This post is from one of our member organizations — Business and Technology University (BTU) in Tbilisi, Georgia — and is written by Mariam Kobiashvili, Head of their Center for Entrepreneurship.

For most of Earth’s history, microbes were the planet’s only inhabitants. Even today, they represent the majority of diversity on Earth. Achieving true environmental sustainability largely depends on our efforts to support the health and resilience of ecosystems. Despite all the calls for action and concerns related to sustainable resource use, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 ranks biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and critical changes to Earth’s systems among the top threats to our future. The consequences of this decline are far-reaching, with potential to cause significant disruption to the global economy—closing doors to emerging opportunities to future generations and leaving industries, entrepreneurs, and innovators behind.  In the light of catastrophic effects of climate change, the time to protect biodiversity is NOW.

With COP30 scheduled to take place later this year in Brazil, the world’s leaders, institutions, and key actors are preparing for joint statements and demonstration of a strong collaborative spirit. Nature and biodiversity will be at the heart of these conversations; the need for preparedness to drive climate actions will be highlighted and calls for action will be heard. While this collaborative agenda is launching and global leaders gather, the role of research and academia should be highlighted in the role it plays to shape real, tangible solutions. Scientific communities provide the foundation and evidence needed for sustainable climate action and impact.

Georgia’s Microbial Innovation Towards Protecting Global Biodiversity: how maximized enzymes can unfold the potential of fungi

 Acknowledged as one of the leading research units in Georgia, the Institute of Microbial Biotechnology (IMB) of the Agricultural University of Georgia has focused on research in physiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology of microorganisms. The institute’s approach is to use microorganisms as microbial cell factories for the efficient bioconversion of a wide range of renewable plants. The IMP team proposes microbial-based solutions for sustainable use of food industry waste, thus contributing to global goals.

The Director of the IMB in Georgia, Prof. Vladimir Elisashvili, communicates the research outcomes on lignin-modifying enzymes (LME, one of the most important groups of versatile enzymes), well known for their wide range of industrial and biotechnological applications. Owing to the progress in recent research, the production of these enzymes was maximized (Vladimir Elisashvili, Mikheil D. Asatiani, and Eva Kachlishvili). As part of the screening studies, researchers have evaluated the LME activity of fungi during their cultivation in media containing mandarin peels and glycerin, which provide abundant fungal growth and significant enzyme production (Elisashvili and Kachlishvili 2009; Kachlishvili et al. 2014, 2018; Elisashvili et al. 2017). These studies revealed several features that should be taken into consideration in terms of resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem.

The research highlights the immense potential of Fungi – natural recyclers – in breaking down tough plant materials and producing enzymes that help us create eco-friendly products. Getting fungi to work efficiently requires understanding the best conditions for their growth and enzyme production. They need specific nutrients to thrive and produce key enzymes. The IMB research shows that using natural waste like orange peels, coffee husks, or wood chips can dramatically increase the production of powerful enzymes. Also, when fungi are grown on the right substrate – impressive impacts can be achieved. IMB’s research on replacing glucose with mandarin peels increased fungal enzyme activity up to 40-fold!

Where are we heading to with maximized enzymes? Produce more – waste less!

According to Prof. Vladimir Elisashvili and the research team, the right combination of plant waste and fungi can revolutionize eco-friendly ways of valuable enzyme production. This can serve a significant support for the industries that turn agricultural waste into biofuels. Optimizing fungal fermentation processes and accelerating their capacity to produce more while wasting less will increase resilience and decrease harmful chemical use. What Georgian researchers are heading to is mobilizing and directing the natural process into an advantage for industry, using the potential of often discarded waste materials for the benefit of all. The research was translated into actual products, tested, and applied in real world, within industries.

However, turning scientific outcomes into market-oriented products is a rather costly exercise and requires continued support to generate income. While there is a demand of providing IMB’s microbial innovation to the global markets, the institution is not capable of producing the right amount of lignin-modifying enzymes to allow tailored applications in different industrial processes. Despite the promising potential of LMEs, their widespread industrial application is related to high production costs and they remain challenging. Georgian researchers have the right solutions, research material, and practices in place. They have an expertise to share on how to utilize inexpensive plant raw materials as growth substrates, optimize fermentation, and develop better bioprocess technologies to enhance enzyme production.

Invest or Not?

Investment in science commercialization has long been a challenge in Georgia. Various international experts have continually reported about the big gap between business and academia, about almost non-existent links between science and the private sector. Even though research teams (especially those engaged in applied research) have shifted from purely scientific context to an entrepreneurial mindset, the private sector has doubts and reservations towards future-oriented solutions in the realm of science, being uncertain of their practical benefits. Yet, innovations like maximized fungal enzymes, which have revolutionized natural recycling processes and enhanced industrial efficiency, offer promising opportunities. The question remains: will the private sector recognize the potential and invest in these transformative technologies?

It’s time to acknowledge what research of microorganisms can bring to industry, how microbial innovations can drive climate action, and how researchers from unique environmental ecosystems can contribute. Because, ultimately, how much will the damages from climate inaction cost all of us in the end?