The PhageFire Consortium is formed by a multidisciplinary team which matches the scientific know-how and the technology expertise required for the successful development of the project. Enviroinvest and ZHAW will carry out the in vitro studies for the selection of safe and effective phages and their means of protection to be included in the final PhageFire cocktails. Later, PRS and Enviroinvest will be in charge of the experimental field trials in pome fruit orchards (from Spain and Hungary, respectively) to test safety, efficacy and quality of our biocide following EU Regulation 1107/2019 and according to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) methodology. These experimental tasks will be also closely supervised by Kimitec, supported by Bioregulatory Services. Later, PhageFire will be scaled-up by Kimitec for their commercialization in European countries in conjunction with Enviroinvest. Furthermore, the current network of clients and contacts of Enviroinvest, Kimitec and PRS within the European agricultural sector, will be of great value for the commercialization. Hence, the Consortium has enough operational capability to carry out the PhageFire project forward. In addition, PhageFire project is also supported by key partners (Pen&Tec), potential customers and relevant organizations of the sector. To successfully bring PhageFire project forward, an in-depth analysis of the Consortium position, potential resources and finances has been performed.

PRS is one of the main Associations of pear growers in Spain. PRS aims at defending the interests of the pear sector through several actions such as: representing them in front of the relevant authorities, communication and promotion actions, statistical and economic analysis, research and experiments, etc.They represent a group of 21 companies producing and marketing Conference pears in 28 La Rioja municipalities. The group has a planted area of more than 1,157 ha and 312 farmers, producing approximately 25,000 tonnes of pears annually (≈7.6% of national output), mainly of Blanquilla and Conference varieties.
As the Project Coordinator, Communication and Exploitation Manager, PRS will be responsible for successful project delivery within the set timeframe and to budget, and will lead dissemination and promotion of the project and its outcomes, firstly to its affiliates, other EU and global pear growers. Having performed similar tasks in the FP7 project, RE-PEAR (www.repear.eu), upon which this project is based, PRS has the necessary experience and contacts and links, both at EU and global level, to ensure broad dissemination of project outputs.

Enviroinvest Corp. (Enviroinvest) was established in 2010 as a successor of three predecessor companies (Enviroinvest Ltd., Enviroinvest-Waste Ltd. and Ekofutur Ltd.). It is to be regarded as an SME. It has three business
branches: environmental consultancy, recycling of waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE), and biotechnology. Enviroinvest Corp. is a family-owned company (with fully transparent owner structure). The top manager is the CEO who is also responsible for the operation of the environmental consultancy business branch. The other two branches are led by two deputy CEOs and a general director is responsible for the administration (including our ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications). From these four top managers three are also owners of the company. Concerning the biotechnology branch, a director with a Ph.D. degree is the head of the biotechnology activities. The senior researchers are the supervisors of the researchers whose work is supported by the laboratory assistants. Also, students preparing MSc degree or Ph.D. degree thesis tend to work in our laboratories. We work with highly educated colleagues in our labs: three have Ph.D. degree, seven MSc degrees, and one BSc degree. We put high emphasis on their further education.

In the Biotechnology division, our main R&D activities include bacteriophage therapy, development and production of nano materials, and other services (metagenome analysis, DNA sequencing, real-time PCR, fermentation, etc.). Enviroinvest’s biological research and development activities started in one of the predecessor companies (Enviroinvest Kft), which launched its bacteriophage therapy researches in a rented building in Szekszard (Hungary). Later, in 2012, Enviroinvest Corp. established its private research institute in Pecs (Hungary) with E.U. and governmental support. This up-to-date equipped building -called Nanophagetherapy Center- is the home of our bacteriophage research activities. Enviroinvest Corp. (and its predecessor, Enviroinvest Ltd) developed Erwiphage between 2006-2012, the World’s first bacteriophage-based biopesticide against the causative agent of fire blight disease (Erwinia amylovora) of apple and pear. The company received the Innovation Award of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office in 2013. Erwiphage -produced and distributed by Enviroinvest- has been marketed with the special permission of the government in Hungary since 2012. Enviroinvest also developed other biopesticides against Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (walnut disease) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causative agent of rice leaf blight. The marketing of these two biopesticides is in progress. We have isolated and characterized bacteriophages against animal and human pathogenic bacteria (Paenibacillus larvae,Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella sp. EHEC, etc.).

Enviroinvest implemented many research projected supported by the Hungarian Government and/or by the E.U. We have taken part in international projects as well, e.g. our latest project (SPRING) has just started with European-Indian joint support in frame of the Horizon2020. We took part also in the Marie-Sklodowska Curie action and other international measures (e.g. Eurostars). The head of the biotechnology branch is core group member of the EuroXanth COST action aimed to integrate knowledge on the plant pathogenic Xanthomonadaceae bacteria and responsible to suggest measures enabling better legal background for biopesticide registration in the E.U. Moreover, our research institute provides DNA sequencing and bioinformatics services for our clients.

Enviroinvest’s activity fits into this project proposal because one of our main research and development and production activities is linked to bacteriophage therapy against plant pathogenic bacteria, especially against Erwinia amylovora -due to our Erwiphage product. The technical and scientific methods planned to be applied in this project are used daily in our lab. Enviroinvest will be one of the major players in this project because it has roles in nearly all tasks and subtasks. It will lead the WP1 (Extension of phage library). The company will provide its previously isolated and characterized phages for further research and it will isolate and characterize novel phages as well. Enviroinvest will contribute to the WP2 to perform UV- and desiccation-protection trials, as well as optimization of plant penetration using its own phages. In the Certification tasks we will work in countries in which we will marketize the product (Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine). We have experiences in these tasks because our Erwiphage product has an exceptional permit in Hungary since 2012. We will perform the field tests with our phages in locations where we will sell the product. Enviroinvest will contribute to the scale up with its own phages. It has experiences on this field because it produces Erwiphage since 2012. Based on Enviroinvest’s experiences concerning the marketing of Erwiphage, it was decided that our company will lead the tasks for dissemination and exploitation. As a participant, Enviroinvest will contribute to the project management based on its experiences with EU and government supported projects.

The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) is one of the leading universities of applied sciences in Switzerland. Around 1,500 students are currently enrolled at the School of Life sciences and facility Management, which has more than 600 employees.
We offer five Bachelor’s and three Master’s degree programmes, together with a wide
range of continuing education courses. Teaching, research, continuing education, consulting and other services are both scientifically based and practice-oriented. Our expertise in life sciences and facility management in the areas of the environment, food and health enables us to make a vital contribution to solve social challenges and improving quality of life. Our success is based on five dynamic institutes with extensive competence in research, development and services in the disciplines of chemistry and biotechnology, food and beverage innovation, natural resource sciences, applied simulation and facility management.
The ZHAW – Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation (ILGI), offers application-oriented research, development and services on all aspects of food. The ILGI is divided into three centres with research and specialist groups in various areas of competence. The eight research and specialist groups work closely together on an interdisciplinary basis to competently and efficiently achieve project goals. Dr. Lars Fieseler is the Head of the Center for Food Safety and Quality Management and also the Head of Food Microbiology. To ensure the safety of food, we develop new starter and protective cultures, detect pathogenic bacteria, use bacteriophages, carry out challenging tests, develop self- control and HACCP concepts, offer training in food law and quality management, and much more…
In our research projects, we isolate and characterize new bacteriophages for the control of bacterial contaminants in food. We therefore investigate phage proteins that are important for specific adsorption to the bacteria and identify new phage receptors. In addition, we investigate how lytic enzymes from bacteriophages can be used to control pathogenic germs and biofilms. In addition, we show the efficiency of phage treatments in challenge tests and how to best apply a phage. In this regard, bacteriophages are routinely applied for detection and control of bacterial pathogens. We are focussing on phages infecting members of the Enterobacteriaceae and in addition the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. In close cooperation with companies, institutions and authorities, our research and development activities are fundamental to strength in innovation to provide delicious, healthy, safe and sustainable food from the raw material to the consumer.