PROPOSAL:

Welcome to ENDEGRADE!
	This website is under development. EU PROJECT: QLK3-2000-00164 CELL FACTORY AREA: 3.2.3 EU CONTRIBUTION: 1 200 000 Euro DURATION: 36 months START: 1 January 2001
		Information available at this time: Project title Abstract Objectives Description of the work Deliverables Consortium Events Publications Links

ENDEGRADE

Endophytic degrader bacteria for improving phytoremediation

of organic xenobiotics

Abstract:

Phytoremediation is an experimental technology for remediation of contaminated soils. One problem, presently limiting its applicability for certain organic pollutants, is insufficient degradation of the pollutants by the plants. As a result, the original compound or its metabolites build-up in the plants (poisoning the plants) or are volatilized through the leaves (causing a new environmental problem). This project aims to develop and test specific endophytic (plant-internal) bacteria capable of degrading key pollutants. These new bacteria, when inoculated to the inside of plants, will degrade the pollutants as they are being transported from the roots to the leaves. This will reduce phytotoxicity and volatilization of the pollutants. As a result, phytoremediation technology will be applicable to more toxic compounds or higher pollutant concentrations, and will maintain its social and regulatory appeal.

Objectives:

This project intends to solve the question: "Can endophytic bacteria be utilized to improve phytoremediation of organic pollutants?" We hypothesize that endophytic bacteria can be made to degrade toxic organic compounds within the plant vascular system. Thereby they will assist the plants in metabolising soil contaminants. As a result, even when the plants are taking up pollutants at a high rate, the concentration of toxic compounds in the plant sap will be kept low. This will reduce contaminant toxicity for, and volatilization from, the plants.

Description of the work:

This project will

isolate and identify endophytic bacteria from selected phytoremediation plants,

characterize these bacteria and determine their colonisation properties using molecular ecological techniques,

construct endophytic bacterial strains for degradation of organic pollutants by natural gene transfer and strain engineering,

re-inoculate modified endophytic bacteria into their host plant and study re-colonisation of the plant vascular system and expression of catabolic properties,

mathematically model the effect of inoculated modified endophytic bacteria on phytoremediation efficiency in laboratory systems, achieving contaminant mass balances,

assess the risk of modified endophytic bacteria for humans, animals, plants and environment, and

demonstrate improved phytoremediation at pilot and field scale.

Deliverables:

The feasibility of the concept of endophytic bacterial degraders will be demonstrated. In addition, the project will generate an endophyte inoculation technique, useful modified bacterial strains for phytoremediation, knowledge on the risk associated with their field use, and protocols for field application of the new technology. As a result, phytoremediation will become applicable to soils otherwise too toxic for plants to grow in, and contaminant volatilization will be avoided.

COORDINATOR:

Dr. Ulrich Karlson
National Environmental Research Institute (NERI)
Department of Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology
P.O. Box 358
DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Tel. +45-46301387
Fax +45-46301216
e-mail: uka@dmu.dk
home page http://www.dmu.dk/

PARTNERS:

Partner 2:

Prof. Dr. Stefan Trapp
Environment & Resources, DTU
Technical University of Denmark
Building 115
DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Tel. +45-45251622
Fax +45-45932850
e-mail: stt@imt.dtu.dk
homepage http://www.imt.dtu.dk/courses/63190/stt/research.htm

Partner 3:

Dr. Daniël van der Lelie
Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (Vito)
Environmental Technology Expertise Centre (MIT)
Boeretang 200
B-2400 Mol, Belgium
tel: +32-14-335166
fax: +32-14-580523
e-mail: niels.vanderlelie@vito.be
home page http://www.vito.be

Partner 4:

Dr. Edward R.B. Moore
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI)
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
tel: +44-1224-318611
fax: +44-1224-311556
e-mail: e.moore@mluri.sari.ac.uk.

Partner 5:

Prof. Dr. Jaco Vangronsveld
Environmental Biology Research Group
Centre for Environmental Sciences
Limburgs Universitair Centrum
B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
tel: +32-11-268331
fax: +32-11-268301
e-mail: jaco.vangronsveld@luc.ac.be.

Partner 6:

Dr. David N. Dowling
Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry
Institute of Technology Carlow (IT Carlow)
Kilkenny Road
Carlow, Ireland
tel: 0503 70487
fax: 0503 70500
e-mail: dowlingd@itcarlow.ie
home page: http://www.itcarlow.ie/staff/DDHome.html.

Partner 7:

Siegfried D'Haene & Gunther De Becker
D.E.C. NV
(DEME Environmental Contractors–SOILS NV)
Haven 1025, Scheldedijk 30
B-2070 Zwijndrecht, Belgium
tel: +32-3-2505511
fax: +32-3-2505254
e-mail: DHaene.Siegfried@dredging.com
home page: http://oecbe.com, http://www.dredging.com

EVENTS:

Kick-off meeting: 10-13 February 2001, Puerto de la Cruz

PUBLICATIONS:

Trapp S, Miglioranza SB and Mosbæk H (2001): Sorption of Lipophilic Organic Compounds to Wood and Implications for their Environmental Fate. Environ. Sci. Technol., accepted.

LINKS:

Cordis and Europa, 5^th Framework Programme: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/research/index_en.html

QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAMME: http://www.cordis.lu/life/src/projects.htm

METALLOPHYTES Project: http://biobase.dk/~palmgren/TRAP.html

RHIZODEGRADATION Project: http://communities.msn.com/Rhizodegradation/homepage