MICROLIFE SOLUTIONS BV

Their core work

Microlife Solutions BV is an Amsterdam-based biotech SME that applies microbial and enzymatic processes to solve environmental pollution problems. In their first EU project, they contributed to developing biocatalytic pathways for breaking down plastic waste — using microbial consortia and mechano-biochemical methods to depolymerise plastics into reusable bioproducts and bioplastics. In their second project, they shifted application domain to tackle persistent pollutants (particularly PFAS) in water, soil, and sediment systems, bringing biological tools to contamination risk assessment and circular water reuse. Their core value to consortia is specialist knowledge in environmental microbiology and bioprocessing applied to circular economy challenges.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Microlife entered H2020 in 2020 with a clear focus on biological solutions for plastic waste — microbial consortia, depolymerisation enzymes, and bioprocessing to create a circular economy for plastics. One year later, they joined a second project targeting a very different problem: PFAS and persistent industrial chemicals contaminating water bodies, with outputs that include risk frameworks and policy tools. The shift is not a departure but an expansion of the same underlying capability — applying microbial and biochemical expertise to environmental contamination — just moving from solid waste streams to liquid pollutant systems.

Microlife appears to be building a broader environmental biotech portfolio, moving from materials circular economy into water safety and zero-pollution — both high-priority areas under the EU Green Deal — suggesting they are positioning for the next wave of EU environmental research funding.

How they like to work

Microlife has participated in two projects without ever taking a coordinator role, placing them firmly in the specialist-contributor camp. Their 41 unique partners across two projects indicates they join large, multi-institution research consortia typical of H2020 RIA actions rather than small focused teams. They likely contribute a specific microbial or bioprocessing capability that complements the broader consortium's experimental or modelling work — a profile that makes them easy to onboard but means they have not yet built track record in project management or leadership.

Microlife has worked with 41 distinct partner organizations across 15 countries in just two projects, reflecting the large pan-European consortia typical of RIA funding. There is no evidence of a concentrated regional cluster — their network is broad and EU-wide by construction rather than by strategic preference.

What sets them apart

Microlife occupies a rare niche as a private SME bringing working microbial solutions — not just research concepts — to both solid plastic waste and liquid pollutant streams. Most environmental biotech SMEs specialize in one substrate; Microlife's portfolio spans plastics and PFAS-contaminated water, which makes them an unusual bridge between the circular materials economy and zero-pollution water policy. For a consortium builder, they offer SME flexibility and real-world applicability that academic partners often lack, particularly when the project needs to demonstrate pathways to market or scale-up.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BioICEP
  Their largest funded project (EUR 396,875), directly targeting plastic biodegradation using microbial consortia and biocatalytic depolymerisation — a technically specific and commercially relevant application with bioplastics as the end product.
• PROMISCES
  Addresses PFAS contamination — one of the EU's highest-priority environmental concerns in 2021–2025 — with outputs spanning toxicological tools, risk management frameworks, and policy support, giving Microlife rare exposure to the regulatory interface of environmental science.