EU funds €2m biotechnology research project in Jerusalem
Aims to identify valuable compounds from Mediterranean plants
The Joint Management Authority of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument has granted the president of Hadassah College in Israel, Professor Nava Ben Zvi, up to €2m for the college’s Bio-Xplore Project. The project is implemented in partnership with the Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center of the Palestinian Authority, Leitat Technological Center in Spain and the Hellenic Regional Development Center in Greece, as well as two US universities: Rutgers University, New Jersey and the North Carolina State University.
Professor Bertold Fridlender, director of Hadassah College’s biotechnology department explained: “The goal of the project is to identify endemic plants from the Mediterranean area, which contain compounds that may be available for industrial products such as pharmaceutical products, food additives, cosmetics and others. The collaborative research will promote social and financial developments in the Mediterranean Sea Basin Area.”
As part of the project, a Mediterranean branch of the Global Institute for Bio-Exploration (GIBEX) will be created. Active GIBEX centres promote the development of biological products based on natural resources endemic to each of the partnering countries and products are focused on achieving health and environmental targets in developing countries.
