WHEATBIOME

Unravelling the potential of the wheat microbiome for the development of healthier, more sustainable and resilient wheat-derived food & feed products

Current food production systems face many challenges (climate change, rampant demographic development) and new sustainable approaches are urgent. Wheat is a central crop in Europe and soil and plant microbial communities are of particular interest in wheat crops since (1) they are crucial solutions for restoring soils and protecting the crops and wheat-derived products against pathogens; (2) they play a key role in regulating plant metabolisms and, thus, the quality and properties of crops; and (3) they can be promising producers for a wide range of nutritional and healthy food and feed products. However, more studies on wheat microbiomes are needed as the current data is scarce.
The WHEATBIOME project will contribute in the understanding of the role of the wheat microbiome on sustainable development by undertaking cutting-edge research with strong collaboration between academia, industry, food system actors and governmental authorities distributed along 6 EU countries, and will explore the role of microbiomes in wheat production systems in a broad approach from soil to plate to:

  • Understand the effect of biotic/abiotic factors on wheat microbiomes with 2 case studies and a lab-scale demonstrator.

  • Unravel the soil-plant microbiome cross-talking on wheat metabolism and nutritional quality, and deliver sustainable farming practices for resilient and nutritious wheat crops via a new decision support system (DSS).

  • Discover new fermentation capacities within indigenous wheat microbiomes and develop novel foods and feeds.

  • Study the role of microbial fermentations in food/feed quality and reduce food waste by recirculating wheat by-products.

  • Determine the interactions between wheat (prebiotics, probiotics, bioactive compounds, immunogenic proteins, etc.) and the human/animal microbiota, and its effect on human and animal health.

  • Assess the perception of food system actors and citizens about microbiomes within food systems.

Project ID

101084344

Funding period

1 January 2023 - 31 December 2026

Total budget

€5,060,547.91

EU contribution

€5,060,547.25

Funding programme

Horizon Europe

Call for proposals

HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01

Type of action

Research and Innovation Actions

Type of stakeholder

Academia, industry, food system actors, governmental authorities

Project contribution to Mission Soil’s:

Specific objectives

  • 1. Reduce land degradation relating to desertification
    Not targeted
  • 2. Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks
    Not targeted
  • 3. No net soil sealing and increase the reuse of urban soils
    Not targeted
  • 4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
    Not targeted
  • 5. Prevent erosion
    Not targeted
  • 6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
    Partially targeted
  • 7. Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
    Not targeted
  • 8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States
    Not targeted

Operational objectives

  • 1. Build capacities and the knowledge base for soil stewardship
    Partially targeted
  • 2. Co-create and upscale place-based innovations to improve soil health in all places
    Not targeted
  • 3. Develop an integrated EU soil monitoring system and track progress towards soil health
    Not targeted
  • 4. Engage with the soil user community and society at large
    Not targeted

Innovation hotspots

  • 1. Carbon farming
    Not targeted
  • 2. Soil pollution and restoration
    Not targeted
  • 3. Soil biodiversity including the microbiome
    Targeted
  • 4. Circular economy solutions
    Not targeted

Cross-cutting dimensions

  • 1. Business
    Not targeted
  • 2. Digital
    Not targeted
  • 3. Territorial
    Not targeted
  • 4. International
    Not targeted

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