Environment: Biodiversity, online the ENEA "biobank" website

The ENEA biobank website is online, a large collection of microorganisms comprising over 1400 bacteria, fungi, yeasts, microalgae and plant viruses, useful for multiple applications in agriculture, the environment, cultural heritage, bioenergy, quality and safety food, health.

Held in the four ENEA Research Centers in Brindisi, Casaccia (Rome), Portici (Naples) and Trisaia (Matera), over the years the biological samples have been catalogued and characterized, forming a unique heritage at a national level. Microorganisms have innumerable uses: they can produce biopesticides, biofertilizers, biomass, industrial and antimicrobial enzymes to establish microbial consortia for sustainable agriculture, to produce fermented foods, new superfoods and functional foods, in bioremediation processes and to produce biofuels and new biomaterials, to enhance "Made in Italy".

The ENEA microbial collection includes plant growth promoting microorganisms and microorganisms active in controlling phytopathogenic fungi, adapted to extreme environments, for biotechnological applications, for the production of bio-based molecules in the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical sectors, for green chemistry, bioremediation, biorestoration and biomedicine.

Easily consultable by using search keys that filter the desired data, the database provides information regarding the microorganism, its taxonomic assignment, origin and geographical geolocation, growth conditions and fields of application, with the bibliographical references that contain further information relating to the strains and their use.

 “The ENEA microbial collection is an excellent tool for the protection of microbial biodiversity and the development of the circular bioeconomy and biosustainability” – said Annamaria Bevivino, in charge of the collection -. “Biological resources (microorganisms, microbiomes and their derivatives) are crucial for the advancement of biotechnology, human health, agricultural and food systems, and for research and development in life sciences and bioindustry.”

Since the 1980s, ENEA researchers have isolated, characterized and preserved individual strains and microbial consortia (bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses) from diversified environmental matrices, developing integrated skills, laboratories of excellence and technological halls equipped with pilot-scale plants, capable of providing advanced services to support the business world and research institutions.

In 2019, ENEA entered the Joint Research Unit MIRRI-IT^[1], for the implementation of the Italian node of MIRRI, the largest European research infrastructure for the protection of microbial biodiversity and the conservation and distribution of microorganisms for the purposes of environmental sustainability, biotechnological development and bioeconomy growth, which has led to a close collaboration network among Italian microbiological collections.

In recent years, the PNRR SUS-MIRRI.IT^[2] project, funded with 17 million euro by the PNRR as part of the NextGenerationEU program of the European Commission, which includes, in addition to ENEA, other 15 institutions, has made it possible to enrich the institution's microbial collection with the strains under study and will allow it to be implemented with cryopreserved, but not yet cataloged, strains.

The ENEA microbial collection, organized according to operational procedures and quality standards, allows us to strengthen the national network of microorganism biobanks and conserve and enhance microbial biodiversity, making effective tools available to address social, economic and environmental challenges. The digital platform of the ENEA database will be integrated into the national catalog of microbial collections in order to establish a single platform for the promotion of resources, services, technologies, skills and technology transfer activities.

 “The SUS-MIRRI.IT project will implement research, services and training as part of the Italian network of collections, improving their characterization and optimizing their management, in order to enhance their potential”, pointed out Annamaria Bevivino, scientific director for ENEA of the SUS-MIRRI.IT project. “An optimal use of resources and the employment of digital platforms combined with data sharing, will help create innovative solutions and products of biotechnological interest, in line with the principles of circular bioeconomy, and contribute to scientific progress” she said.

The bacterial strains in the collection belong to the genera Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, Paenibacillus, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas and Microbacterium; for the fungi Aspergillus, Penicillium, Engyodontium, Cladosporium and Trichoderma, and for the yeasts Saccharomyces, Rhodotorula and Pichia. The collection also includes microalgae species Haematococcus pluvialis and Scenedesmus almeriensis and a plant virus, the Potexvirus, with important biotechnological applications.