HEAVYFUN

The project aims to acquire knowledge and skills related to fungal growth by testing submerged fermentation under different conditions at the University of Turin. Subsequently, the selected marine fungi will be delivered to UNINA to continue tolerance testing for the aforementioned heavy metals. This aids in identifying genes and proteins responsible for the highest bioremediation efficiency to develop targeted and cost-effective strategies for in situ application. This will provide a rehabilitation of treated environments mitigating ecotoxicological risks, in line with ecological transition objectives. The project is divided into 4 tasks: Task 1 (UNITO, 2 days): selection of fungi based on genus, species, growth rate, novelty, and genome (if known, whether they contain genes for resistance to heavy metals). Task 2 (UNITO, 8 days): testing different submerged cultivation conditions. Task 3 (UNINA, 6 months): maximum tolerance concentration (MTC) test, selection of best fungal strains resistant to high concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn. Task 4 (UNINA, 9 months): proteomics and metabolomics to understand the metabolic processes at the basis of bioremediation activities, serving as a driving force for the optimization of the procedures used in the treatment of solid or liquid-polluted matrices.