Transnational Partnership on Functional Metagenomics for Biopharmaceutical Innovation (NORUSCASA)

INTPART-prosjektet NORUSCASA la opp til å utvide og styrke det systematiske samarbeidet mellom SINTEF og NTNU med sine internasjonale forskningspartnerne Auburn University og Varigen Biosciences Corp. (USA), samt University of Waterloo, Canada, og University of the Western Cape i Sør-Afrika. Hovedmålet var å etablere et verdensledende forsknings- og utdanningsnettverk for raskere biofarmasøytisk innovasjon ved å forbedre og anvende verktøy innenfor Funksjonell Metagenomikk som kan ta ut potensialet i det store flertallet mikroorganismer i naturen som ikke kan dyrkes på et laboratorium. Selv om prosjektet ble dessverre svært negativt påvirket av COVID-19 pandemien, klarte konsortiet å gjennomføre en stor del av de planlagte nettverksaktivitetene, som flere student- og forskerutvekslinger mellom partnergruppene, en seminarserie med inviterte, høyt-respekterte foredragsholdere, én av tre planlegt tematiske workshops, flere felles publikasjoner, samt organisering av konferansen Functional Metagenomics 2022 i Canada.

The INTPART project NORUSCASA aimed to expand and systematically deepen the collaboration of SINTEF and NTNU with their international research partners Auburn University and Varigen Biosciences Corp. (USA), as well as the University of Waterloo, Canada, and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Aim was to establish a world-leading research and education network for accelerated biopharmaceutical innovation by optimizing and applying Functional Metagenomics tools and technology that unlocks the potential of the vast majority of non-cultivable microorganisms in nature. Through project activities like student and researcher exchanges between partner groups, a seminar series with invited lecturers, a joint thematic workshop, as well as jointly organizing the conference Functional Metagenomics 2022 in Canada, the collaboration between fellow researchers has been intensified and lain on a more solid foundation for future collaboration projects at the international level. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic had several negative impacts on the performance of this networking project and despite of not all objectives being fully accomplished, especially long-term coordination at the institutional level and two of the originally planned workshops, it can overall still be considered a success. The joint results thereby benefit all partners involved, helped building their groups, and enabled new projects within the field of Functional Metagenomics within the international research network strengthened through the NORUSCASA project.

The INTPART project Transnational Partnership on Functional Metagenomics for Biopharmaceutical Innovation (NORUSCASA) aims to expand and systematically deepen the collaboration of SINTEF and NTNU with the two US-American partners Auburn University and Varigen Biosciences Corp., as well as the University of Waterloo, Canada, and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Main objective is to establish a world-leading research and education network for accelerated biopharmaceutical innovation by optimizing and applying Functional Metagenomics tools and technology that unlocks the potential of the vast majority of non-cultivable microorganisms in nature. The NORUSCASA project is thematically linked to the project INBioPharm of the Centre for Digital Life Norway (DLN), but has impact on a broad portfolio of thematically related projects at SINTEF and NTNU, aiming at understanding microbial biodiversity and exploiting it for new natural products. The NORUSCASA project partners own complementary competences, along with state-of-the-art infrastructure of high relevance for Functional Metagenomics R&D. By combining and mutually expanding these in a coordinated networking effort, will generate a high degree of synergy and creativity that will enable significant progress in the field of new biopharmaceuticals for medical applications from non-cultivable microorganisms. Planned networking activities include frequent student and researcher exchanges between partner groups, a seminar series with invited, renowned lecturers, three thematic workshops, as well as organizing the conference Functional Metagenomics 2022 in year four of the project. NORUSCASA will strengthen ongoing collaboration, integrate and align running research and education efforts at the partner institutions, educate students and young researchers in Functional Metagenomics R&D, and pave the way for new, comprehensive joint research and education activities between the project partners in the future.