BioExplor goals

Natural pigments consist of a wide array of bioactive compounds that are extensively used in industrial sectors, as food colorants, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, aquaculture and poultry feed. Recently, the discovery of new sources of natural pigments has increased magnificently, mainly due to the toxic effects caused by synthetic colors used in many industries. The European Union, US-FDA, and WHO directed compulsory warnings on children’s food labeling and recommended the limited acceptable daily consumption levels of some colorings. Moreover, the approval by the EU in 2000 for the use of filamentous fungi as food colorants will open up a new era for the use of fungi as biopigments producers. For all of these reasons, this project aims to isolate and screen fungal endophytes associated with trees of the Mokrzański forest for their producing ability while developing a cost-effective fermentation process. Moreover, the cost of the overall process for production of biopigments can be significantly reduced by utilizing agro-industrials wastes as low-cost substrates, thereby solving the problems of safe disposal and pollution avoidance to the environment.

In another connection, all the isolated fungal endophytes will be screened for their capability to produce bioactive compounds such as antimicrobials, anticancers, antioxidants, and anti-enzymes. Currently, the search for antimicrobial compounds has emerged as one of the most promising and ambitious developments in science, especially after the emergence of the pandemic COVID-19. As such, there is a continuous need for new antimicrobials due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant microbes. These resistant microbes are potential threats to humanity with serious consequences for both public and animal health, and welfare. In this regard, the BioExplor project aims to identify and unlock the untapped potential of the isolated endophytic fungi, as a source of new antibacterial and antifungal agents. Indeed, the potential utilization of niche microorganisms in forests of Poland for obtaining natural pigments and new antimicrobials would be of great scientific interest and will open the door for exploration of the yet untapped nature of these forests.

Bioprospection for novel bioactive compounds including carotenoids and other biopigments.
Developing a cost-effective production process via irradiation mutagenesis and optimization of culture conditions.
Harnessing nanotechnology to improve properties of the selected pigments.
Discovery of novel bioactive compounds such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, and anticancer agents.

Search for new carotenoids and other biopigments

Exploiting agro-industrial wastes for an efficient production.

Harnessing nanotechnology to improve pigments properties.

Novel bioactive compounds