BMRex Project

European Innovation Council funded project aiming at development of novel biocatalytic cross-flow platform capable to capture and degrade suspended contaminants such as micro and nano plastics.



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Microplastic
Instagram – 23/07/2024

🧐Ever wondered why microplastics are also found in presence that humans cannot reach?

Then hang on with us and swipe through the slides to find the answer 😊

Hope all of you are enjoying the summer!
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microplastics end up in a wastewater treatment plant
Linkedin – 16/07/2024

🧐 How microplastics end up in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)? 
Read more..

European Regulations
Instagram – 09/07/2024

Ever wondered what's being done by the EU on the regulatory level? 😉

Actually, we're in a moment in which all the information is being gathered by the institutions with the goal of cutting plastic production and controlling its fate during the entire lifecycle ♻

Here, we've made a list for you to have a general idea of the directives and conventions where microplastics are already included. Hope you find it useful! 🤓 👏
Read more..

Sustainable Development Goals
Linkedin - 26/06/2024

Did you know? 🧐

BMRex project contributes to the European Green Deal, as well directly addresses these 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals:

🌍 Good health and well-being, key to life on Earth.
💧 Clean water and sanitation
🏙️ Sustainable cities and communities.
🌬️ Climate action, by developing technology adapted to new sustainable regulations and goals.
🐡🐘 Life below water and life on land, by providing clean water. 
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PROJECT

The impact of the high global demand for plastics in the 20th century is causing major problems for the environment and our health. Currently, one third of all plastic waste generated ends up on land or in freshwater. In fact, our seas and oceans already contain millions of tonnes of plastic which, over time, disintegrate into microplastics (particles smaller than 1 millimeter in size), and these break down further into nanoplastics (particles smaller than 0.1 micrometers in size). Those fractions of plastics pollutants pose a great threat to life on this planet, from plants and animals to humans, as they end up entering our food chains and therefore our organisms.

BMRex, is a European Innovation Council funded project aiming at development of novel biocatalytic cross-flow platform capable to capture and degrade suspended contaminants such as micro and nano plastics.

Project

ACTION

A change in the so-called plastic economy is essential, which must evolve into a system that preserves the value and benefits of plastics, eliminating their waste and the problems they generate. To this end, work is being done on the use of enzymes capable of degrading micro- and nanoplastics and preventing them from escaping into the environment. 

However, the complexity to deploy effective biocatalyst within waste water streams, which are the main source of micro- and nanoplastics, and the breadth of plastics pose a major challenge for the development of real solutions that will lead to real progress in this field.  

BMRex consortium team is working on a novel biocatalytic cross-flow platform capable to perform challenging biocatalytic reactions involving suspended pollutant capture and enzymatic degradation. As a result, the most efficient and scalable solution for removing micro- and nanoplastic pollutants from the water cycle will be achieved, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.

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TEAM

The BMRex consortium brings together internationally acknowledged experts from three EU Member States and one Third Country (United Kingdom), with the essential complementary skills and experience to deliver on this ambitious project. This multidisciplinary team of scientists and technologists from biology, chemistry, materials and process engineering fields includes three Research Institutions, four Universities, one SME and one Large Company.

Map


INMA

Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón

The Spanish Research Council (CSIC) leads BMRex project and is represented by the Inorganic Materials Additive Manufacturing (IMAM) and Redox Active Materials (RAM) groups, which belong to the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA).

Research in IMAM group focuses on the development and processing of novel heterogeneous chemo- and bio- catalysis systems for energy conversion and environmental remediation applications. Their experimental strategy consists in the design and processing of diverse functional devices through additive manufacturing routes.

Research in the Redox Active Materials Group focuses on addressing global challenges in healthcare and environmental stewardship through innovations in Materials Science. Their experimental strategy emphasizes molecular design and synthesis of responsive functional materials (including polyoxometalates, nanoparticles, and polymeric materials) compatible with the unique demands of areas as diverse as health, catalysis, water purification, and cultural heritage conservation.

DTU

DTU

Danish Technical University (DTU) is represented by DTU Sustain department which is one of the largest university departments in Europe specializing in Environmental and Resource technology. The department conducts research, development, and research-based consulting and provides educational programs and services to society. They specialize in new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, methods, and solutions, as well as on dissemination of knowledge to society and new generations of engineers.
The department’s academic breadth and multidisciplinary approach to finding solutions to complex environmental issues is reflected in the professional profile of the scientific personnel. DTU Sustain thus occupies both engineers, chemists, biologists, geologists, and physicists, who collaborate with a wide range of Danish and international partners.

https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/persons/wenjing-angela-zhang

https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/persons/claus-h%C3%A9lix-nielsen

https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/persons/nanna-b-hartmann

Johannes Gutenberg University

Johannes Gutenberg University

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is one of the leading research universities in Germany. The campus university hosts 31,000 students, 4600 researchers including 580 professors. The Mainz research campus also hosts the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Max Planck Institute of Polymer Research.

The Streb Group at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is a synthetic materials chemistry group developing functional components for a diverse range of technical fields, including applications from energy conversion and storage to water purification and public health. 

Swansea University

Swansea University

Swansea University is represented by the Marine Microbial Ecology group. The Marine Microbial Ecology group is led by Dr. Eva C. Sonnenschein, who studies the molecular mechanisms that underlie the interactions in complex microbial communities associated with microalgae and microplastic, two areas of great environmental and biotechnological importance.

Within BMRex project, they lead activities on new biocatalysts for plastic degradation discovery from environmental samples.

https://www.sonnenscheinlab.com

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/e.c.sonnenschein

Universidad Complutense Madrid

Universidad Complutense Madrid

Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain) is represented by FQPIMA and INPROQUIMA research groups, which belong to the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences.

The research scope of FQPIMA is to design and develop catalytic, enzymatic and microbial processes in the context of integrated biorefineries. This research consists in experimental and phenomenological studies of the bioprocesses and also in the simulation and modelling of the kinetics and transport phenomena involved. 

The INPROQUIMA research group deals with research in sustainable development, considering the principles of circular economy. INPROQUIMA research lines are related to industrial and environmental processes, aimed to improve the quality of products, the energy balance, the process safety, and the environmental concerns. The group’s evolution is strongly linked to the demand for knowledge in processes of industrial or environmental interest, maintaining collaborations with industrial and environmental engineering companies.

https://www.ucm.es/grupofqpima

https://www.ucm.es/inproquima

CICbiomaGUNE

CICbiomaGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CICbiomaGUNE) is a non-profit research organization with the aim of creating, producing, promoting and applying cooperative scientific research and technological innovation in the biomaterials field. The Centre is composed of 13 international research teams conducting state-of-the-art research at the interface between chemistry, physics and biology, with particular emphasis on the properties and applications of molecular-level biological nanostructures.

As experts in biocatalysis, CICbiomaGUNE is actively contributing within BMRex project to tackle MNPs pollutant threat. 

Cetaqua

CETAQUA

Cetaqua is a model of public-private collaboration that was created to ensure sustainability and efficiency of the water cycle while taking regional needs into account.

Within the BMRex project, Cetaqua’s actively contributes within development a novel technology for wastewater pretreatment.

Repsol

Repsol

Repsol is a global multi-energy company that is leading the energy transition with its ambition of achieving zero net emissions by 2050. Present throughout the energy value chain, the company employs 24,000 people worldwide and distributes its products in more than 90 countries to around 24 million customers.

Its customer-focused product and services portfolio is capable of meeting all consumer energy needs. It leads the development of sustainable mobility solutions with increasingly efficient fuels, electric vehicle charging solutions, renewable fuels, Autogas or natural gas for vehicles. Repsol is also a major player in the power and gas market, with 1.5 million customers in Spain, and more than 1,800 MW of total installed capacity of renewable generation.

To achieve zero net emissions by 2050, Repsol is deploying an integrated model of decarbonization technologies based on enhanced efficiency, increased renewable power generation capacity, production of renewable fuels, development of new customer solutions, the circular economy, and by driving breakthrough projects to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

ASA

ASA

ASA Spezialenzyme GmbH is a company that has been working on biotechnological solutions for scientific and everyday problems since 1991. Their product range varies from nutrients for biogas optimization, bioremediation of groundwater and soil, to production and distribution of high activity enzymes.

As experts in research and development of novel biocatalytic approaches to challenges nowadays, ASA Spezialenzyme GmbH is actively contributing within BMRex project to tackle MNPs pollutant threat. 


IMPACT

BMRex consortium aims to provide the European and worldwide wastewater treatment plant sector with the proof of principle (TRL 4) for the new technology capable of eliminating micro and nano plastics from water cycle in a safe and industrially scalable way. 

The direct environmental impact of the BMRex project is clear since it specifically targets the global environmental challenge of micro and nano plastics pollution. Thus, BMRex project contributes to the European Green Deal as well directly addresses these 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals:

ODS 2030

And indirectly contributes also to:

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Furthermore, the BMRex breakthrough technology can be tuned to other problematic contaminants such as forever chemicals within waste water streams by adjusting the active catalytic phases.

It is to note that the BMRex breakthrough technology development will be guided following DNSH principles through the design of the reactor, materials deployed and the overall process involved in micro and nano plastic pollutant elimination. 

FUNDING

European Innovation Council
European Union 

This project has received funding from Pathfinder Open 2022, a European Innovation Council (EIC) work programme that is part of Horizon Europe (grant agreement no. 101099528).

Innovate UK
Innovate UK 

This project has received funding from UK Innovation Funding Agency (UKRI) (reference no.10062709). 

The BMRex international consortium created for the development of the project has received the Pathfinder Open grant of €3,213,793.75 from the European Innovation Council (EIC) and grant of £267.683,00 from the UK Innovation Funding Agency (UKRI) to develop proposed technological approach for the efficient degradation of micro- and nanoplastics.

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