Stage of development: Tested in vivo against rice diseases and several types of fruit rot (green, blue, and gray). In vitro efficacy has also been demonstrated against human pathogens and mycotoxigenic fungi.

Intellectual property: Biological material

Intended collaboration: Licensing and/or co-development

Contact: Marc Escamilla

Vice-presidency for Innovation and Transfer

m.escamilla@dicv.csic.es

comercializacion@csic.es

Reference: CSIC/ME/027

Additional information

Attachment

FOLLETO ES CSIC/ME/027

LEAFLET EN CSIC/ME/027

#Agriculture, livestock and marine science #Biocontrol #Food technology #Food quality and safety #Health #Therapy #Peptide / Protein #Infectious disease

Antibiotic resistance-free Penicillium strain producing highly effective antifungals

Penicillium strain that produces a highly active antifungal protein (AFP), namely PeAfpA, which is effective against pathogenic and food spoilage fungi. The strain has also been modified to eliminate its antibiotic resistance genes, ensuring its safe use in agriculture, food, and biomedical applications.

Market need: EIn recent years, the resistance of multiple pathogens to traditional treatments has become a major concern, highlighting the need for new strategies to overcome such resistance. In the case of fungi, in particular, there is an urgent demand for novel antifungal agents to combat the significant economic impact of diseases such as blue, green, and gray molds, as well as human infections like candidiasis and aspergillosis. However, the development of new antifungals has been very limited, while biological control methods using other fungi face challenges related to antifungal resistance, as well as regulatory and safety constraints.

Proposed solution: The use of a new Penicillium chrysogenum strain, in which antibiotic resistance has been eliminated through CRISPR/Cas and that producse the potent antifungal protein PeAfpA, can overcome these challenges. This strain can be cultivated at large scale to produce the antifungal protein PeAfpA, for its use in agricultural, food or pharmaceutical formulations. This technology represents an effective and safe solution against fungal pathogens. It has also been demonstrated that the properties of the strain remain over time after multiple culture cycles, and that it can grow in bioreactors, facilitating industrial scalability.

Competitive advantages

AFP-type antifungals do not affect human or animal cells, making them adequate for its use in health and agri-food treatments.
The inactivation of the genes related to antibiotic resistance allows for safe use, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
The PeAfpa protein can be used in its pure form, or as part of enriched extracts.
High industrial protein yields are predicted, ensuring competitive production costs.