8th Joint Call: DANE
Background
Water hyacinth is one of the world’s most destructive aquatic weeds, clogging waterways, reducing biodiversity, and impacting local economies. Current management practices rely heavily on costly and environmentally damaging mechanical or chemical methods.
The fungal pathogen Paramyrothecium eichhorniae shows potential as a biological control agent against water hyacinths. At the same time, degraded plant biomass could be repurposed, for example, into bio-composite materials or food/feed after ensuring safety from mycotoxins. Such innovations would link invasive plant management to circular economy strategies.
The project
DANE will:
- Conduct population and comparative genomics of E. crassipes and P. eichhorniae.
- Perform pathogenicity assays to evaluate fungal efficacy across different clones of water hyacinth.
- Explore feasibility of developing bio-composite materials from P. eichhorniae-degraded biomass.
- Assess safety of degraded material for food and feed by detecting possible mycotoxins.
- Provide cutting-edge knowledge on fungal biocontrol, enabling future large-scale application.
- Establish a multidisciplinary collaboration between Thailand, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
The science
The project combines evolutionary genomics, plant pathology, and materials research. Core scientific components include:
- Genomic analyses of pathogen–host interactions.
- Pathogenicity testing under controlled conditions.
- Bio-composite material development from fungal-degraded biomass.
- Mycotoxin detection and safety assessment.
The team
- Dr. Noppol Kobmoo (Coordinator), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand
- Prof. Daniel Croll, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
- Dr. Eliška Záveská, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
- Assoc. Prof. Jintana Unartgnam, Kasetsart University, Thailand
- Dr. Awanwee Petchkongkaew, Thammasat University, Thailand
Contact
Dr. Noppol Kobmoo E-Mail: noppol.kob@biotec.or.th