Universitat de València, the School of Engineering (ETSE) of the Universitat de València, the Faculty of Chemistry of the Universitat de València and the Materials Technology and Sustainability (MATS) research group and students of the Link Formación training centre.

During these visits, the students were able to know firsthand how a collaboration European project works and, particularly, the goals and technologies and methodologies used in the BioICEP project. So, the four videos recently prepared by the consortium were displayed and explained to the students.

The four videos can be visited at the PROJECT > VIDEOS section of our website. 

How can microbial ecology serve as your pathway to sustainable industrial practices? As an industrial company, sustainability will be on your agenda one way or another. But how to balance ecology with profitability? And are sustainable solutions always effective? You’ll be able to discover it in Avecom’s e-book. Over the past 3 decades, Avecom has built a wealth of experience and expertise in optimizing microbial processes. The e-book shows the versatility and potential microbes have for incorporating more sustainability into your industrial processes. You are guided through the various opportunities in Environmental Remediation and Biomass Fermentation. 

You can click on the title to download it. 

From 9 to 11 April, our colleagues from AIMPLAS visited Waste Management Europe 2024, held in Bergamo, Italy. There, they welcomed attendees to discuss the goals and progress of the BioICEP project.

WME 2024 is an event that focuses specifically on engaging and connecting national and international policymakers with the global and public sector organisations responsible for waste production. Key sectors present include plastic waste, glass waste, wastewater, hazardous waste, paper waste, solid waste, mining & extraction waste, waste-to-energy, municipal waste, medical waste, clothing & textiles waste, digital, health & safety and more.

It provided outstanding opportunities for larger organisations to learn more and potentially partner with smaller, innovative new businesses that are making significant impacts in these sectors. Form new partnerships and work together towards a common goal of achieving a more sustainable future.

IMGGE BioICEP crew presented a poster titled: “Degradation of polyamide/polyurethane textile blend by Streptomyces sp R1.” at XIII CONGRESS OF MICROBIOLOGISTS OF SERBIA - MIKROMED REGIO 5, which took palce in Belgrade, Serbia, from the 4th of April to the 6th of April.

More info on the congress: https://congress24.ums.rs

Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, head of the BioICEP IMGGE team gave a lecture on the 14th of March titled “Microplastics - a Macroscopic Problem” as a part of the cycle of lectures “ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION - FROM CONSCIOUS TO UNCONSCIOUS”, organized by the Faculty of Chemistry, the Environmental Chemistry Section of the Serbian Chemical Society and the PFAStwin project.

You can watch her presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-76kE0h_lE (Serbian language)

Between 7-9th December, we were at Microbiotec 23 in Covilhã, Portugal. Microbiotec happens biannually in a co-organization by the Portuguese Society of Microbiology and the Portuguese Society of Biotechnology.
Results of the project @bioicep were presented by Catia Gil and results of the project Bioeconomina PRR by Marisa Cardoso. André Freches presented the results from his PhD thesis.

Thanks to: Asiyah Esmail, Cristiana A. V. Torres, Paloma Ortiz?Albo, Ana C. Marques, Alexandra Gonçalves, Luísa A. Neves, Joana V. Pinto, Maria A. M. Reis and Filomena Freitas

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Thanks to: Diana A. Garza Herrera, Marija Mojicevic, Brana Pantelic, Akanksha Joshi, Catherine Collins, Maria Batista, Cristiana Torres, Filomena Freitas, Patrick Murray, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic and Margaret Brennan Fournet

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Thanks to: S Skaro Bogojevic, D Perminova, J Jaksic, M Milcic, V Medakovic, J Milovanovic, J Nikodinovic-Runic and V Maslak.

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Reflecting on the success of the recent PPS conference held from 29th November to 2nd December in Kerala, India, the event brought together experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from across the globe. The conference served as a nexus for sharing cutting-edge research, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of polymer processing. Embedded in its constitution, PPS is dedicated to fostering scientific understanding and technical innovation in polymer processing. The society provides a vital discussion forum for engineers and scientists worldwide, covering all aspects of formulation, conversion, and shaping operations applied to polymeric systems. From the transformation of monomeric forms to the creation of commercial products, PPS embraces a thematic range that spans the entire spectrum of polymer processing.

Join us in celebrating the recent keynote lecture delivered by Dr. Ramesh Babu from TCD, titled: "Circular Plastics: Upcycling the Mixed Plastic Waste to Biodegradable Plastics." Dr. Babu's insightful lecture explores innovative approaches to transforming mixed plastic waste into eco-friendly, biodegradable plastics, aligning with PPS's commitment to advancing sustainability in polymer processing.

More info: https://pps2023india.com/social-events/

Thanks to: Everton Henrique Da Silva Pereira, Olivia A. Attallah, Cuneyt Erdinc Tas, Bor Shin Chee, Filomena Freitas, Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Michael A.P. Mc Auliffe, Marija Mojicevic, Maria N. Batista, Maria A.M. Reis, Margaret Brennan Fournet

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On 2nd of November, Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic Runic held a lecture titled: “Green Conversion: From plastic waste to bioplastics” as a part of workshop Green Chemistry for Circular Economy and Sustainable Future. This event was organized by the Center for Cleaner Production of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade at the ENVOY Conference Center, Belgrade, Serbia. Workshop brought together experts from the fields of environmental protection, innovation, economics, business and science to discuss key issues related to the application of green chemistry and sustainable chemical processes in achieving a circular economy. The event is part of the activities of the UNIDO/GEF project "Global Program for Green Chemistry and Innovation" led by Yale University (USA).

More info at: https://cpc-serbia.org/zelena-hemija-za-cirkularnu-ekonomiju-i-odrzivu-buducnost/

Michael Pil from AVECOM has presented BioICEP on webinar organized as a part of RUSTIKA Project titled: “Sustainable Alternatives for Proteins from Agro-Industrial Residues and ByProducts”. This event was organized on 22nd of November and has been attended by over 60 people over the world. Seminar highlighted need for the development of novel biotechnological platforms, specifically designed to produce valuable biofuels from organic waste residues is essential for Ireland and the EU to transform the economy from one heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels to a more indigenous low carbon economy, centred on energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart networks.

More info at: https://rusticaproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rustica-Project-Presentation_Avecom-dissimination.pdf

We are delighted to share the success of BioICEP's participation at Mikrobiokosmos 2023, a prestigious event hosted by the Hellenic Scientific Society. Mikrobiokosmos, which translates to "microbial world" in Greek, was established in 2007 with a mission to research, explore, and exploit microbial national resources. The event serves as a national forum for cutting-edge research in various microbiological domains, including environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, synthetic biology, and more. Partners from BioICEP seized the opportunity for a productive "in-person" steering meeting during their visit to Larissa, Greece, from November 29th to December 2nd. This meeting allowed for strategic discussions and collaborative planning to further advance the objectives of BioICEP. BioICEP partners actively participated in the conference, showcasing their research through posters and lectures:

1. Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic Runic (IMGGE) delivered a plenary lecture on "WASTE TO VALUE: FROM BUGS TO DRUGS."
2. Clémence Budin (MLS) presented a poster on "Combining culture-dependent and -independent approaches for identifying plastic-degrading bacteria and enzymes in soil samples."
3. Georgios Taxeidis (NTUA) shared insights with a poster on "The enzymatic machinery of the white-rot basidiomycete Abortiporus biennis and its impact on polystyrene structure."
4. Christina Ferousi (NTUA) contributed with the poster on “Exploring the fungal potential for natural and synthetic polymer degradation.”
5. Marija Nenadovic (IMGGE) presented a poster on "Medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA) model compounds for the discovery of novel PHA depolymerases."
6. Dr. Marijana Ponjavic (IMGGE) showcased a poster on "Conversion of mixed plastic waste containing PET into biopolymer bacterial cellulose."
7. Patrícia Concórdio-Reis (iBET) contributed with a poster on "Bioconversion of unrecyclable PET waste into biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates by a newly isolated Delftia sp. strain."
8. Diana Alicia Garza Herrera (TUS) presented a poster on "Exploring the enzymatic ability of strains isolated from plastic-polluted environments for enhancing synthetic and natural biopolymers’ biodegradation."
9. Dr. Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia (TUS) highlighted "Biocompatible eco-plastic blends with enhanced antimicrobial activity by the addition of essential oil."

Scholarship Recognition: Two BioICEP PhD students, Konstantinos Makryniotis (NTUA) and Patricia Reis (iBET), were honored with the prestigious "Kostas Drainas" scholarship, a travel grant that recognizes outstanding contributions in the field. Congratulations to both recipients!

We express our gratitude to Mikrobiokosmos for providing a platform that fosters collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange. BioICEP remains committed to advancing the frontiers of microbiological research and addressing global challenges, such as plastic pollution.

We are thrilled to announce the success of the workshop, "Microbes as a Solution for Plastic Pollution," organized by BioICEP as a satellite event of the Mikrobiokosmos International Conference.

Event Highlights:

Projects Unveiled: The workshop featured three groundbreaking projects dedicated to tackling the global issue of plastic pollution—BioICEP (Dr. Margaret Brennan Fournet), MIX-UP (Dr. Hendrik Ballerstedt), and Plasteomics (Prof. Evangelos Topakas). Each project showcased their innovative approaches and strategies to combat plastic waste.

International Collaboration: Our Chinese partners shared valuable insights and expertise through engaging online presentations, contributing to a truly global perspective on the plastic pollution problem.

PhD Students' Contributions: BioICEP's passionate PhD students presented their latest research findings and progress in the ongoing battle against plastic pollution. Their dedication and commitment to finding sustainable solutions were truly inspiring.

Attendee Engagement: The workshop drew a diverse audience, with over 60 attendees actively participating in discussions, sharing ideas, and fostering collaboration to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all participants, presenters, and partners who contributed to the success of this workshop. Your enthusiasm and commitment to finding solutions for plastic pollution inspire us to continue our collective efforts towards a sustainable future.

Stay tuned for more updates on future events and initiatives. Together, we can make a significant impact on the global fight against plastic pollution!

The LatinXChem23 Twitter Poster Conference was held online between 16 and 17th of October 2023 on "X" (formerly known as Twitter). LatinXChem is a virtual forum through which the community of Latin American chemists located anywhere in the world can share and discuss their research results and advances. More than 1200 posters from 43 countries were received in its first version, with 20 million impacts on Twitter. The BioICEP Project was represented by Jeovan Araujo, a PhD candidate at the Technological University of the Shannon, who presented his poster entitled "Bionanocomposites as Green Materials for the Sustainable Fabrication of Coloured Bioplastics." 

For more information follow the link: https://www.latinxchem.org 

On the 19th of October, our partners from TU Clausthal (Germany) visited colleagues from IMGGE (Serbia) and Viktor Udachin and Philipp Moritz and held a lecture titled: "Atomic and molecular physics at surfaces: analytical methods and current projects from Clautsthal". Other visiting researchers from TU Clausthal also joined a working meeting: Geogria Sourkouni-Argirusi, Charalampia Stamatia Kalogirou and Oliver Hofft.  

Professor Quingsheng Qi has visited Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences (Krakow, Poland) on 14th of September, where he met with Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic from IMGGE. Prof. Qi held a lecture regarding biodegradable plastics synthesis and presented his group results in the scope of BioICEP project. This meeting was very important for our project, being the first in person event with our Chinese partners after COVID pandemic.

The Second Congress of Molecular Biologists of Serbia (COMBOS2) was organized in Belgrade, Serbia on 6-8th of October 2023. Our IMGGE partners took a part in this event: Dr. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic held a lecture titled "Microbes and microbial enzymes for degradation of (bio)plastics" , while Dr. Sanja Jeremic presented her findings in the lecture titled "Bacterial nanocellulose - new beginning for end-of-life plastics". The program covered many fields of molecular biology, including molecular biomedicine, molecular biotechnology and molecular cell biology. It consisted of plenary and invited lectures, workshops, poster sessions and the project corner, with special attention paid to students and young scientists. COMBOS2 aims to foster curiosity, communication and collaboration, as well as to provide an opportunity for molecular biologists and related scientists to share ideas and experiences and be inspired by the outstanding lectures of renowned scientists and experts.

For more information about this event, follow the link: https://indico.bio.bg.ac.rs/event/4/page/7-welcome-address

The 19th edition of the International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries took place in Riga, Latvia from 31 May – 2 June 2023. This conference welcomed about 300 international participants from over 30 countries. Delegates from university, industry, governmental an non-governmental organizations and venture capital providers presented their views on industrial biotechnology, sustainable (green) chemistry and agricultural policy related to the use of renewable raw materials for non-food applications and energy supply. The conference further aims at providing an overview of the scientific, technical, economic, environmental and social issues of renewable resources and biorefineries in order to give an impetus to the biobased economy and to present new developments in this area. The three day international conference consisted of plenary lectures, Town Halls, oral presentations, poster sessions and an exhibition. Our partners from iBET presented BioICEP project through oral presentation held by Ana Teresa Rebocho (“Up-cycling of synthetic plastic wastes into valuable storage compounds from Rhodococcus strain isolated from plastic contaminated sites”).

Our partners from iBET attended the 11th European Symposium on Biopolymers (ESBP) held at Brno Observatory and Planetarium, Brno, Czech Republic, from 13 to 15 September 2023. This event is a successful series of symposia dedicated to all aspects of biopolymers, including polyesters, polysaccharides, polyamides, polyphosphates, and other natural polymeric materials. Experts from various fields gather to share knowledge and drive the field of biopolymer science forward.  BioICEP project was presented through oral and poster presentations by Cristiana Torres (oral presentation: “High value compounds by a Rhodococcus sp. strain using synthetic plastic wastes as feedstock”, poster presentation: “Bioconversion of plastics’ building blocks into bacterial cellulose for circular economy”) and Asiyah Esmail (oral presentation: “Characterization of bacterial cellulose produced by Komagataeibacter xylinus strains grown in styrene/glucose mixtures”).

The Technological University of the Shannon - Athlone Campus, held an open Research Information Event on the 28th of September. The event was targeted to the general public, community groups, and industry, with the purpose of exhibiting and explaining some of the research projects that are being carried out in the institution. The event featured 11 speakers who presented their projects in 5-minute presentations for a public of approximately 40 attendees, followed by a session of Q&A. The projects presented included a broad range of subjects, particularly focusing on sustainability projects. The BioICEP and EcoPlastic projects were presented at this event by the postdocs Dr. Eduardo Lanzagorta and Dr. Bor Shin Chee. 

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. This year, the event will take place in 26 countries on Friday 29 September 2023. The European Researchers' Night aims to bring research and researchers closer to the public promote excellent research projects across Europe and beyond increase the interest of young people in science and research careers showcase the impact of researchers’ work on people’s daily lives The European Researchers’ Night attracts each year more than 1.5 million visitors in Europe and beyond. This year, our partners from Serbia (IMGGE) and Portugal (iBET) took part in this event by promoting their research in the scope of BioICEP and other projects in Belgrade and Lisbon.

Thanks to: Rituparna Duarah; Ivana Aleksic; Dusan Milivojevic; Saranya Rameshkumar; Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic; Ramesh Babu Padamati

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Thanks to: Pan Liu; Yi Zheng; Yingbo Yuan; Yuanfei Han; Tianyuan Su; Qingsheng Qi

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Thanks to: Daria Solarz, Tomasz Witko, Robert Karcz, Ivana Malagurski, Marijana Ponjavic, Steva Levic, Aleksandra Nesic, Maciej Guzik, Sanja Savic and Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic.

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Thanks to: Yingbo, Yuan; Pan, Liu; Yi, Zheng; Qingbin, Li; Junling, Bian; Quanfeng, Liang; Tianyuan, Su; Longyang, Dian; Qingsheng, Qi

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Thanks to: Brana, Pantelic; Jeovan, A. Araujo; Sanja, Jeremic; Muhammad, Azeem; Olivia, A. Attallah; Romanos, Siapera; Marija, Mojicevic; Yuanyuan, Chen; Margaret, Brennan Fournet; Evangelos, Topakas; Jasmina, Nikodinovic-Runic

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Thanks to: Muhammad, Azeem; Olivia, A. Attallah; Cuneyt, Erdinc Tas; Margaret, Brennan Fournet.

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Thanks to: Laura G. Rodriguez Barroso; Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia; Marija Mojicevic; Buket Alkan Tas; Miriam Huerta; Robert Pogue; Declan M. Devine; Margaret Brennan-Fournet

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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/

Thanks to: Laura G. Rodriguez Barroso, Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Marija Mojicevic, Miriam Huerta, Robert Pogue, Declan M. Devine and Margaret Brennan-Fournet

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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.

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Thanks to: Jeovan A. Araujo, Muhammad Azeem, Chaitra Venkatesh, Marija Mojicevic, Margaret Brennan Fournet, and Olivia A. Attallah

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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”.  

On 10 and 11 May, our colleagues from AIMPLAS Eva Verdejo, Santiago Llopis, Mar Porcar and Sonia Albein visited Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2023, held in Amsterdam. PRS is the dedicated exhibition, conference and awards for plastics recycling in mainland Europe. The biggest names in recycled materials, recycling machinery and services were on display, showing the latest innovation in the industry. The free conference with key industry figures addressed the latest opportunities and challenges that face the plastic recycling industry in Europe. The event covered the supply chain from design for raw materials, design for recycling, collection, sorting and recycling of industrial, commercial, agricultural, post-consumer and ocean plastic through to the recycled polymer being designed and incorporated into new products and applications.

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

Yesterday, our colleague Pablo Ferrero, principal investigator of the BioICEP project at AIMPLAS, gave a presentation at the World Bio Markets event, held in The Hague on 10-11 May. Pablo, who is a researcher at AIMPLAS Chemical Recycling department, talked about the goals and development of the project and the role of AIMPLAS in it. He also presented the centre's bioassays laboratory, which focuses on ensuring the safety of food contact materials through cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays.

Thanks to: Konstantinos Makryniotis; Efstratios Nikolaivits; Christina Gkountela; Stamina Vouyiouka; Evangelos Topakas.

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Thanks to: Tianyuan, Su; Tong, Zhang; Pan, Liu; Junling, Bian; Yi, Zheng; Yingbo, Yuan; Qingbin, Li; Quanfeng, Liang; Qingsheng, Qi

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Thanks to: Xiaotao, Cheng; Mengli, Xia; Yu, Yang

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Yesterday, the BIOICEP project held the online webinar Europe Towards a Circular Society: Circular Plastic Challenge. The event was a complete success and more than 65 people attended it. We counted on the participation of different guest European projects, who talked about their goals, technologies and results up to date and their relation with the circular economy towards a greener Europe.

The guest projects were MIX-UP, BUDDIE-PACK, UPLIFT, BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE, ECOPLASTIC and PRESERVE. 

On Thursday 20th of April, a range of sessions were hosted onsite in Athlone with pop-up stands in the canteen area as well as a showcase of over 140 posters from TUS Postgraduate Students. From Wednesday 19 – Friday 21, a select number of posters were displayed in the main canteen area, with students being invited to present their research in quick-fire sessions. Awards were presented for categories including ‘Best Impact’ ‘Best Presentation’ and ‘Best Overall Poster’. PhD students involved in BioICEP project have presented their research: Diana Garza ("Streptomyces sp. DG19: A promising strain with polymer degrading enzymatic ability "), Henrique Pereira ("Enhanced Bacterial Cellulose Production via Post-consumer Terephthalic Acid Addition"), Jeovan Araujo ("Upcycling of PET/TPS Plastic into Bacterial Nanocellulose") and Dr Eduardo Garcia Lanzagorta ("Development of biocompatible polymer system with enhanced antimicrobial properties via triangular silver particles and curcumin synergy"). Diana Garza won the best mid-stage research award while Jeovan Araujo won the best art and design poster category.

The core ethos of TUS Research Week is to create an engaging platform, where the huge range of innovative projects and initiatives from areas such as Technology, Engineering, Business and Science will be showcased to the wider student body, industry and beyond. Fostering a culture of collaboration, in addition to stimulating creativity, creating real-world impacts and fostering economic development in a regional, national and international capacity.

More info: https://ait.libguides.com/TUSResearchWeek

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    

Dr. Marijana Ponjavic from IMGGE has presented her work in the scope of the BioICEP project at the "Biotechnology for a circular bioeconomy: carbon capture, waste recycling and mitigation of global warming " Virtual Conference organised by the European Federation of Biotechnology and Asian Federation of Biotechnology on 28th and 19th of March, 2023. Some of the speakers at the events were top European and Asian scientists, including Michael Köpke from LanzaTech, USA. 

Dr Ponjavic has shared her research through a flash presentation with the title: "Revalorization of biodegradable polymers to valuable bacterial nanocellulose". This work has been achieved thanks to the collaboration between TCD and IMGGE partners. 

Thanks to: Sourkouni, Georgia; Jeremic, Sanja; Kalogirou, Charalampia; Höft, Oliver; Nenadovic, Marija; Jankovic, Vukasin; Rajasekaran, Divya; Pandis, Pavlos; Padamati, Ramesh; Nikodinovic-Runic, Jasmina; Argirusis, Christos

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Thanks to: Marijana Ponjavic, Sanja Stevanovic, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic,  Sanja Jeremic, Vladan R. Cosovic, Vesna Maksimovic

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Thanks to: George Taxeidis; Efstratios Nikolaivits; Romanos Siaperas; Christina Gkountela; Stamina Vouyiouka; Brana Pantelic; Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic; Evangelos Topakas

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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.

Partners from IMGGE have organised a workshop titled: "Can microbes win the war against plastic waste?" that took a place in Serbian high school "Mihajlo Pupin", Kovacica on the 22nd of February. PhD students Brana Pantelic, Lena Pantelic, Marija Nenadovic and Vukasin Jankovic shared their experience in research concerning plastic waste utilisation and gave insight on problems and potential solutions through a series of presentations. Over 50 students attended this event. 

Our colleagues from AIMPLAS attended the 16th edition of the Spanish Environmental Congress (CONAMA) from 21-24 November in Madrid, where they presented BioICEP as one of the projects they are involved in. Conama is a connection node for the environmental sector, a neutral, independent and transversal meeting point for the generation of knowledge and solutions for sustainability. This conference has been marked by a motto: “Lead the transformation. The moment is now!", as an inspiring message to continue working towards a more sustainable model of society. Event hosted over 5000 attendees and one hundred activities marked by the need for an essential and urgent transformation. For more details on this event, visit the link: https://www.fundacionconama.org/ 

“Science and Technology of Polymers and Advanced Materials through Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Industry” (SPSI-MACRO-2022) is international conference on polymer science and technology, held from 2 – 4th of November 2022 in Pune, India, to promote the recent fundamental understanding and technological advancement in the area of polymer science and technology. SPSI-MACRO is a series of international conferences held in India in every two years by The Society for Polymer Science, India (SPSI, http://www.spsi.co.in/). The 16th conference in this series (SPSI-MACRO-2022) was jointly hosted by CSIR – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR – NCL) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune. SPSI-MACRO-2022 hosted many young researchers and students in India and abroad to learn the advancement in the field of polymer science and technology. Dr. Ramesh Babu, our partner from TCD, has presented poster titled: “Bio innovation of a circular economy for plastics”. For more details on this conference, visit the link: https://spsi-macro-2022.org/ 

World PET Biorecycling Summit is the first congress dedicated to scientific advances in the field of enzymatic recycling organised by CARBIOS. Event took place in Paris, France, from 6 – 8th of December 2022, hosting over 70 people with scientific and/or industrial background. Carbios is a French company, a pioneer in the development and industralization of biological technologies to rethink the life cycle of plastics and textiles. They have developed a unique enzymatic process that makes it possible to biologically recycle the second most widely used plastic in the world: PET. Unlike current recycling methods, their innovative process goes back to the basic constituents of PET and makes it possible to recycle all types of waste, whether clear, coloured, opaque, complex, or even polyester textiles. Dr. Marija Mojicevic from TUS and Brana Pantelic from IMGGE took a part in this event presenting poster titled: “Bio innovation of a circular economy for plastics”. For more details, visit the link: https://www.carbios.com/en/  

The 8th  International Conference on Bio-based and Biodegradable Polymers (BIOPOL) was held from 14 – 16th of November in Alicante, Spain and our partners from NTUA presented their research at this event. Konstantinos Makryniotis and Christina Gkountela, PhD students from NTUA, held a lecture titled: “An interdisciplinary approach for the discovery and utilisation of novel polymer degrading enzymes”. The goal of this conference was to offer an attractive scientific program while promoting contact between participants in a relaxed and pleasant environment offered by the warm atmosphere in Alicante.  For more details follow the link: https://web.csidiomas.ua.es/congresos/biopol/2022/index

Thanks to: Anastasia Zerva, Romanos Siaperas, George Taxeidis, Maria Kyriakidi, Stamatina Vouyiouka, Georgios I. Zervakis, Evangelos Topakas 

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Thanks to: Marijana Ponjavic, Sanja Stevanovic, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Sanja Jeremic, Vladan R. Cosovic, Vesna Maksimovic 

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BioICEP partner from Avecom, Lutgart Stragier, has presented her research at the Aquarama Trade Fair. This trade fair and congress on water technology, is an unmissable annual event for all those active in the water sector. This event is aimed at all industry stakeholders. The congress offered interesting conferences provided by watercircle.be - essenscia - VMx, AquaFlanders, Vlario and CEBEDEAU on current topics in the water sector.  The trade show offered an extensive display of products and services. During the Aquarama Trade Fair, trade show visitors and convention attendees had an ample time to network with exhibitors. Over 100 exhibitors took a part in this year's event in Leuven, Belgium on 20th of October.

Our partners from TUS, led by our coordinator Dr Margaret Brennan Fournet, and AIMPLAS, took a part in the K2022 Fair in Düsseldorf this October. K is the world's largest trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. It gathers the most important supplier of plastics and rubber machinery, raw and auxiliary materials and semi-finished products, technical parts and reinforced plastic products under one roof. It is an ideal platform to showcase products and innovations and to make business contacts. K was followed by a special exhibition under the theme "Visions in Polymers", that presents the trends and innovations of the industry. Special consideration is given to the subjects of energy efficiency and resource conservation. Organisers welcomed around 3,330 exhibitors and 224,000 visitors on the 8 days of the fair K in Düsseldorf this year. 

Thanks to: Charalampia Kalogirou; Oliver Höfft; Anna Gödde; Nikolaos Papadimitriou; Pavlos K. Pandis; Christos Argirusis; Georgia Sourkouni

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This event was organised by the Serbian Young Chemists Club and it gathers all level students to present and discuss their research topics. This year's event had 113 presenters and it was held on the 29th of October in Belgrade, Serbia. Miss Marija Nenadovic, PhD student from IMGGE presented her work titled: "PhaZ expression optimisation for improved enzymatic polyhydroxyalkanoates degradation".

Thanks to: Pan Liu, Yi Zheng, Yingbo Yuan, Tong Zhang, Qingbin Li, Quanfeng Liang, Tianyuan Su and Qingsheng Qi.

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Thanks to: Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Marija Mojicevic, Dusan Milivojevic, Ivana Aleksic, Sandra Vojnovic, Milena Stevanovic, James Murray, Olivia Adly Attallah, Declan Devine and Margaret Brennan Fournet.

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Our Serbian partners from IMGGE took a part in the European Researchers' Night 2022. Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic Runic and her team presented BioICEP and BioECOLogics recent findings through two interactive lectures titled: "From plastic bottle to bioplastic" and "How can we get medicine from bacteria" at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. Dr. Filomena Freitas and her team from IBET presented their 3 ongoing European Research projects: BioICEP, USABLE PACKAGING and PROMICON in Lisbon, Portugal.

The European Researchers' Night is a Europe-wide public event that displays science's diversity and its impact on citizens' daily lives in a fun, inspiring way.

This year, the event took a place in 26 countries on Friday 30 September 2022.

The European Researchers' Night aims to bring research and researchers closer to the public, promote excellent research projects across Europe and beyond, increase the interest of young people in science and research careers and showcase the impact of researchers’ work on people’s daily lives.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjhgKOVi876AhXVoFwKHXWcBNYQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmarie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu%2Fevent%2F2022-european-researchers-night&usg=AOvVaw2XDTWoosdkE2K2V_VC8Amy

Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic Runic presented the BioICEP project at this year's 24th Annual Congress of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology in Belgrade, Serbia October 5-8th 2022. As an invited speaker she held a presentation titled: "Progressing Plastics Circularity: Mechano-Biocatalytic Approaches for Waste Plastic (Re)valorisation". The aim of this conference was to bring together clinical pathologists and scientists to discuss and share views on innovations in clinical pathology and how to apply those in our everyday practice towards the goal of improving animals’ welfare as well as our community. 

https://esvcp-belgrade.rs/

Our Serbian partners from IMGGE are taking part in European Researchers' Night 2022. Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic Runic and her team will present BioICEP and BioECOLogics recent findings through two interactive lectures titled: "From plastic bottle to bioplastic" and "How can we get medicine from bacteria" at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade, Serbia

The European Researchers' Night is a Europe-wide public event that displays science's diversity and its impact on citizens' daily lives in a fun, inspiring way.

This year, the event will take place in 26 countries on Friday 30 September 2022.

The European Researchers' Night aims to bring research and researchers closer to the public, promote excellent research projects across Europe and beyond, increase the interest of young people in science and research careers and showcase the impact of researchers’ work on people’s daily lives.

https://www.nocistrazivaca.rs/ 

Dr Olivia Adly from TUS Midlands presented joined work of BioICEP partners on ACS Fall 2022 meeting on August 21 – 25 held in Chicago, USA. 10 thousands of chemistry professionals met to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Dr. Adly presented her work in two sessions: the Sci Mix and the Federally Funded Research for Polymer Circularity.

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/acs-meetings.html?sc=220526_mtg_em_Fall22_MAPS_od

Dr Jasmina Nikodinovc-Runic talked about single-use plastics and the challenges that go with them. She presented the BioICEP project as a part of the solution on this subject. This episode went in a live program on Serbian National Television.   

https://www.youtube.com/c/RTSBeogradskahronikaJutarnjiprogram/videos 

Our partners Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic (IMGGE) and Dr Marija Reis are presenting their research at 18th Symposium on Biopolymers in Sion, Switzerland from the 13-16th of September. Dr Nikodinovic-Runic will give a lecture titled: “Polyhydroxyoctanoate (PHO) blends for biomedical applications”. Dr Reis is presenting joined work of IBET and TUS titled: “Valorisation of plastic wastes into microbial biopolymers“. IBET PhD student Catia Gil will present her research with the poster: “Characterization of the thermostable biosurfactant produced by Burkholderia thailandensis”. 

ISBP is a successful series of symposia that is taking place usually every two years since the very first meeting in Toronto in 1988. This 18th edition is scheduled for September 13-16 and will be held in presence mode in the oldest city of Switzerland, Sion, and organized by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and the University of Stuttgart. ISBP2022 will focus on (bio)polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), cellulose, pullulan, cyanophycin, polylactic acid (PLA), polyisoprenes (rubbers), but is also open for bio-based polymers like PEF and will include inorganic biopolymers such as polyphosphate (polyP). More information on this event can be found at https://www.isbp2022.com/.

On the 11th and 12th July, just gone, all the partners of the BioICEP project met in Athens to hold a new general assembly, talk about work recently carried out and discuss further steps for the rest of the year.

The meeting, hosted by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) partners, took place in the Athens Marriott Hotel across 2 days and enabled the partners to meet again in person for the first time in 2 years. Different sessions were held to show the work carried out during 2022, raise questions and doubts, propose actions and ideas, and discuss steps to be taken until the next general assembly.

The consortium also enjoyed some fantastic social events organised by the NTUA, including a guided walking tour of Athens and a dinner at a restaurant in the centre of the city.

Our partners Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic and Dr Maria Reis presented their research at Biocatalysis for the Biological Transformation of Polymer Science conference organised by EFB Biocatalysis Division and the EFB Biobased Materials Division. Joint work of TUS and IMGGE was presented as a poster titled: Mimicking recycling process through multiple extrusion of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) affects the enzymatic degradation of the polymer by Brana Pantelic. The event was held in the centre of Cologne, Germany from 27-29 June 2022. The scientific programme provided a recent and comprehensive overview of the discovery and design of microbes and enzymes for polymer synthesis and depolymerization, computational understanding of polymer–enzyme interactions, building blocks from renewable resources to biobased polymers, biocatalysis in a circular economy of the polymers.

Federation of European Microbiological Societies in association with Serbian Society for Microbiology organised FEMS Conference on Microbiology, which took a place from 30 June to 2 July 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.  Main goal of this event was to support microbiologists with their work, promote the best in microbiology research to the world, and bring microbiologists together. 

BioICEP had several presenters on this event, PhD students from TUS Ireland and IMGGE Serbia, who presented their research with posters (Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia: "Preparation and antimicrobial evaluation of bacterial cellulose/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) blends activated with curcumin for biomedical and food packaging purposes"; Diana Garza Herrera: "Exploring biodegradability of bacterial cellulose/polyhydroxybutyrate blends"; Everton Henrique Pereira: "Mechanical evaluation of bacterial cellulose-based blends for biodegradable food packaging applications"; Milena Stevanovic: "Biocatalytic properties of two Streptomyces spp. co-isolated from rhizosphere soil of Papaver rhoeas").

Our partners Dr Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic and Dr Maria Reis are invited to present their research at Biocatalysis for the Biological Transformation of Polymer Science conference organised by EFB Biocatalysis Division and the EFB Biobased Materials Division. Joint work of TUS and IMGGE will be presented as a poster titled: Mimicking recycling process through multiple extrusion of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) affects the enzymatic degradation of the polymer by Brana Pantelic. 

The event will be held in the centre of Cologne, Germany from 27-29 June 2022.

The scientific programme will provide a recent and comprehensive overview of the discovery and design of microbes and enzymes for polymer synthesis and depolymerization, computational understanding of polymer–enzyme interactions, building blocks from renewable resources to biobased polymers, biocatalysis in a circular economy of the polymers. 

The conference will bring together experts from academia and industry to a common forum. 

Our partners from NTUA attended this year's "Polymers 2022 - New Trends in Polymers Science: Health of the Planet, Health of the People" conference in Turin, Italy on May 25–27, 2022. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together scientists from academia and industry to present leading-edge research on the advancements in polymer science and technology in all its main aspects, with a particular emphasis on those aiming to preserve and improve the health of the planet and of people, as per title. The broad themes were addressed during the conference include synthesis, modification, and characterization of synthetic and natural polymers, polymers from green chemistry, polymer hybrids, nanocomposites, polymer biomaterials, polymers in drug delivery and tissue engineering, polymers for human health, bio-based and biodegradable polymers, polymer recycling and re-use, polymers for the environment, functional polymers, and polymers in energy, among others. Over 200 scientists took a part in this conference. Our partners presented part of their work with the poster titled "Enzymatic depolymerization against polymers structure and properties in the perspective of biochemical recycling". https://polymers2022.sciforum.net/

Thanks to: Cátia V. Gil; Ana Teresa Rebocho; Asiyah Esmail; Chantal Sevrin; Christian Grandfils; Cristiana A. V. Torres; Maria A. M. Reis; Filomena Freitas

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Thanks to: Pan Liu; Yi Zheng; Yingbo Yuan; Tong Zhang; Tianyuan Su; Qingbin Li; Quanfeng Liang; Qingsheng Qi

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The annual meeting of science, technology and innovation in Portugal, took place this year on the 16th, 17th and 18th of May, at the Lisbon Congress Centre. The date of May 16, when National Scientists' Day is celebrated, could not be more suitable for this forum for debate and presentation of new ideas and partnerships. This was also the year in which Portugal celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology.

“Building the Future with Science” was the motto for the presentation of the main research themes that are at the heart of the R&D Units in Portugal and that reflect the central themes in world science today. This meeting also worked as a platform to stimulate interaction and dialogue between participants and to foster new interdisciplinary interactions. The guest country was Egypt, which actively participated in the meeting to represent official entities and scientific institutions.

As in previous years, Ciência 2022 was organised in different types of sessions, from plenary sessions to themes, as well as online communications, demonstrations and posters. The six plenary sessions covered the main themes associated with the missions of the European Union, which correspond to the global challenges facing humanity. These sessions were attended by internationally recognized speakers in their fields, and included, in particular, Portuguese and Egyptian speakers, with the aim of encouraging and deepening collaboration with Egypt.

The program included 6 plenary sessions, 66 parallel sessions, 225 communications, 52 demonstrations and a total of 400 speakers.

We are delighted to announce that our partners will be presenting the BioICEP project at the 13th Panhellenic Scientific Conference on Chemical Engineering in Patra, Greece. Posters titled: “High-throughput screening assay for the discovery of novel PETase enzymes” and “Discovery of Novel Polyesterases Capable to Degrade Plastic Waste” resulted in the cooperation of NTUA and IMGGE partners.

The Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras undertakes the organization of the 13th Panhellenic Scientific Conference (13th PESHM). The efforts of the conference will focus on the promotion of the interdisciplinary fields of Chemical Engineering, as well as the current trends with the latest developments and research in the field of biological/biochemical engineering, biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, electrochemistry, applied chemistry, nanoparticles, sustainable and sustainable development, safety and hygiene in chemical processes, and efforts to protect the environment and reduce activities that affect climate change around the world.  In parallel with these activities, our participants will have an opportunity to discuss the current situation and the future of training and employment of Chemical Engineers in Greece and the world, in the particularly difficult current conditions as well as ways of good cooperation.

More information about this event can be found here. 

Thanks to: Efstratios Nikolaivits; George Taxeidis; Christina Gkountela; Stamatina Vouyiouka; Veselin Maslak; Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic; Evangelos Topakas

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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.

Thanks to: Naiara C. Farias, Ian Major, Declan Devine, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Romina Pezzoli, Soheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad, Mohammadnabi Hesabi

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Know PERPETUAL project. 

Thanks to: Dalton Bryan; Bhagabati Purabi; De Micco Jessica; Babu Padamati Ramesh; O'Connor Kevin

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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.

Thanks: Pablo Ferrero, Olivia A. Attallah, Miguel Ángel Valera, Ivana Aleksic, Muhammad Azeem, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Margaret Brennan Fournet

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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.

Thanks: Olivia A. Attallah, Muhammad Azeem, Efstratios Nikolai

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We are very proud to present to you our fourth Project Newsletter. Do not hesitate to download it in order to be updated with the latest news.
View HTML newsletter

Thanks: Olivia A. Attallah, Arno Janssens, Muhammad Azeem, and Margaret Brennan Fournet

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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.

Thanks: Pan Liu, Tong Zhang, Yi Zheng, Qingbin Li, Tianyuan Su, Qingsheng Qi

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Thanks: Brana Pantelic, Marijana Ponjavic, Vukasin Jankovic, Ivana Aleksic, Sanja Stevanovic, James Murray, Margaret Brennan Fournet and Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic

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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.

Thanks: Erica E. Ferrandi, Jelena Spasic, Lidija Djokic, Yevhen Vainshtein, Ramsankar Senthamaraikannan,
Sandra Vojnovic, Christian Grumaz, Daniela Monti,* and Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic

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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"

Thanks: Jeovan A. Araujo, Yvonne J. Cortese, Marija Mojicevic, Margaret Brennan Fournet and Yuanyuan Chen

Thanks: Georgia Sourkouni, Charalampia Kalogirou, Philipp Moritz, Anna Godde, Pavlos K. Pandis, Oliver Hofft, Stamatina Vouyiouka, Antonis A. Zorpas, Christos Argirusis

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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.

Thanks: Olivia A. Attallah 1 , Marija Mojicevic 1,* , Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia 1 , Muhammad Azeem 1 , Yuanyuan Chen 1 , Shumayl Asmawi 2 and Margaret Brenan Fournet 1

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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.

We are very proud to present to you our third Project Newsletter. Do not hesitate to download it in order to be updated with the latest news.
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Thanks: Marina Pekmezovic, Melina Kalagasidis Krusic, Ivana Malagurski, Jelena Milovanovic, Karolina St?pie?, Maciej Guzik, Romina Charifou, Ramesh Babu, Kevin O’Connor and Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic

Read the paper

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.

Thanks: Stratos Nikolaivits, Azeem, Brana Pantelic, Ramesh Babu, Evangelos Topakas, Margaret Brennan Fournet * , Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic *  

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

Thanks: Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Marija M. Mojicevic, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Olivia A. Attallah

Read the paper

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/

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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.

Thanks: Milica Djapovic, Dusan Milivojevic, Tatjana Ilic-Tomic, Marija Ljesevic, Efstratios Nikilaivits, Evangelos Topakas, Veselin Maslak, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic

Read the paper

We are very proud to present to you our second Project Newsletter. Do not hesitate to download it in order to be updated with the latest news.
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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.

Thanks: Ru Jiakang, Huo Yixin, Yang Yu

Read the paper

Thanks: Xia M, Wang J, Huo YX, Yang Y. 

Thanks: Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade 152, Serbia; Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

Thanks: Blaithín McAdam, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Paul McDonald and Marija Mojicevic

Read the paper

An international academic and industry research consortium securing €12 million across two EU and China funded projects targeting problematic multi-layered plastics.

Download the pdf version here.

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.

Our friend Evangelos Topakas has been selected as the winner of Best Paperd Award on th 1st International Electronic Conference on Catalysis Sciences. 

Read the paper
 

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 are very proud to present to you our first Project Newsletter. Do not hesitate to download it in order to be updated with the latest news.
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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.

BioICEP was presented at Presidents September Report from AIT, with a deep description and collecting the latest project updates, for instance, the mid-July meeting. 

Click here to download the article.

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

BioICEP at PressReader.com

https://www.pressreader.com/portugal/jornal-de-negocios/20200805/281870120780259

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

Link for the magazine