VITA

VITA aims to make cultivated meat accessible and truly sustainable. Cultivated meat is an ethical, sustainable alternative to traditional animal farming. Still, it relies on old-fashioned bioreactors (designed for microbial fermentation and not tissue cultivation), making the process inefficient and unsustainable. We’re developing a groundbreaking bioreactor tailored for tissue cultivation through the Biotech Booster program […]

Carapace Biopolymers

Agriculture is undergoing critical transitions to address global population growth, increasing food demands, and environmental challenges. Traditional farming relies heavily on non-renewable resources like synthetic fertilizers and plastics, leading to soil degradation and increased climate stress. Over 60% of Europe’s soils are in an unhealthy state, with declining biodiversity and productivity. Recent legislation has targeted […]

Fungi waste treats water waste

Water pollution is a growing problem that affects both the environment and our health. Harmful chemicals like pesticides, medicines, PFAS and textile dyes are contaminating our water, leading to serious health issues such as cancer and high cholesterol. Traditional water treatment methods often struggle to remove these pollutants, and this is making clean water harder […]

Gutsense

Our project, GutSense, aims to help people who struggle with digestive issues due to food intolerances, like those triggered by lactose or certain sugars. Currently, testing for these intolerances is complicated, expensive, and not always accurate. Many people suffer from bloating, cramps, and discomfort, which greatly affects their daily lives and well-being. Our solution is […]

Reduce and use landfill methane

Reduce and use landfill methane Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and about 20% of the emissions caused by humans originatefrom waste, such as landfills. Landfills containing organic matter produce methane-rich landfill gas over a long period of time, up to a hundred years. This landfill gas can be captured and channeled into electricity and […]

Antimicrobial Nanoparticles

The problem: Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat, causing 1.3 million deaths annually, but no new classes of antibiotics have been developed since 1984. Bacteria combat antibiotics by forming protective biofilms, reducing uptake of antibiotics, enzymatically degrading antibiotics, or actively pumping them out through efflux pumps. Without a new strategy for antibiotics delivery, […]

FUNGAL Colorants

Within the FunBLueZ project we want to explore the commercial potential of fungal colourant for application in solar cells. In recent years, research has increasingly focused on sustainable, natural product-derived materials for organic electronics. At MNEXT Avans we have obtained a fungal colourant that demonstrates promising properties as an organic semiconductor, with notable charge carrier […]

Biocircular Plastic Initiative

Ever thought your old bioplastic cup or t-shirt could be part of something bigger? Right now, most biodegradable plastics end up burned or composted, releasing CO2 into the air and missing their chance to shine. But, this bioplastic waste could become the start of something new—thanks to some incredible bacteria! At Wageningen University, we’ve developed […]

NanoLoom

Molecules (proteins) that bind to DNA in our cells play a crucial role in viral and microbial infections, rare diseases, and cancer: developing drugs that interfere with the function of these proteins would allow us tackle many medical challenges. Single-molecule approaches have greatly advanced our understanding of DNA processes in academic research, but traditional single-molecule […]

Shikimax

SHIKIMAX addresses the critical need for sustainability in the chemical industry, particularly in the production of aromatic compounds found in everyday products, from food additives to polymers. Traditional production methods of aromatics rely heavily on fossil fuels, resulting in substantial greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. In response, we harness advanced metabolic engineering to develop […]