CHIC Participated in the EPS CRISPR/Cas Hybrid Workshop

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On 13 & 14 of September 2021, EPS CRISPR/Cas hybrid workshop was held in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Presented by The Graduate School – Experimental Plant Sciences from Wageningen University, the workshop was about genome editing technology, CRISPR/Cas, and how its usefulness and robustness made it one of the breakthrough technologies for genetic engineering. Besides it being a genetic-editing tool, the technique has also been used in the field of agriculture, which made CHIC’s participation even more relevant and important.

The workshop was a 2-day event, which focused on the mechanism of CRISPR/Cas and its applications in plants on the first day; and learning more about the EU regulations on genome editing technology and the consequences for the European market.

On the first day, scheduled speakers including renowned scientist John van de Oost, one of the pioneers of the ‘CRISPR’ revolution, gave a lecture about the mechanism of CRISPR/Cas and the development of its gene-editing technology. The following lectures were mostly focused on the variety of applications using this technique on plants. Our very own CHIC partners, Katja Cankar of Wageningen University and Paul Bundock of KeyGene presented the CHIC project’s overview as well as public findings and results. Towards the end of the workshop’s first day, a practical session was organized to teach and share information about how to best use the CRISPR/Cas technique and the Do’s and Don’ts for successful experiments. The first day was focused on the overview of the CRISPR/Cas editing technology and the fundamental aspect of its use in our society.

The second day started with a historical overview of the gene-editing regulations in Europe and worldwide presented by CHIC partners, Armin Spök, Technical University Graz in Austria, and Thorben Sprink of Julius Kuehn Institute in Germany. Following this presentation, other companies presented how they work with CRISPR/Cas technique within the strict EU regulations. The participants had a lot of questions about this particular subject, which made for a lively discussion. The workshop wasn’t fully focused on the scientific and technical aspects of CRISPR/Cas. CHIC partner from Arts and Science Node in Poland, Joanna Hoffmann discussed and shared her art installations online with the participants and explained why gene-editing techniques are still not widely accepted in our society. Even though her lecture was presented online, the participants were still able to see the artistic approach to this type of scientific technology. Following this presentation, a young organization for plant scientists, GeneSprout, presented their work and their rising influence on the issue. Lastly, a roundtable discussion was organized where participants were divided into different groups, placed on separate tables, and allowed for open discussions about the role social media could play in reaching a wider audience, among many other topics.

The participants were very grateful to be able to participate, speak with experts and experienced scientists, and connect with other Ph.D. students of similar interests. There were a few students who have used the technique but were unable to provide favourable results and attending the workshop were very helpful for their research. Besides the amazing speakers sharing their knowledge at the 2-day workshop, the participants were happy to attend in-person after the restrictions that the world has faced in the last year. We thanked all the participants and the speakers for attending.

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CHIC Partners Visit 2 Secondary Schools in the Netherlands to Showcase AR Game

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An augmented reality (AR) game was developed for the CHIC project to allow students, or the young generation, to learn more about new genome editing techniques and, of course, learn more about the CHIC project. Developed by DEI Lab at UC3M in Spain, MyCHICFarm allows users to grow chicory crops and make the most money by planting chicory using Microsoft’s Hololens. In short, a farmer (user) starts with a fixed amount of money to buy chicory seeds, plant them, grow them, collect them, and then sell them in the market. Based on the quality of crops, the price change. It is also affected by unexpected events such as droughts, rain, and insects, for example. The game also includes a way to utilize CRISPR/Cas technique on plant DNA.

 

After several months of development and various changes, the augmented reality game is finally available for trial. In September 2021, CHIC partners from WUR and IDC visited 2 schools in The Netherlands, Laar & Berg in Laren and Sg Spieringshoek in Schiedam. CHIC showcased the MyCHICFarm augmented reality game to secondary students and allowed them to check the game out for themselves. The demonstration was also a way to teach them about CRISPR/Cas technique and about the CHIC project. All participating students volunteered to join the demonstration and a few of those students also participated in the 1-hour discussion in the afternoon. The sessions and the discussions were mostly presented in Dutch due to the schools being located in The Netherlands.

The format was as followed: CHIC introduced themselves, presented videos about CRISPR and a video illustration about the CHIC project, introduced the AR game, and allowed 1 student at a time to try out the game. At the same time, CHIC partners talked to the rest of the students about the CRISPR/Cas technique and the project. The game was projected on a big screen, so everyone was able to view what the user was looking at, which allowed for a very fun and engaging session. It created very engaging interactions and inspired more students to participate.

An android game app, developed by the same university, was also available for download. The game is available for download on Google play or a link through the CHIC website: https://chicproject.eu/chic-game-app/. In the future, the game should also be available on iPhones. Some students checked out the game while they waited for their turn on Microsoft Hololens. The game app was quite similar to the AR game and was relatively simple to follow, which engaged the students as well. Further changes might be needed to further optimize its use by adding more functions such as more CRISPR type of activities. So far, the game has been installed 11 times and currently, there are 5 active users.

Participating students, who have signed voluntarily, were mainly part of high-level classes, pre-university classes, and some from community college classes. All students have basic knowledge about DNA and its functions, and they also have some knowledge about different GMO techniques and in particular CRISPR/Cas. For the majority of the students, DNA and DNA modification techniques are part of their biology curriculum.

Majority of the questions that were asked and discussed during the demonstration were about the advantages and disadvantages of using the CRISPR technique on plants. Most students asked about the importance of using this technique and how useful this will be in the future. CHIC partners also asked the students if they would support the idea of using the technique on future plants for environmental purposes. All students were aware that the researchers and scientists were mainly focused on discussing plant editing techniques and not on human DNAs.

Overall, the students from both schools had an amazing time. Students were very engaged in the game and the discussions that CHIC partners presented. They allowed the students to speak their minds about the subject, which made for very lively discussions. It was great to gather insights from the young generation about the possible benefits of using this technique.

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Researchers Make Chicory Plants Without Bitter Compounds Using CRISPR/Cas Method

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Researchers have used new breeding techniques to develop a chicory variety that no longer contains bitter compounds. Katarina Cankar, plant researcher at Wageningen University & Research: “In the European CHIC project, we are working on improved industrial chicory varieties (related to witloof) that contain dietary fibre and compounds that have potential medicinal properties.” The research consortium published their results in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Chicory is a beautiful plant with blue flowers, but the interesting part is in the ground: the chicory taproots are a source of inulin, a natural sweetener that is used in bread and dairy products and as dietary fibre for healthy intestinal function. “Inulin has a positive effect on the digestive health,” says Katarina Cankar. “Normally, inulin must be separated from the bitter compounds (that are also in the root) as they cause a bitter taste. With new breeding techniques such as CRISPR-Cas, we have been able to develop a plant that no longer contains those bitter compounds. This will make the processing cheaper and easier, and in turn more sustainable, and will make a broader application of inulin possible.”

For the complete press release, please click here.

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Biotechnology From the Blue Flower: The Unnatural, That Too is Natural

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You are invited!

When: 30th June, 2021 – 7pm – 8:30pm CEST (6pm – 7:30pm BST)

Register in advance for this webinar: Click Here! Or copy and paste the link below…https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oPjn6TUpSAGGYY9jvBkVcA

Artists Anna Dumitriu and Alex May will discuss their project “Biotechnology from the Blue Flower” with a panel of experts from the EU Horizon H2020 CHIC project. Chicory is believed to have inspired the notion of the Blue Flower in German Romanticism – a central symbol of the movement. It influenced Goethe’s concept of the ‘urpflanze’ or primal plant in his “Metamorphosis of Plants” (and mentioned in Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”).

They will also explore the methodologies of “New Plant Breeding Techniques” such as gene editing using CRISPR, the potential uses of these techniques to improve food security and mitigate the impact of climate change, and it will focus on the question what does ‘natural’ really mean anyway – or as Goethe put it “The Unnatural, That Too is Natural”.

Expected Panelists

Dirk Bosch

Dirk Bosch is a scientist with ca 30 years of research experience. His primary research activities are centered on unravelling biosynthetic pathways in plants that lead to the immense biodiversity of molecules found in plants. He applies this knowledge via metabolic engineering of plants and microbes with the aim of bringing innovation to the agro-food and health sectors. He currently holds the position of Team Leader Applied Metabolic Systems within at Wageningen University and Research. He is initiator of numerous EU and other national and international subsidy as well as contract research projects. He has ca 100 publications in peer-reviewed scientific publications and is inventor on 19 independent patents and patent applications. He is coordinator of the EU-CHIC project.

Dirk Bosch studied chemistry at University of Leiden, did his PhD at the microbiology Department of the University of Utrecht and subsequently worked as PostDoc at Plant Genetic Systems in Ghent in Belgium.

Paul Bundock

Paul Bundock is a Senior Scientist working at the plant biotechnology company, KeyGene, located in Wageningen, The Netherlands. He has been involved in the application of genome editing technologies in plant breeding for the majority of his career and is fascinated by the application of novel tools in biotechnology. He is involved in the EU CHIC project aimed at improving chicory as commercial crop.

Katarina Cankar

Katarina Cankar is a scientist working at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. Her research interest lies in plant compounds that give plants special properties, such as plant protection, flavor & fragrance, color or human health promotion. In the CHIC project Katarina is involved in gene editing of chicory for enhancement of chicory to produce improved food fibers and healthy terpenes.

 

Anna Dumitriu

Anna Dumitriu is an award winning internationally renowned British artist who works with BioArt, sculpture, installation, and digital media to explore our relationship to infectious diseases, synthetic biology and robotics. Past exhibitions include ZKM, Ars Electronica, BOZAR, The Picasso Museum, HeK Basel, Science Gallery Detroit, MOCA Taipei, LABoral, Art Laboratory Berlin, and Eden Project. She holds visiting research fellowships at the University of Hertfordshire, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and Waag Society, as well as artist-in-residence roles with the Modernising Medical Microbiology Project at the University of Oxford, and with the National Collection of Type Cultures at Public Health England. She was the 2018 President of the Science and the Arts Section of the British Science Association. Her work has featured in many significant publications including Frieze, Artforum International Magazine, Leonardo Journal, The Art Newspaper, Nature and The Lancet. Current collaborations include the Institute of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology at BOKU – Universität für Bodenkultur in Vienna, the EU H2020 CHIC Consortium, the University of Leeds and the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells at HelmholtzZentrum in München. https://annadumitriu.co.uk/

Alex May

Alex May is a British contemporary artist questioning how our individual and collective experiences of time, and formation of memories and cultural record, are mediated, expanded, and directed by contemporary technologies. His work forges creative links between art, science, and technology through a wide range of digital new media, including virtual and augmented reality, photogrammetry, algorithmic photography, interactive robotic artworks, video projection mapping, generative works, performance, and video and sound art. His international exhibition profile includes Ars Electronica, LABoral (Spain), IMPAKT (Netherlands), FACT (Liverpool), Furtherfield (London), WRO Media Art Biennale (Poland), HeK (Basel), Eden Project (UK), Science Gallery in Dublin (Ireland) and Bengaluru (India), ZHI Art Museum (China), and the Beall Center for Art + Technology, UC Irvine. https://www.alexmayarts.co.uk/

Erik Toussaint

Erik Toussaint is a chemistry and botany technician by training, and a science communicator by heart. After a few years of work in breeding research, Erik switched to communication about the research. He has been involved in communication about breeding and biotechnology from the late nineties of the last century. He claims to still learn every day: about science and about communication. Erik loves to support scientists in their communication, which ranges from TV-interviews to ‘waking up researchers minds’ in primary school kids. And he loves to support audiences in talking with scientists. Erik always works in teams, having the ambition to make scientists and audiences enthusiastic, helping them to better understand each other, while at the same time listening, in order to learn about these scientists and audiences. He joined KeyGene in 2018, after more than 30 years of working at Wageningen University and Research.

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Spanish Chef Jordi Bordas Makes CHICque. Gourmet Aftertastes!

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Online cooking workshop at Plant Biology Europe 2021 Congress (28-29.06.2021)

Join us for this fascinating online panel discussion and cooking workshop. “Let’s eat CHICque. Gourmet Aftertastes” opens up the unique art, science and culinary potentials of alternative healthy ingredients in Chicory (Cichorium intybus).

Join Art & Science Node Berlin in this workshop and discussion about the health benefits and sensory stimulations of this delicious plant’s roots and discover its molecular structure through the medium of interactive media art.

The workshop will feature the molecules of inulin and terpenes from the chicory roots. Here, artists – Jill Scott and Marille Hahne, pastry chef Jordi Bordas, food producer – Sensus will collaborate to provide you with innovative forms of communication plus two astonishing pastry recipes that will not only stimulate your tastebuds but give you a basic start for a future of healthier baking and consumption.

All speakers and presenters share a passion to explore how interdisciplinary ideas can promote the unique health benefits of chicory. The online discussion will bridge art & science with the celebration of culinary art, prepared especially for you to learn by doing. Such teamwork might redefine how we understand and use these new ingredients as well as change agricultural production and eating habits.

The event would take place over two evenings, on the 28th and 29th of June. The first evening consists of an international art and science discussions panel, films about inulin production, and a master cooking exercise with two fabulous inulin dessert recipes invented by Jordi Bordas (World Pastry Champion). On the second evening, a discussion and analysis take place.

This international event related to the CHIC Horizon 2020 EU Project and CHIC Artists-in-Residence Program is designed by Art & Science Node to help you explore innovative approaches to the use of chicory with the chance to taste great food and share your accomplishments with others.

The event will be held on the Zoom platform. For more information, visit https://europlantbiology2020.org/.

WORKSHOP TEAM

Matthew de Roode, the Innovation Manager at Sensus in the Netherlands will help you to explore the properties of inulin. Sensus is the producer of chicory root fibers and they will provide high-quality inulin from chicory roots to the workshop’s participants. Inulin is a highly versatile ingredient that not only acts as a sugar replacement and fiber enrichment, it has the same taste characteristic as sucrose and can be used as a fat replacement in pastry preparations.

Jill Scott and Marille Hahne are German-Swiss artists that cross art, ecology, and neuroscience disciplines. For the past two years, they have been exploring the relation between sensory perception characteristics and biodiversity. In a new artwork called “Aftertaste” and a film entitled “Chicory Unpacked”, they explore the molecular structure of chicory in relation to models from the gustatory and olfactory system. This unique perspective comes from the Artists-in-Residence Program of the CHIC Horizon 2020 Project. They will also describe how to make delicious chicory root cappuccinos.

Jordi Bordas is the winner of the Pastry World Cup in Lyon in 2011. In the past years, Jordi has dedicated himself to researching and investigating new, functional ingredients for use in pastry, such as inulin. During the workshop, he will be joined by Adrianna Jaworska – Head of the R&D&i at Jordi Bordas Innovative Pastry Education. They will teach you to make two groundbreaking inulin-based recipes: Chocolate Soufflé and Lemon Meringue Pie.

Art & Science Node: Joanna Hoffmann is an artist working in the field of multimedia installation, XR, video animation. She is the founder and Chair of Art & Science Node (ASN). They will organize the workshop and the immersive, virtual exhibition “Capture the Future(s): OUR BIO-TECH PLANET. The Routes to Roots Networks and Beyond” presented at the Plant Biology Europe Congress. ASN is a creative & innovative network aiming at and committed to the creation of the synergy between art, science, and technology. Joanna will be joined by the ASN curator Karolina Wlazło-Malinowska.

Click the download for the complete press release.

Download

Press Release

 

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Commercial Exploitation of Chicory as a Multipurpose Crop Updates

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CHIC is the Chicory Innovation Consortium. The project’s main objectives are 1) to implement New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) in chicory in order to establish it as a multipurpose crop for the production of health-related products with clear benefits for consumers, and 2) to develop co-innovation pathways with stakeholders for game-changing technologies, such as NPBTs.

The overall objective of Work Package 8 (WP8) is to develop an exploitation strategy built on two strong business cases for NPBT based on high-quality dietary fiber and bioactive terpenes from chicory. Specific objectives are:

  • To demonstrate improved functionality of inulin from NPBT chicory in gut fermentation models
  • To demonstrate bioactivity of terpenes from chicory using advanced cell-based assays
  • To demonstrate the exploitation potential of the most promising NPBT chicory variants via business cases

Updates

Both improved inulin and terpene fractions were subjected to in-vitro bioactivity and safety evaluation and business cases for both lines will finally be created. Two types of NPBT chicory mutants have been generated and analysed: one type of mutations targeted to inulin breakdown genes (FEH knock-out, WP2) and the other for germacrene synthase A (CiGAS knock-out, WP1/WP2). Both have been studied for their terpene and inulin quality and quantity compared to commercial chicory. For studying the anti-inflammatory effects of chicory terpenes, a physiologically relevant model of the inflamed intestinal mucosa was developed. Two particularly interesting chicory extracts were assessed and strong antimicrobial potential was observed – antifungal as well as antibacterial activity towards antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Finally, a new multi-ingredient process was investigated, based on a selective adsorption column for terpenes. A conceptual process design yielding capex/opex details indicated that the sales price for the terpene mixture is in line with specialty ingredient prices, in food supplements. Currently, three scientific papers are being prepared based on the results obtained partly in WP8.

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Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication Update

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CHIC is the Chicory Innovation Consortium. The project’s main objectives are 1) to implement New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) in chicory in order to establish it as a multipurpose crop for the production of health-related products with clear benefits for consumers, and 2) to develop co-innovation pathways with stakeholders for game-changing technologies, such as NPBTs.

The overall objective of Work Package 7 (WP7) is to inform stakeholders and the broader public in innovative ways about project activities, results, and related topics. Specific objectives are:

  • To ensure the effective exploitation of the results, including the handling of IP issues
  • To ensure efficient data management under FAIR principles
  • To communicate and disseminate the project activities and results to a wide range of stakeholders
  • To communicate and disseminate to the broader public including innovative Art-Science activities
  • To support the knowledge transfer to farmers, growers, and breeders

Updates

In the last 18 months, news, articles, and videos have continued to be published through the project’s social networks. However, Anna Dumitru and Alex May are continually working with CHIC consortium members to develop its sculptural and bio-digital installation entitled “Biotechnology from the Blue Flower.” Jill Scott and Marille Hahne are also continually developing the “AFTERTASTE” project based on the health of the human olfaction and gustatory systems and finishing its movie entitled “Chicory Unpact.” Educational activities for “early-state researchers” and a CHIC game are being developed by the DEI Group from University Carlos III, where it uses virtual, augmented reality, and ICT technology to educate teenagers about the CHIC concepts.

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Stakeholder Engagement Update

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CHIC is the Chicory Innovation Consortium. The project’s main objectives are 1) to implement New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) in chicory in order to establish it as a multipurpose crop for the production of health-related products with clear benefits for consumers, and 2) to develop co-innovation pathways with stakeholders for game-changing technologies, such as NPBTs.

The overall objective of Work Package 6 (WP6) is to engage stakeholders in achieving a more responsible innovation process.

Specific objectives are:

  • To identify facilitating and possibly hindering factors for chicory innovation from various stakeholder viewpoints
  • To assess stakeholder acceptability of alternative chicory commercialisation scenarios
  • To identify management options to better harness the benefits and mitigate possible negative impacts

Updates

The overall objective of the WP6 is to engage stakeholders for better aligning technology innovation with societal needs, which includes the identification of possibly facilitating and hindering factors and the assessment of stakeholder acceptability of commercial development of genome-edited chicory and derived products (inulin and/or terpenes).

An in-depth analysis of the Stakeholder Consultations was carried out in WPs 4 and 5. The results from those work packages were then integrated into the research instruments used in WP6. The development is organised as a multi-step participative process involving all project partners, the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), and external stakeholders. Several steps involving partners and the SAG were achieved and further steps involving external stakeholders were prepared. Further development of and continued interaction with the Stakeholder Advisory Group was performed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictions (an unforeseen risk) had an impact on the project activities as planned stakeholder consultations could not be held in person. The transformation of these events into virtual-only events required considerable effort but worked out well in the end.

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Socio-economic and Environmental Impacts on the Whole Value Chain Update

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CHIC is the Chicory Innovation Consortium. The project’s main objectives are 1) to implement New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) in chicory in order to establish it as a multipurpose crop for the production of health-related products with clear benefits for consumers, and 2) to develop co-innovation pathways with stakeholders for game-changing technologies, such as NPBTs.

The overall objectives of Work Package 5 (WP5) are to evaluate the socio-economic and environmental impacts on the whole value chain. Specific objectives are:

  • To obtain consistent characteristics and data set of whole value chain
  • To perform a socio-economic impact assessment of NPBTs and the whole value chain to gain knowledge about growth, job creation, distribution, competitiveness, value chains
  • To perform an environmental assessment of NPBTs and the whole value chain in comparison to conventional reference systems
  • To analyse societal issues facilitating or hindering chicory innovation

Updates

WP5 is tasked with evaluating socio-economic and environmental impacts on the whole value chain of the newly developed chicory crops. Therefore, a socio-economic impact assessment and an environmental assessment of NPBTs and the whole value chain will be performed. In addition to these quantitative assessments, qualitative research on societal issues hindering or facilitating chicory innovation will be applied.

Within the socio-economic assessment, the impact of different NPBTs on economic and social indicators will be quantified such as GDP, production volume, growth, competitiveness, and employment as well as the distribution of wealth and income between different sectors and regions within the EU and the global economy. The LCA will give information on e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy demand, water consumption, land use of the new value chain developed in CHIC. With broad input by all partners, concepts were defined that differ in aspects such as whether CRISPR edited chicory is regulated as GMO or not, whether it is grown in the open field or greenhouses, and what type of products are isolated from them. These concepts will be evaluated for their socio-economic and environmental impacts.

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Augmented Reality Educational Game for the Young Generation!

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Gene editing, or genome editing, is a process in which small intended changes in the DNA are introduced in the genome of a living organism such as plants.

An augmented reality game was created to allow young adults to learn more about the CHIC project and the genome editing on plants. MyChicFarm is an educational Augmented Reality game developed by DEI Lab at UC3M to learn about New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs).

For instance, one can use gene-editing techniques to improve the amount of healthy terpenes or inulin food fibres in chicory by choosing carefully which gene to target with by the CRISPRCas9 enzyme to make the cut in the double-stranded DNA chain.

Do you want your children’s school to try these interactive games? Please click below to learn more!

CLICK HERE!

The game allows players (farmers) to grow chicory crops and make the most of their seed money using Microsoft Hololens glasses. Selected seeds have to be planted, grown, and then collect and sell them to the market. Farmers must defend the plantations from plagues attack. To ensure the quality of the next crop, players can invest part of their money in NPBTs and produce health-related products such as inulin and terpenes.

The game has been developed within the context of the CHIC Project supported through the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.

To view the full version, please click below.

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