Mira’s Lab is part of the international consortium behind BIO4PAK — Biodegradable Bio-based Bioactive Packaging Technology for Supporting Food Safety, a new project funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe, with approximately €3.9 million in EU funding.
Coordinated by the University of Łódź, BIO4PAK brings together an international and multidisciplinary team to develop a new generation of bio-based, biodegradable and bioactive food packaging, combining environmental sustainability with improved food safety.
The project combines biodegradable materials with an innovative phage-based antimicrobial system designed to respond to the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Using Salmonella as a model organism, BIO4PAK aims to develop smart packaging capable of helping reduce bacterial contamination, extend food shelf life and reduce food waste, while contributing to the replacement of conventional fossil-based plastics.
At IST-ID/iBB, the project will contribute to the study of Salmonella and the molecular mechanisms relevant to the development and validation of this novel antimicrobial technology. The participation of IST-ID receives approximately €295,000 in EU funding.
Starting in October 2025 and running for four years, BIO4PAK brings together academic and technological partners from across Europe in an interdisciplinary effort to develop the next generation of sustainable food packaging materials.
