PROPEL is an ambitious, interdisciplinary project designed to revolutionize sustainable bio-manufacturing through the creation of the first integrated, cost-efficient, and scalable pipeline for the production of protein-based materials and biocatalysts using synthetic cells (SynCells).By combining advances in bottom-up synthetic biology, renewable building blocks, fermentation, and waste valorization, PROPEL aims to overcome current barriers that limit industrial protein production.
The project will establish an iterative SynCell optimization platform supported by high-throughput screening and process analytical technologies, enabling rapid selection and enhancement of top-performing artificial protein factories. A key innovation lies in utilizing waste streams, including textile and packaging residues containing microplastics, as renewable carbon sources via advanced enzymatic pre-treatments and conversion into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This circular approach positions PROPEL as a transformative force for multiple industrial sectors by fostering green, waste-based biomanufacturing.
PROPEL will deliver proof-of-concept systems for sustainable spider silk protein and oxidoreductase production, develop an advanced high-throughput SynCell toolbox, and validate a scalable manufacturing pipeline, yielding major scientific and intellectual property outcomes. PROPEL will catalyze new market sand strengthen Europe’s leadership in green innovation by providing scalable, affordable, and environmentally sound alternatives to fossil-derived materials.
Through its alignment with the European Green Deal and UNSustainable Development Goals, PROPEL will advance responsible production, climate action, and global partnerships while empowering female-led biotech entrepreneurship. Ultimately, PROPEL embodies a paradigm shift toward sustainable, circular, and high-value biomanufacturing, setting the stage for a new generation of eco-friendly materials and industrial processes.
Partners: IMDEA Energy Institute (Spain); Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine (United Kingdom); Stichting Radboud Universiteit (The Netherlands); Iachina Irina Biomimica (Denmark).
Funding Institution/Program: European Union/EIC Pathfinder
Call: HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01-04: Waste-to-value devices – circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials
Type of action: Research and Innovation Action
Period: October 2026 – September 2029
IMDEA Energy Institute external funding: 1,160,507.53 €
Principal Investigator: Dr. Elia Tomás-Pejó
