National Research Council of Italy

Institute of Biosciences and BioResources

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IBBR Project #220

Cosmeceuticals And Nutraceuticals From Antarctic Biological REsources
Project ID 220
ID PNRA16_00043
Acronym CAN FARE
Project acronym and title Cosmeceuticals And Nutraceuticals From Antarctic Biological REsources
Contract Accordo di collaborazione DTA-IBBR
Description Antarctica is a still an unexplored area for many aspects, including biological diversity and, even more, chemical diversity. Thanks to its evolutionary history and ecological isolation, Antarctic marine environments are expected to harbour unique biological communities that could biosynthesise novel bioactive compounds, potentially valuable for many applications such as pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements and cosmeceuticals. The main objective of this two-year project is to identify novel marine bioactive molecules that can function as model compounds for the design of new products for nutraceutic and cosmetic applications. This is in view of the recent expansion in the diagnosis of genetic and life-style related diseases, and the increased interest in finding new products aimed at improving human well-being by treating these diseases. The team is composed by three Research Units, RU1-IBBR headed by D Giordano, RU2-SZN headed by A Ianora (Station Anton Dohrn) and RU3-ICB headed by A Fontana (Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry). Our aim is to sample new/known, cultivable/easy to grow bacterial strains, and to collect micro- and macralgae and invertebrates (mainly sponges, corals, molluscs, tunicates, copepods and krill) from the Antarctic region that will be screened for nutraceutic and cosmetic properties, followed by identification of bioactive compounds by mass spectrometry (MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In particular the project will envisage: 1. Collection of marine micro- and macroorganisms, putative producers of bioactive secondary metabolites and functional lipids having an untapped biotechnological potential. 2. Screening of Antarctic samples by biological assays for nutraceutic and cosmetic properties using in vitro selected human cell lines. 3. Isolation and characterisation of bioactive molecules by chromatographic, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, mainly MS and NMR. CAN FARE will have societal impacts by (i) providing novel substances for human health and care, (ii) stimulating the acquisition of novel expertise and promoting innovative business model and youth entrepreneurship, (iii) increasing our knowledge of Antarctic biological resources. Furthermore, the project will have an economic impact deriving from patenting and commercial exploitation of the novel compounds. As a result of this project, CAN FARE will acquire more information about the diversity of species that have economic uses as well as wider knowledge about the role of secondary metabolites in micro- and macroorganisms and the distribution of biologically active compounds among different families and genera in Antarctic ecosystems. The project will also deliver novel and improved bioassay methods leading to the fast identification of active fractions/pure molecules. The project also sees the support of an industrial partner, ARTERRA Bioscience srl (http://www.arterrabio.it/), an Italian research-based biotech company with a strong know-how in biological science and an extensive experience in screening for the discovery and development of active molecules with applications in the cosmetic and nutraceutic sectors. Moreover, the project is fully in-line with Horizon 2020 strategic activity: “targeted approach towards specific activities” focusing on “...exploration of the … biodiversity ... for ...helping us to understand for example how organisms that can withstand extremes of temperature and pressure and grow without light could be used to develop new industrial enzymes or pharmaceuticals...”.
Funding body Programma di Ricerca Nazionale in Antartide (PNRA)-MUR
UOS Napoli
Role Coordinatore
Signatory Giordano Daniela
Contact Person Giordano Daniela
Starting of activities 2017
Ending of activities 2020
Extension -
Amount (euro) 82300.00
Technological Area -
Technological Field Basi molecolari e cellulari della vita degli organismi
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Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse (IBBR/CNR)
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