Responsable: Francisco Javier Ávalos Cordero
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: 5º Programa Marco de la U.E.
Referencia: QLK1-CT-2001-00780
Web: http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/58906_en.html
Fecha de Inicio: 01-11-2001
Fecha de Finalización: 31-01-2005

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Commission of the European Communities

Socios:

• University of London, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (Peter Bramley)
• Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universitat Frankfurt (Gerhard Sandmann)
• Wageningen University (Jan Verdoes)
• Antibióticos, S.A. (Jose Luis Barredo)
• Wild Flavor and Ingredient Divison Berlin (Christian Christiansen)

Equipo:

• Investigadores:
  • Enrique Cerdá Olmedo
• Becarios:
  • Nabil Arrach
  • Loubna Youssar

Contratados:

• Investigadores:
  • Alejandro Fernández Estrada
  • María del Carmen Limón Mirón
  • Alfonso Prado Cabrero
  • María del Mar Prado Fuentes-Robles

Becarios:

• Nombramiento de Becario:
  • Bina Jamnadas Mehta
  • Eduardo Rocha Amazonas de Almeida

Resumen del proyecto:

The project intends to promote a more extensive use of natural carotenoids as safe food additives in Europe. Carotenoids, which have important beneficial effects on human health, are produced by chemical or biological means. The fungi Blakeslee and Xanthophyllomyces are used by European industry for the production of beta-carotene and astaxanthin. Biological production is favoured by current preferences for natural products, but to compete with chemical industries, fungal carotene yields must be improved.

The major goal of this project is to increase the on (a) tee genes and the enzymes of the carotene pathway; (b) the relationships between gene expression, enzyme levels, and carotene production; and (c) the mechanisms of accumulation or sequestering of carotenoids in the cell. This information will allow the scientific partners to get through genetic engineering fungal strains with improved carotene biosynthesis; to be used by industrial partners for the biotechnological production of carotenes and the development of new carotene-rich food products.