In 2021, CTAEX and TABACOEX conducted first open field and greenhouse trials with NOMAD plant hosts expressing Thaumatin II, a natural high-intensity non-caloric sweetener of plant origin. This year, OLIVOS DE BADAJOZ joined the list of the collaborators. In addition to Thaumatin II, pilot production of other product candidates, such as bacteriocin ColU, will be conducted. The plant biomass will then be transported to a processing facility to purify quantities of several products needed for NOMAD’s work with potential buyers and for pre- and clinical studies.

NOMAD’s Thaumatin II has received GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in USA (FDA GRN 738 and GRN 910) and other countries (FEMA GRAS 5010) it thus can be used there commercially as a taste modifier or non-caloric sweetener.

“We highly appreciate the opportunity to work with Extremadura contract partners. Successful industrialization of protein-containing biomass production will allow them to participate in a potentially highly profitable high-tech business.”, said Prof. Dr. Yuri Gleba, CEO of NOMAD.
If the projects conducted in 2022 are successful, NOMAD intends to negotiate with Extremadura farmers agreements to provide industrial amounts of Thaumatin II-containing plant biomass in 2023-24, and later, to help transfer the established cultivation technology to farmers in Extremadura, Spain, for large-scale contract production.

In addition, NOMAD has also renewed its Agreement with the Institute of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology (IBMCP), Valencia, Spain, a unit of Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) to continue support NOMAD’s ongoing technical, regulatory and development efforts in Spain. In particular, IBMCP has already helped NOMAD to secure regulatory permit needed for conducting open field trials in 2022.

About CTAEX
CTAEX is a private non-profit R&D Centre located in the region of Extremadura, Spain, founded in 2000 by an association of SMEs, large companies and co-operatives from the agri-food sector. CTAEX is a pioneer in the field of agricultural and food innovation and research in Spain, with the objective of improving the competitiveness of the European agri-food sector from a market-oriented approach.
CTAEX´s Agricultural Department has at its disposal greenhouses and 23 hectares of experimental farms (“ECO” certified among them) equipped with a total irrigation covering. The R&D lines of this area cover a wide variety of experiences such as development and selection of varieties of any crop, research of new crop techniques, new crops exploration, crop protection and alternative agricultural production (integrated and ecological).
Contact info: www.ctaex.com
eordiales@ctaex.com

About IBMCP
IBMCP is a research centre jointly owned by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). The general objective of the IBMCP is to generate knowledge that enables the design of new crops with an enriched composition and an efficient use of resources, thus satisfying the needs of a sustainable agriculture of the future. The Crop Biotech Department of IBMCP leads ambitious synthetic biology projects, in collaboration with major biotech companies and research institutions, whose objective is to harness the climate-friendly biosynthetic capacity of plants for the biomanufacturing of value-added products such as pharmaceuticals or smart agrochemicals.
Contact info: www.ibmcp.upv.es 
dorzaez@ibmcp.upv.es

About TABACOEX
TABACOEX is a part of Ibertabaco cooperative which is responsible for ca. 20% of tobacco produced in Spain. TABACOEX owns greenhouses used primarily for growing tobacco transplants.
Contact info:
juanjo@ibertabaco.com

About OLIVOS DE BADAJOZ
OLIVOS DE BADAJOZ is a is a company in Extremadura active in the production and marketing of olive trees and other plants raised in nurseries. The company owns facilities including greenhouses and nurseries in Don Benito and Pueblonuevo del Guadiana which are equipped with all the necessary equipment for seeding and growing multiple plant crops, and serve clients from all over Europe.
Contact info:  www.olivosdebadajoz.com
juanma@olivosdebadajoz.com