BrainMap

Elena Utoiu

- INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE

Other affiliations

Researcher - INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU BIORESURSE ALIMENTARE - IBA BUCURESTI (Romania)

Researcher | PhD student

Web of Science ResearcherID: not public

Curriculum Vitae (11/08/2023)

Expertise & keywords

Integrated System for Automatized Control of Experimental Crops through Aerial/Ground Remote Sensing for Precision Farming Call name: P 3 - SP 3.5 - Proiecte EUREKA Tradiţional (Network), EUREKA-Cluster, Eurostars
PN-III-P3-3.5-EUK-2019-0232 2020 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: AGROVET SA

Project partners: AGROVET SA (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU BIORESURSE ALIMENTARE - IBA BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://insac-agris.eu/

Abstract:

INSAC-AGRIS objective is to build an integrated autonomous system and a service able to collect, to correlate data acquisition systems from ground, plant and aerial levels and to predict crop properties from aerial collected imagery. Predicted data will be able to trigger micro-differentiated or corrective application of additives or irrigation to crops in order to achieve one precision agriculture system for best optimized harvesting yield. In addition, will be performed also investigation of pest control via aerial vibrational sensors.

Worldwide becomes imperative Sustainability - very strong related to carbon footprint, and Higher Production - world population is growing and hungrier. It is thus imperious to find solutions to increase, optimize and improve permanently the agricultural yield, being faster, more sustainable, more reliable and more efficient.

The proposed integrated system will provide to farmers the opportunity for better supervision of plants. So, the Consortium will develop a system able to analyze plant characteristics, plant population, weediness level, field health, growth problems, present diseases, involved pest or insects. Adding to database the aerial imagery and ground data, analysis of soil and plants and adjust accordingly to climatic collected data, will create the base of the prediction system from only aerial data. Also, using a multi-spectral camera, several vegetation indices (e.g. NDVI, SAVI, etc.) and other plant physiology can be determined, completing the necessary information for building the prediction algorithms.

Experimental phase starts in Hungary and Romania for a period of 3-4 years, using as experimental crops wheat, rapeseed, green peas, corn, sunflower, high oleic/high stearic sunflower. All of these crops are representative especially for Eastern Europe and Black Sea region, but can be found also in the entire rest of EU agriculture, so the integrated system usability and scalability for later use is clear and proved

Novel biotehnologies of plant by-products complex valorisation for prevention and control of pathogens in agro-ecosystems Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-3561 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); HOFIGAL EXPORT IMPORT SA (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://www.incdsb.ro/p/hydropest/

Abstract:

Nowadays, one of the major challenges for the R&D sector is to develop an efficient conversion of agro-food waste or by-products into innovative products, within circular bioeconomy. In this context, our project proposes valorisation of aromatic plants by-products in the form of hydrosols through novel biotechnologies in order to develop active products against various pathogens found in agro-ecosystems. Within the project, the multidisciplinary R&D and SME partnership will develop a new formula of biopesticides with functional properties and it will establish treatment protocols in experimental cultures, validating in vitro and in vivo their efficiency and safety in the labs of both partners. The project will start at TRL2 formulating the technological concept of plant hydrosols as waste products and will advance at TRL3 obtaining experimental variants of hydrosols with pesticide potential and it will end with TRL4 achieving validated formula in seedlings and plant model systems, which will be patented. High-throughput techniques (HPLC, GC, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, mathematic modelling, PCR, microbial and cell culture experimental models, etc) will be used for the chemical and biological screening of hydrosols, to select functional models of biopesticides. The exploitation of aromatic plant by-products as biopesticides in crop pest management could open new opportunities in ecological agriculture, promoting natural, safer and autochthonous products. Furthermore, the partnership between R&D and industry sector will be strengthen in order to apply to future European calls regarding plant waste recycling and food security.

Biorefining of the side streams resulted from cyprinids commercialization Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect de transfer la operatorul economic
PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0181 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: MEDICA FARMIMPEX S.R.L.

Project partners: MEDICA FARMIMPEX S.R.L. (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie - ICECHIM Bucuresti (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://info.pro-natura.ro/colstim/

Abstract:

The aim of the project is to increase the competitivness of the coordinating company Medica Farmimpex and of the economic agents beneficiaries of the products obtained by the project, by assimilating some CDI results and by strengthening the partnership with research units in the fild of Bioeconomy-Biotechnology.

As result of this project it is expected to obtain high value-added products, trough an integrated extractive biotechnology, from the side streams of the commercialization of freshwater fish (cypridins).

Through the biotechnology that would be carried out at industrial level by the project coordinator, they will recover from the lateral flows of freshwater fish processing: collagen hydrolysate (nutraceuticals for human use) and gelatin like polypeptides (plant biostimulants). The remaining residue after the extraction of the peptides is processed into bone flour which is an essential nutritional supplement for feeding predatory fishes. Each of these products has a high use value associated with a significant market value.

The objectives of the project are: (i) to develope a pilot installation to obtain high valued products from the side streams of the fish commercialization; (ii) to validate the integrated technology in industrial environment; (iii) to demonstrate the functionality of the technology in the industrial environment by characterising and testing the obtained high added - value products.

The innovative character is given by the integrated concept of total capitalisation of the fish by-products. Another innovative aspect is the development of the quality assurance system, using NIR spectroscopic sensors coupled with a chemometric analysis.

The project parteners are INCDSB and INCD-ICHECHIM. INCDSB has the necessary expertise to transfer the technology for obtaining collagen hydrolysates. INCD-ICECHIM has the expertise to obtain and characterise the peptides as plants biostimulants.

COMPLEX VALORISATION OF BLACK SEA REGION BIORESOURCES BY DEVELOPING AND APPLYING INNOVATIVE AND EMERGING BIOTECHNOLOGIES Call name: P 1 - SP 1.2 - Proiecte complexe realizate in consorții CDI
PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0701 2018 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA OVIDIUS

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA OVIDIUS (RO); INSTITUTUL NAŢIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MARINĂ "GRIGORE ANTIPA"-I.N.C.D.M. CONSTANŢA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); INSTITUTUL DE CHIMIE FIZICA - ILIE MURGULESCU (RO); STATIUNEA DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU VITICULTURA SI VINIFICATIE MURFATLAR (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: https://univovidius.wixsite.com/inobiomar

Abstract:

Natural products from marine species are increasingly studied as their functional properties are discovered. These properties have benefits for human health while depending on their geographical region of origin. As abundant marine resources with insufficiently exploited therapeutic potential exist, the present proposal aims to harness the Black Sea bioresources through developing innovative technologies for obtaining biorenewable pharmaceutics preparations. The membrane/bioadhesive disks preparations consist of bioactive compounds from marine extracts encapsulated into mesoporous functionalized silica matrices and have controlled release. The Black Sea bioresources valorization will be improved by using the residual biomass from technological flux as biofertilizer for vineyards. New technologies for efficient extraction and preservation of active ingredients, encapsulation in pharmaceutical and nanostructured silica matrices, obtaining modern, therapeutically/cosmetic efficient formulations tested in vitro, will be developed. The project will be completed by a multidisciplinary consortium composed of UOC, INCDM, UPB, INCDSB, having a new research center with personnel deficit (Romanian Academy-ICF) and a relaunching center- SCDVV Murtfatlar, which will develop and use the common infrastructure, existing and newly created human resources, both through the project implementation and future collaborations, while strengthening the partners’ institutional capacity through improving their services offers. The project will achieve TRL 5. The main goal of the complex project can be achieved through the complementarity of the 5 component projects, having 6 patent applications and developing new fabrication technologies for 3 pharmaceutical formulations with synergetic action as deliverables, which can be translated to economic beneficiaries.

Closing the bioeconomy value chains by manufacturing market demanded innovative bioproducts Call name: P 1 - SP 1.2 - Proiecte complexe realizate in consorții CDI
PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0569 2018 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie - ICECHIM Bucuresti

Project partners: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie - ICECHIM Bucuresti (RO); INSTITUTUL DE CHIMIE MACROMOLECULARA "PETRU PONI" (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "DUNAREA DE JOS" (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); UNIVERSITATEA AUREL VLAICU ARAD (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://icechim-rezultate.ro/proiect.php?id=51&lang=ro

Abstract:

Agriculture and food industry in Romania generates large amounts of co/by-products, which are not used and turn into wastes, with negative impacts. The approach of the project PRO-SPER is to develop integrated processes, flexible and interconnected, to transform a number of agro-food by-products in bio-products, with market demand. This approach facilitates the achievement of project goals, complex-coordination and linking of the research organizations that are members of the Consortium, INCDCP-ICMPP, UDJ, ICECHIM, INCDSB and UAV, for improving their institutional performance in the field of nano-and bio-technologies of their application into bioeconomy.

The overall objective of the project PRO-SPER is to increase the impact of research and development activities and innovation of the RDI institutions, by developing and harnessing innovative technological solutions for bio-nano-processing of several by-products from the bioeconomy value chains, for recovering and/or formation of value-added components and their use in order to obtain products with high added value.

Expected results through the implementation of the project (21 new jobs, 23 national patent applications and international patent applications 6 EPO/WIPO; 10 technologies/new products resulting from the project, at a level of technological maturity to enable taking over by the operators, 5 services research and technological research services 10 cheques, 10 experiments cheques services

80 internship of young researchers from and within partner institutions, 50 visits for developing new techniques for working jointly in the Consortium, 30 training internships for new employees, 28scientific papers, 1 joint program CDI, in line with the development plan of institutional partners) have a significant impact on the capacity-building of the partners in the Consortium.

Valorization of plant resources with bioactive components through integrated processes for a sustainable bioeconomy Call name:
PN-III-30N/2018, 18180401 2018 - 2020

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE ()

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE ()

Project website:

Abstract:

High performance technology for the development of novel 3D stem cells-matrix systems for guided tissue regeneration of complex oral tissues lesions Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0715 2017 - 2019

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website: http://stematech-62-2017.unibuc.ro/

Abstract:

High number of scientific studies indicates the immediate need for new solutions in the treatment of damaged connective tissues from periodontium, since guided tissue regeneration market products showed variable efficacy, depending on the shape and size of the defect. A major issue in application of mesenchymal stem cells is their low rate of survival after implantation. In this context, STEMATECH project aims to develop a high performance technology for obtaining novel 3D cell culture systems based on spheroids from dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) cultivated in a biomimetic matrix engineered from extracellular matrix components, intended for regeneration of complex oral tissues lesions. The specific objectives target improvement of DPSC spheroids morphological and functional characteristics, investigation of complex interaction stem cells-matrix and 3D system functionality testing in several experimental models of inflammation, oxidative stress and tissue regeneration. The impact of this interdisciplinary project refers to added knowledge in regeneration mechanisms after data integration from complementary activities of preparation, characterization and testing. The elements of originality and innovation contain a thoroughly study of DPSC properties in correlation with patient age and cell cryopreservation. A comparative study of spheroids versus stem cell cultivation in a 3D biomimetic matrix will be performed for the first time, giving insights for novel tissue engineering strategies. An important outcome of this project will be results dissemination in journals with high visibility in the field and a patent demand. The project proposes optimization of a large variety of techniques, light and electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry, cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, in order to assess the efficiency of DPSC-matrix systems for treatment of complex oral tissues lesions.

Bioactive composite dressing for superficial wounds Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Cecuri de inovare
PN-III-P2-2.1-CI-2018-1452 2018 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: LABORATOARELE MEDICA S.R.L.

Project partners: LABORATOARELE MEDICA S.R.L. (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://www.incdsb.ro/p/Pancos/Pancos.html

Abstract:

The project aims to develop an optimized composition designed to heal superficial wound, product characterization, specification of technical conditions needed to scale-up the manufacturing process and protection of intellectual property rights. The project proposes a new composition based on bacterial nanocellulose, collagen and bio-silica nanoparticles, for application on superficial wounds. It has been demonstrated that, in case of superficial wound healing, composites based on bacterial nanocellulose and collagen have superior flexibility and strength and silica-containing materials act as barriers that protect the wound against infections and result in faster and more effective scarring. Such a composition has not been achieved so far. The innovative approach relates to the novelty of the composition and the use of a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeasts SCOBY/Kombucha to release biogenic silica nanoparticles from the extracellular matrix of plant material (rice husk and Equisetum arvense aerial parts). Research and innovation services to be provided include the following activities: optimizing the process of releasing bio-silica nanoparticles from the plant material; establishing a composition with synergic components ratios by laboratory bioassays using cell cultures; realization and characterization of the innovative composite dressing based on the synergistic composition; study for the manufacture of the product and support for intellectual property rights. The technological risk for obtaining this product and the commercial risk are reduced. The service provider (NIRDBS) has appropriate and necessary expertise and infrastructure for product development.

DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF AN INNOVATIVE FERMENTATIVE TECHNOLOGY OF BEES POLLEN FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRI-BIOTICS Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Transfer de cunoaștere la agentul economic „Bridge Grant”
PN-III-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0051 2016 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRONOMICE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRONOMICE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); MEDICA FARMIMPEX S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRONOMICE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA (RO)

Project website: http://www.usamv.ro/dgpcsa-cdi/dezvoltarea-si-optimizarea-tehnologiei-de-fermentare-inovativa-polenului-de-albine-pentru-realizarea-de-produse-tri-biotice-3-biotic/

Abstract:

The tribiotic products represent a new trend in the field of functional food, being products which combine prebiotic compounds, with beneficial microbial probiotics and postbiotic metabolites as final products of the probiotic microorganisms. The targeted company, Medica, has acquired a modern technological line for the cultivation of symbiotic bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and has developed an innovative technology to ferment the micronized pollen, in order to increase the bio-availability of the bioactive compounds of pollen. Targeting the increase of its performance and competitiveness on the nutraceutical market, the economic agent desires to optimize the existent technology to obtain a product with tribiotic complex activity, complementary to the phytonutrients of increased bio-availability from the pollen and SCOBY bioactive compounds.

The technology's optimization requires the interconnected expertise of USAMVB in the field of probiotic microorganisms, their molecular characterization and bacteriocins production, as well as the expertise of INCDSB in vitro evaluation of biological activity in cell cultures. The research partners will also contribute to the development of the quality assurance of the final product by inter-comparative laboratory tests. Meanwhile, it will be assured an efficient framework for the masters and doctoral internships ongoing.

Based on the published results it will be lay down the notification files for the nutritive supplement, which will include the marketing/communication strategy to the consumer regarding the demonstrated beneficial effects of the innovative tribiotic product. The economic agent already has pre-orders for the product developed with bee pollen and SCOBY. Based on these pre-orders it is estimated a turnover increase with 500 thousands euro in the first production year, with a perspective of doubling/tripling in the next two years.

Product for the maintenance and/or rebalacing of the vaginal microflora Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Cecuri de inovare
PN-III-P2-2.1-CI-2017-0298 2017 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: LABORATOARELE MEDICA S.R.L.

Project partners: LABORATOARELE MEDICA S.R.L. (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://www.incdsb.ro/p/ReStart/ReStart.html

Abstract:

The project aims to develop an optimized composition for maintaining and/or re-balancing the vaginal microflora, product characterization, specification of technical conditions needed to scale-up of the manufacturing process and protection of intellectual property rights. The project is proposing a new composition that includes volatile oils, a new generation of polyphenolic prebiotics and postbiotic compounds, designed to protect and stimulate local populations of vaginal lactobacilli. It has been demonstrated that lactobacilli are protected against different types of stress by the new generation of prebiotics (e.g., polyphenols) and that their development is stimulated by post-biotic compounds resulted from prebiotics fibers fermentation. Such a composition has not been achieved until now. The innovative approach concerns the novelty of the composition and its conditioning form. The formulation is an adhesive gel, which responds to temperature variations (solid gel at room temperature and fluid gel at body temperature) and has the following advantages: reducing the loss of volatile oils during storage at room temperature, easiness of solid gel application, better mucoadhesive and viscosity characteristics after application. Research and innovation service to be provided includes the following activities: selecting the ingredients of a composition conditioned as a gel designed for the maintenance and/or re-balancing of the vaginal microflora; optimizing the composition by laboratory tests on lactobacilli strains and epithelial cell cultures; characterization of optimized composition included in a vaginal applicator; study for the manufacture of the product, support for intellectual property rights. The technological risk for obtaining this product and the commercial risk are reduced. The service provider (INCDSB) has appropriate and necessary expertise and infrastructure for product development.

MULTIFUNCTIONAL AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR SAFE AND BIOENHANCED FUNCTIONAL FOOD FROM NEWLY CULTIVATED PLANTS IN ROMANIA Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-0995 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie - ICECHIM Bucuresti

Project partners: Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie - ICECHIM Bucuresti (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); HOFIGAL EXPORT IMPORT SA (RO); CHEMI CERAMIC F SRL (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://produse.multifunctionale.icechim.ro

Abstract:

Thematic area of the project proposal is in the field of functional foods destinated to maintain human health in concordance with research theme 5.1.6. Functional foods to maintain human health and prevent diseases, Domain 5. Agriculture, food safety and security.

The general project objective is to develop multifunctional and innovative products for protection of nutraceutical plants newly introduced in Romania (Momordica charantia and Passiflora incarnata) and to stimulate concomitantly formation of biologically-active compounds in these plants, at stable levels and with reproducible biological effects. The specific innovative project objectives are: 1. development of multifunctional for treatments of soil and in vegetation, based on: (a) consortia of Trichoderma strains; (b) porous ceramics with high bioavailability of silica; (c) essential oils included in mesoporous silica; 2. Testing products, developing methods of application and integrating them with the sustainable cultural technology of nutraceutical plants; 3. characterization of functional foods through in vitro alternative tests on human cell cultures and highlighting the biological role of silica forms accumulated in treated plants in animal cells; 4. results exploitation by protection of intellectual innovative solutions after techno-economical analysis and opportunities of results exploitation.

Products based on consortia of Trichoderma strains and essential oils have multiple actions as: plant protection agents towards biotic stresses (phytopathogens, pests), elicitors of plant defence response, limiting agents for the negative effects of ethylene on roots and growth promotor of plant nutrition, mainly with nitrogen.

Porous ceramics containing silicaxerogel, applied as soil treatment, work as a matrix for controlled release of nutrients with high bioavailability and have role to compensate losses of plant metabolic energy due to the synthesis of secondary metabolites and to supply orthosilicates with high bioavailability.

Silicon with high bioavailability supplies also mesoporous silica as a carrying for controlled release of essential oils. The silicon’s role as an important element for plants is to activate and balance - concomitantly and non-antagonistically – the different ways of plant defence system and of stress hormones biosynthesis (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene/abscisic acid) in plant pathosystems.

This project proposes for the first time to study interaction of silicon, Trichoderma and essential oils treatments, protection agents with multiple roles, which activates simultaneously plant defence response. It is the first proposal aiming the development of some products with applicability directly into practice, in which silicon is controlled released from supports, having concomitantly the functional role as a matrix, from which nutrients and volatile oils are smart-delivered, in this why pointing out the possibility of practical use of silicon in order to balance the main signalling pathways in plant defence response, integrated with elicitors for obtaining high productions with raised phytonutrients level.

The highlight of silicon’s role in animal and plant organisms (having into account the unity in diversity of the life world), the (meso)porous silica forms as a support for controlled release of some active ingredients and of bioavailable silicon, compatibility of the Trichoderma consortia with the other products for the directed activation of plant resistance, will be the coagulation axis of this trans-disciplinary approach, revealing - also - the existence of synergies between partners in the frame of MAIA Project.

Technology for protective biofortification with selenium of cruciferous crops for production of functional food with a constant and sure content of chemopreventives compounds. Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-0267 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO); TESO SPEC SRL (RO); ECO FRUCT SRL (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "SPIRU HARET" (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU STIINTE BIOLOGICE (RO)

Project website: http://www.incdsb.ro/p/Safesel/index.html

Abstract:

Selenium (Se) is an important element for human and animal nutrition because of its function in a number of physiological processes. Cultivation of the selenium biofortified plants can be an effective way of producing functional foods, which determine benefits to human health.

The project aims to develop a biotechnology of obtaining safe functional food, with an optimal content of chemopreventive compounds, by selenium protective biofortification of cruciferous crops. Biofortification of the food chain through treatments applied to plants (agronomic biofortification) have the advantage of a supplementation with controlled levels of seleno-compounds with a high bioavailability, widely available to different categories of people exposed to risks of chronic diseases. Selenium, (although it is not recognized as an essential trace element for plants) stimulates their growth and plays a role in protecting plants from phytopathogenic agents, oxidative stress and hydro-stress. Treatment of plants with selenium also has an effect of improving the resistance of plants to drought, in which water stress is combined with the oxidative one.

The originality of the project is resulting from the integrated approach, which focus on both safe and effective supplementation with selenium of the food chain, and cruciferous plants protection against abiotic stress (lack of water, high temperature, excessive solar radiation) and biotic stress (pests and diseases).

The project proposes the development and application of some products as new inputs in the selenium protective biofortification of cruciferous plants, by which to re-balance the sulfur metabolism, maintaining the formation of the optimal level of chemopreventive selenocompounds.

The project objectives are: development of new means of technological intervention (spraying adjuvants, products with controlled release of betaine, nitric oxide inductors in plant tissues), testing and identifying the best solutions for the integration of new technological means of intervention in cruciferous crop technology, proving the character of safe functional food.

The main activities foreseen to be achieved in the project are: obtaining and testing of spraying adjuvants and betaine-based products, obtaining and testing inducers of nitric oxide in plant tissues; simultaneous application of new inputs and treatments with selenium; integrating new technologies of biofortification with sustainable cruciferous cultivation practices; development and validation of 3R tests to prove the functional food character; results dissemination and exploitation.

The end products of the project are: (i) a technology for biofortification of cruciferous crops, which includes new innovative products / agricultural inputs, intended to maximize the protective effects of selenium and accumulation of chemopreventive selenocompounds constant levels, and methods of their application; (ii) selenium biofortified functional foods, affordable, with reproducible biological effects and maximum safety for human health.

The expected result following the practical implementation of this project is a safe, effective and affordable way of food chain selenium supplementation.

The project is proposed to be achieved within an interdisciplinary consortium including partners with complementary and synergistic role: a national research and development institute (NIRDBS), an university (USH), and two SMEs (Teso Spec and Ecofruct). Partners representing all disciplines have the necessary infrastructure for the development of biofortification protective technologies with selenium of cruciferous crops and for characterization of the resulted vegetable products as safe and efficient functional foods.

Capitalizing on some species of medicinal and aromatic plants, based on bioactive compounds with "scavenger" properties and stomachic, eupeptic, carminative and tonic digestive effects, usable in food supplement formulas Call name:
PN-Nucleu-09-36401 2009 - 2011

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INCDSB BUCURESTI SUCURSALA CENTRUL DE CERCETARI BIOLOGICE '' STEJARUL'' PIATRA NEAMT

Project partners: INCDSB BUCURESTI SUCURSALA CENTRUL DE CERCETARI BIOLOGICE '' STEJARUL'' PIATRA NEAMT ()

Affiliation: INCDSB BUCURESTI SUCURSALA CENTRUL DE CERCETARI BIOLOGICE '' STEJARUL'' PIATRA NEAMT ()

Project website:

Abstract:

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List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
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