BLUES Guest Interview: Prof. Olivier Thomas, COMBO coordinator

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your research focus, and academic background.

I am Professor of Marine Biodiscovery at the University of Galway in Ireland, where I lead a research group working at the interface of marine biology, chemistry, biotechnology and analytical science. My academic background is in natural products chemistry, and my research has focused on discovering and understanding biologically active molecules produced by marine organisms, particularly seaweeds, sponges and their associated microorganisms.

The ocean represents an extraordinary, but still largely unexplored, source of chemical diversity. Marine organisms have evolved sophisticated chemical strategies to interact with their environment, defend themselves and communicate with other organisms. These processes can lead to the production of molecules with interesting biological properties and potential applications in human health and other sectors.

A central challenge in my research is to move beyond simply discovering new molecules and to develop sustainable ways of producing them. This requires an interdisciplinary approach, combining marine biodiversity studies with natural products chemistry, genomics, metabolomics, microbiology and biotechnology. I am particularly interested in understanding the metabolic pathways leading to these molecules but also in the interactions between marine organisms and their associated microorganisms, and how we can use this knowledge to develop innovative cultivation and production systems.

I also strongly believe that marine biodiscovery should contribute to a more sustainable blue economy and to international scientific cooperation.

2. COMBO, the project you are coordinating, is funded under the same call as our project, BLUES. Could you tell us more about COMBO’s mission, its consortium, and the problems it seeks to address?

COMBO stands for Innovative Cultivation Methods for Marine Biodiscovery. Our main mission is to develop innovative and sustainable cultivation methods for marine organisms, particularly seaweeds and sponges in order to unlock their potential as sources of high-value bioactive molecules.

Marine organisms produce a remarkable diversity of natural products, which may have applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other biotechnology-related sectors. However, many of these molecules are extremely difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities. Their production can depend on complex biological relationships, including interactions between an organism and its associated microorganisms. In addition, harvesting wild marine organisms is not a sustainable solution for supplying future industrial demand, while chemical synthesis can be challenging because of the structural complexity of these molecules.

COMBO seeks to address these bottlenecks by developing new cultivation systems based on the concept of the holobiont – the host organism together with its associated microbial community. By investigating these interactions and combining innovative cell-culture approaches with omics technologies, bioinformatics and synthetic biology, we aim to better understand how selected marine bioactive compounds are produced and how their production can be supported under controlled conditions.

Our research focuses on selected groups of seaweeds, including Dictyota and Laurencia, and marine sponges, particularly members of the families Crambeidae and Haplosclerida. We are investigating the production of different families of bioactive molecules, including seaweed terpenoids and sponge alkaloids. The project also explores microbial cell factories and synthetic consortia as potential routes towards more reliable and sustainable production.

The COMBO consortium brings together 13 organisations from different European countries. It includes universities and research organisations, such as the University of Galway, the University of Tours, the University of Angers, Wageningen University, the Technical University of Denmark, CNRS, the University of Santiago de Compostela, Fundación MEDINA and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. It also includes industrial and technology partners such as Hortimare, Mungo Murphy’s Seaweed Company and Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant.

Ultimately, COMBO aims to contribute to a more sustainable supply of marine-derived bioactive compounds and to strengthen Europe's capacity in marine biotechnology and the blue bioeconomy.

3. How will COMBO improve the life of the average EU citizen?

The impact of COMBO may not be immediately visible to citizens, because we are working at an early stage of the innovation chain. However, the challenges we are addressing are closely connected to everyday life.

First, COMBO is exploring new sources of bioactive ingredients especially from seaweeds that could eventually contribute to the development of innovative pharmaceutical, cosmetic and personal-care products.

Second, sustainability is central to our approach. If we can develop reliable cultivation systems for seaweeds, sponges and their associated microorganisms, we may reduce the need to collect large quantities of organisms from natural marine environments. This is particularly important for species whose natural populations may be vulnerable to environmental change and harvesting pressure.

Third, COMBO contributes to the development of European scientific and technological capacity. By bringing together universities, research centres, technology platforms and companies, we are helping to build the knowledge and infrastructure needed to develop new blue-biotechnology processes and products. This can create opportunities for innovation, skilled employment and economic activity in coastal regions.

In the longer term, our ambition is to help transform marine biodiversity into a source of sustainable innovation, bringing benefits to society while contributing to the protection of ocean ecosystems.

4. What are some important activities or milestones coming up in COMBO? What can we look forward to?

COMBO is now approaching the final phase of its three-year programme.

One of our priorities is to consolidate the cultivation approaches developed during the project. We are also continuing to investigate the metabolic pathways responsible for the production of selected marine natural products and exploring how these pathways might be supported through microbial biotechnology and synthetic biology.

Another important activity is the assessment of the potential applications of the compounds studied within COMBO. Our partners have been investigating different biological activities, including antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. We are particularly interested in understanding which results could provide a basis for further development with industrial partners, while recognising that most of these discoveries remain at an early stage of development.

The exploitation of project results is therefore a key priority. We are working to identify the knowledge and technologies generated by the consortium that could become key exploitable results, and to define appropriate pathways for their further development.

Upcoming activities include our final General Assembly in Cape Town in December 2026, as well as a workshop on heterologous expression and further exchanges with stakeholders and sister projects.

What I find particularly exciting is that we are moving from the discovery of interesting marine molecules towards a better understanding of how they can be produced sustainably. This is an important step for marine biodiscovery and for the future development of marine biotechnology.

5. How do you see collaboration between sister projects in Horizon Europe in terms of impact and knowledge exchange?

I consider collaboration between sister projects to be essential. Horizon Europe projects are often designed to address different aspects of a common scientific or societal challenge. When projects work in isolation, there is a risk of duplicating efforts or missing opportunities to combine complementary expertise.

Our interaction with BLUES is a good example. Although COMBO and BLUES have their own research priorities and approaches, we share a common ambition to advance marine biotechnology and support the sustainable development of the blue bioeconomy especially in the area of sponge cell culture. Exchanging information on scientific progress, methodologies, challenges and stakeholder engagement helps both projects to broaden their perspectives.

I see three main benefits from this type of collaboration. First, it accelerates knowledge exchange by allowing researchers to learn from approaches developed by other teams. Second, it increases visibility and impact by communicating results to a broader scientific, industrial and policy audience. Third, it helps build networks that can continue after the projects have ended, potentially leading to new research initiatives, partnerships and innovation opportunities.

I would therefore encourage all Horizon Europe consortia to invest time in meaningful exchanges with sister projects as a genuine opportunity to increase the value and long-term impact of their research.

6. Where can we read more information about COMBO? Where can we find you?

The best starting point is the COMBO project website: https://www.combo-eu.org/

The website provides information about the project's objectives, research activities, consortium partners and news from the different teams.

You can also find official information about COMBO on the European Commission's CORDIS website:

https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101135438

For direct contact, I can be reached at the University of Galway:

Prof. Olivier P. Thomas, Professor of Marine Biodiscovery, University of Galway, Ireland, Email: olivier.thomas@universityofgalway.ie. My linkedin page is linked to the COMBO linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/olivier-thomas-911b442b7_our-new-project-combo-led-by-the-university-share-7177761346690678785-Gdpu/

I would be very happy to hear from researchers, companies and other stakeholders interested in marine natural products, marine biotechnology, sustainable cultivation methods or future collaborations in marine biodiscovery.