News
MOBILES project launches: new biosensors to detect environmental pollution
The launch meeting of the MOBILES project, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, took place in Athens on 23 September 2024. RIC Pro-Academia, together with other consortium partners from 10 European countries, started work on developing new biosensors based on, among other things, genetically modified organisms that can detect contaminants in the environment, such as antibiotics, heavy metals and pesticides.
What are MOBILES biosensors?
As part of the MOBILES project, scientists will create organisms that will be able to ‘inform’ us of the presence of pollutants in the environment. Examples of such innovative solutions are:
Chemiluminescent bacteria that will light up in the presence of pollutants in water.
Plants that change colour in the presence of arsenic in the soil.
The biosensors developed by the project could represent a revolution in environmental monitoring, offering faster, cheaper and more precise solutions than traditional detection methods.
RIC Pro-Akademia's role in the MOBILES project
RIC Pro-Akademia has a key role in the project, leading the work on environmental risk assessment (WP4). Our research team will examine how modified organisms affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to ensure their safe use in practice. These assessments are necessary to ensure, in line with the Do-No-Significant-Harm principle, that the organisms do not pose a risk to the environment. Additionally, the head of the RIC Pro-Akademia's Natural Products Laboratory, Lukasz Gontar, serves as an Ethics Mentor throughout the MOBILES consortium, ensuring that the highest ethical standards are adhered to in research.
How can MOBILES change the future of environmental monitoring?
Through the use of modified organisms, such as chemiluminescent bacteria and colour-changing plants, it will be possible to detect pollution in real time with real-time precision. The bacteria will emit light in the presence of hazardous substances in the water, such as antibiotics, heavy metals or pesticides, allowing a rapid response to pollution and the protection of water resources. The modified plants, on the other hand, will visually signal the presence of toxins such as arsenic in the soil by changing colour. These innovative solutions will not only speed up the detection process, but also enable better monitoring of large areas and rapid action, which is crucial in the face of the growing challenges of environmental degradation and climate change.
More information on the MOBILES project can be found here.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under grant agreement 101135402.