BRYOMOLECULES PROJECT

Bioprospection and production of bioactive molecules from European bryophytes project

The Project

The project

At a glance

We are a passionate team of researchers and innovators, dedicated to unlocking the potential of bryophytes for a sustainable future.

Liverworts, an ancient group of land plants, are a rich and yet still underexploited source of a wide range of biologically active compounds with high potential for the bioeconomy sector as ingredients of cosmetics/cosmeceuticals and pharmaceutics. However, their slow growth rate in nature and the consequent difficulty to obtain large amounts of single compounds have until now severely hindered the in-depth exploration and exploitation of the full spectrum of activities of liverworts secondary metabolites.

Recent breakthroughs in the identification of some of the genes involved in the early steps of liverwort-specific compounds suggest that, in addition to the establishment of improved methods for growth in axenic conditions, reconstruction of liverwort metabolic pathways in heterologous systems is a promising way forth towards the practical exploitation of liverwort biochemical diversity and its industrial scale up

Program

European Union’s Horizon Europe

Duration

36 months

Budget

3 629 672,50 €

Consortium

7 partners from 5 countries

Coordinator

Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Italy

Our planned impact

Explore the impact we aim to reach at the end of the project

01

Innovative Biotechnological Approaches

The BRYOMOLECULES project focuses on developing sustainable, cutting-edge methods to harness bioactive compounds (BACs) from European bryophytes (mosses and liverworts), with applications in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

02

Economic and Environmental Impact

By advancing the knowledge and exploitation of bryophytes, the project aims to drive economic growth through the creation of marketable and patentable bio-based innovations, contributing to the circular economy and supporting the development of sustainable industries in Europe.

03

Biodiversity Conservation and Public Engagement

BRYOMOLECULES promotes the conservation of bryophyte biodiversity by providing sustainable alternatives to overharvesting, while also raising public awareness about the ecological and economic value of these ancient plants through educational initiatives.

Latest News

From Mosses to Medicine
bryophytes make up the second-largest plant family, with about 20,000-25,000 species. And despite the common Western belief that bryophytes are…
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Policy briefing 1

Policy brief 1 This first policy brief, published by the BRYOMOLECULES project in August 2025, focuses on the policy implications…

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