CaroSPHERE

Applying Synthetic Biology for Sustainable Carotenoid Production in the Saccharomyces Genus (CaroSPHERE)

Project leader: Prof Renata Teparić

Duration: 48 months (1 October 2025 – 30 September 2029)

Funding: 160,000.00 EUR

Scientific field: Biotechnology

Institution: University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology

Carotenoids are pigmented antioxidants of exceptional importance to the food and pharmaceutical industries, with an annual market exceeding EUR 2 billion. However, over 90% of carotenoids are still produced from petrochemical feedstocks, while existing biosynthetic platforms can synthesise only a handful of standard C₄₀ carotenoids. In line with the European Union’s green and digital transition objectives and the priorities of Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), the CaroSPHERE project addresses this disparity by developing microbial cell factories based on the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the probiotic yeast S. boulardii, which will contribute to more sustainable fermentative production of both standard C₄₀ and rare C₅₀ carotenoids.

The multidisciplinary CaroSPHERE research team brings together experts in synthetic biology, biochemistry, metabolic engineering, fermentation processes, bioinformatics, and small-molecule analytics. They will deploy state-of-the-art genetic and analytical methods, along with advanced AI-based tools for high-throughput data analysis, to develop a new generation of eukaryotic microbial cell factories for carotenoid biosynthesis.

Project leader: Prof Renata Teparić // Full Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Associates:

Prof Senka Djaković // Full Professor, Laboratory for Organic Chemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Prof Tibela Landeka Dragičević // Full Professor, Laboratory for Biological Wastewater Treatment, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Prof Irena Landeka Jurčević // Full Professor, Laboratory for Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Assoc Prof Ana Bielen // Associate Professor, Laboratory for Biology and Microbial Genetics, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Assoc Prof Jasmina Lapić // Associate Professor, Laboratory for Organic Chemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Assoc Prof Igor Stuparević // Associate Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Assoc Prof Bojan Žunar // Associate Professor, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Asst Prof Dijana Grgas // Assistant Professor, Laboratory for Biological Wastewater Treatment, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Ana Novačić, PhD // Senior Scientific Assistant, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Dora Pavić, PhD // Postdoctoral Researcher, Laboratory for Biology and Microbial Genetics, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Tea Štefanac, PhD // Scientific Assistant, Laboratory for Biological Wastewater Treatment, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Tea Martinić Cezar, PhD // Assistant, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Antonia Paić, mag. ing. biotechn. // Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Romana Ivković, mag. ing. biotechn. // Project Assistant, Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

Kristijan Vuraić, mag. biol. exp. // Laboratory for Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Croatia

The results of the CaroSPHERE project will be shared through several original scientific publications.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us at renata.teparic[at]pbf.unizg.hr.