On 15 July 2024, Session IV took place at the International Congress on Natural Products Research (ICNPR 2024) in Krakow, Poland. The session showcased the research initiatives of the A.I.M.S. Cluster, which includes the EU projects MARBLES, InnCoCells, SECRETed, and Algae4IBD, funded under H2020. These projects focus on exploring aquatic and terrestrial natural resources for biologically active compounds. The A.I.M.S. Cluster aims to link these projects, enhancing their research by addressing shared methodological challenges.
Chair of Session IV, organized by MARBLES, InnCoCells and SECRETed, was Nikolaos Fokialakis, Professor at National and Kapodistrian University (Greece) and Vice president of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA).
The session kick started with a presentation by Dr. Manuel Salvador from IDENER, the coordinator of the SECRETed project, who provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s concept and strategic approach, emphasizing the sustainable exploitation of bio-based compounds discovered and engineered from natural sources. He highlighted the innovative methods used within the project to uncover and utilize these valuable biological resources, showcasing SECRETed‘s commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge research in the field of natural product exploration.
Session IV continued with a presentation by Dr. Alain Goosens, a professor at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie VZW and a key partner in the InnCoCells project. Dr. Goosens provided an introduction to the project’s concept, focusing on the potential of innovative, high-value cosmetic products derived from plants and plant cells. He discussed the advanced biotechnological methods for sustainable sourcing and transformation of natural ingredients. His presentation emphasized InnCoCells‘s goal of revolutionizing the cosmetic industry through plant biotechnology for sustainable, high-quality products.
Following, Fernando Reyes, Head of the Chemistry Department at Fundacion MEDINA, a partner in the MARBLES project, provided a detailed overview. His presentation focused on the project’s goals, particularly highlighting the exploration of marine biodiversity. He emphasized its significant potential as a sustainable reservoir, crucial for discovering disease-suppressive microbes and bioprotectants essential in combating crop diseases within aquaculture. The MARBLES project aims to harness these natural resources to innovate sustainable solutions for agricultural challenges.
The session concluded with three presentations from partners of SECRETed and InnCoCells. Dr. Manuel Salvador from IDENER and Kieran Walshe, CEO of Accuplex Diagnostics, both partners in SECRETed, delivered engaging presentations. Dr. Salvador discussed unlocking the potential of marine biotechnology through a biosurfactants and siderophores Integrative Management Platform, while Kieran Walshe highlighted innovative end-user applications based on siderophores.
Additionally, Dr. Amir Akhgari, senior scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, coordinator of InnCoCells, presented on sustainable skin care ingredients derived from plant cells, emphasizing their scientifically proven efficacy.
