Three innovative projects from IBVF (CSIC-US) in applied research and experimental development will be supported by Andalusian Regional Government
On 7th September 2025, the Regional Department of Universities, Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia published the provisional resolution of the 2024 Call for Grants for Applied Research and Experimental Development Projects, with a budget of €25 million and co-financed up to 85% by the Andalusia ERDF Programme 2021-2027. The call has attracted considerable interest, with 1378 applications submitted and 209 projects approved. Among them are three projects submitted by researchers from the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF-CSIC-US), which will receive funding exceeding half a million euros to address key challenges related to climate change and sustainability.
In this vein, the ALGACLEAN project, led by researchers Mª Esther Pérez Pérez and José Luis Crespo González, will study the potential of microalgae, including extremophile microalgae, to capture CO2 and purify wastewater. With this focus on wastewater bioremediation, the initiative aims to combat some of the main effects of climate change in regions such as Andalusia.
Precisely in line with the emerging challenges in food security exacerbated by climate change, the SGRANO project, coordinated by researcher Emilio Gutiérrez Beltrán, will explore the use of stress granules, a cytoplasmic condensate formed by RNA and proteins, as a new biotechnological target to promote the transition to a more sustainable agri-food industry.
From another perspective, the SULFTOM project, led by researcher Ángeles Aroca Aguilar, will focus on the problems associated with the loss of nutritional quality in tomatoes as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate change. Specifically, the research will evaluate the use of H2S, as well as the use of sulphur by-products from the petrochemical industry as more sustainable fertilisers that strengthen the cultivation and nutritional quality of tomatoes.
With the implementation of these initiatives, the IBVF reinforces its commitment to scientific excellence and the generation of applied knowledge that contributes to responding to global challenges in sustainability, food security and adaptation to climate change.