Fungal and enzymatic degradation of antibiotics: safe reuse of livestock residues for agriculture – FUNZYbio

The main goal of the FUNZYbio project is to provide the proof-of-concept for novel biotechnologies for the treatment of livestock residues: manure and anaerobic digestates of livestock slurries, for (i) allowing safe reuse of water and organic matter for agriculture, (ii) exploiting this potential for soil health and durability and (iii) limiting their adverse environmental effect as potential sources of salinization and pollution, such as from antibiotics (ABs). Addressing these three issues at the same time, the FUNZYbio consortium has the potential of proposing technical solutions of extremely high impact towards both Operational Objectives of Topic 2.1.1: “land and water sustainability” and “smart and sustainable farming”. Because AB pollution de-termines the rising of AB resistant bacteria and AB resistance genes, the outcomes of FUNZYbio also significantly contribute to prevent and limit one of the major threats to human and animal health worldwide: the rise of AB resistance.

The technological solutions developed in FUNZYbio will rely on the discovery of fungal and enzymatic biocatalysts than can degrade ABs. These solutions will integrate existing value chains for the valorization of manure and anaerobic digestates, improving existing processes for the obtention of safe organic fertilizers. To achieve this goal, the scientific and technical objectives of FUNZYbio can be aligned along two main axes:

- Nature-inspired AB-degrading bioreactors: i) the discovery of biocatalysts: AB-degrading fungi and enzymes (WP2); ii) the characterization of biocatalysts, and biocatalysis reactions and products (WP3); iii) biocatalyst immobilization and production scale-up (WP4); iv) the design of fungal and enzymatic bioreac-tors (WP4).
- Improved pilot treatments of livestock residues: v) AB degradation of anaerobic digestates (WP4, 5 and 6); vi) AB degradation in manure compost (WP7); vii) analysis of different fractions, from sources (manure, anaerobic digestates) to products (water, fertilizers) (WP5 to 7); viii) environmental and cost-benefit analysis (LCA, TEA) of established biocatalysts, bioreactors and processes, for future integration of real value chains (WP8).

Overall, FUNZYbio will provide the proof-of-concept for obtaining safe (AB-free) water, liquid or solid ferti-lizers, and compost for safe use in the agri-food sector.