IBLF Newsletter

JulyW 2014

Industrialisation of biotechnology – a growing and maturing sectorTalking to attendees after the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Pennsylvania recently, really brought home how much the UK has put itself on the map. Our expertise and facilities are attracting attention and business from around the world, and we should be proud of the international reputation we’ve earned.

One of our world-class assets, CPI, is this year celebrating a decade of innovation. In the ten years since they opened their doors they have helped over 2,000 companies develop new products and processes, and this track record has shown the world that the UK is an excellent place to do industrial biotechnology development and scale up. The anniversary highlights how far we’ve come in a reasonably short space of time and the pace of innovation shows no signs of slowing down.

“CPI is a globally significant facility whose laboratories and demonstration facilities, in addition to their expertise and open innovation model, bring in business from around the world.”

It’s also tremendously exciting to see the launch of the new National Biologics Manufacturing Centre (NBMC), hosted at CPI. It’s a facility that will be the link between academia, the NHS and industry, providing many IBLF members with exciting opportunities to develop new technologies. The NBMC is also

going to act as a hub for industrial-scale biotechnology skills, an essential component of the growing biologics sector.As industrial biotechnology matures in the UK, the IBLF has been focusing on shaping the bioeconomy and liaising with other groups. We’ve been working closely with the Synthetic Biology and the Agri-Tech Leadership Councils to coordinate actions and widen our network and you’ll read more about our discussions on pages 4 & 5. As the sector establishes itself we need to communicate the value of the bioeconomy to the public and groups outside our circles to ensure continued investment.

The maturity of the sector has also been highlighted by the launch of the IB Catalyst earlier this year, an opportunity for the IB community to take advantage of significant financial incentives to do IB in the UK. We must continue to show policy makers and the Government the value of IB to maintain these levels of support. The IBLF has developed strong relationships with key parties, and it’s really paying off. In this newsletter we will see the plan for the bioeconomy to extract value from waste, championed by Michael Fallon MP. We have all the pieces of the puzzle coming together – the recently published waste report highlights a variety of potential resources.

02 www.IBLF-UK.com

IBLF News

Steve Bagshaw, IBLF Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies

“CPI is a globally significant facility whose laboratories and demonstration facilities, in addition to their expertise and open innovation model, bring in business from around the world.”

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 03

The House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee welcomed the formal response from the Government to its report, ‘Waste or resource? Stimulating a bioeconomy’.

Lords welcome Government’s commitment to a long term plan for the bioeconomy

The Committee’s report (http://tinyurl.com/p6sdue8), published in March 2014, calls on the Government to grasp the nettle and change the way we view waste – seeing it as an opportunity rather than a problem. It also made a clear call to the Government to create a Waste Champion, to take on the job of developing a “brass from muck” bioeconomy - one that could see enormous economic benefits as well as a considerable number of green jobs – and develop a long term plan for a high value bioeconomy.

The Government has embraced these central recommendations. They said they will: “develop a long term plan for delivering and supporting a growing bioeconomy by early 2015” and that the Minister of State for Business and Energy in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), will take on the role of Ministerial champion for the bioeconomy.

A cross-Government Steering Group will also be established with industry and key stakeholders to coordinate the development and stimulation of a bioeconomy.

Chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Lord Selborne, said:

“We are pleased that the Government have embraced our principal recommendations and we look forward to the forthcoming long term plan for delivering and supporting a growing bioeconomy.

We heard in our inquiry that the UK now has a real chance to develop a multibillion-

The Committee’s report, ‘Waste or resource? Stimulating a bioeconomy’, is available on the Committee’s inquiry webpage: http://tinyurl.com/o6wk6m4

The Government’s response can be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/p3uktgn

pound economy from waste and we are glad that the Government seem seized of this opportunity.

We will doubtless return to this topic in due course to check the Government’s progress against the commitments they have made today.”

Wealth-from-waste productsWhile preventing the creation of waste in the first place is a laudable policy goal, it is inevitable that there will always be waste - or unavoidable by-products - such as orange peel, coffee grounds or waste gas from factories and power stations. Using cutting edge technologies, wastes such as these can be converted into valuable products such as fuels, flavours and fragrances, plastics, paint or pharmaceuticals.

One product which could have a huge economic and environmental impact is aviation fuel. New technology is being developed which uses a microbe to convert waste gases from steel mills into jet fuel. This aviation fuel will emit 60% less carbon than the fossil fuel it replaces. Another project aims to convert around 500,000 tonnes of waste normally destined for landfill into 50,000 tonnes of low-carbon jet fuel.

Although there are many kinds of waste generated from a variety of sources, the Lords inquiry looked specifically at waste which contains carbon.

04 www.IBLF-UK.com

Connecting the Bioscience Leadership

Councils Finding a common goalWhilst the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum has been established since 2009, more recently Government has supported the development of other Leadership activities in the Bioscience field specifically the Synthetic Biology Leadership Council and the Agri-Technology Leadership Council. Whilst each of these three groups has a very specific remit and purpose, there are strategic synergies across the three organisations and as chair of the IBLF, Steve Bagshaw initiated a meeting to connect with the industrial co-chairs of these bodies. Steve met with Lionel Clarke (Shell, and chair of the SBLC), Judith Batchelar (Sainbsury’s and chair of the ATLC) and Celia Caulcott (BBSRC) on 13th May 2014 to identify the opportunities to collaborate. Communication was at the top of that list and some specific actions that resulted from the meeting include:

1. Describe how the Government supported industry and technology strategies fit and work together

• Clear messaging, of where the Leadership Forums are driving separate but synergistic programmes and where they can and are collaborating, is needed across Industry, Academia and Government.

2. Develop joint communications from the industry chairs delivering a bigger impact than can be achieved individually• For example develop a position paper on

IBLF

Andrew Burgess AzkoNobel

David Hayward AstraZeneca

Stewart Davies Augean plc

Celia Caulcott BBSRC

Stuart West Biocatalyst Ltd

Mark Turner BIS

Alan Shaw CALYSTA Energy

Steve Elliott Chemical Industries Association

Sandy Dobbie Chemical Sciences Scotland

Colin Tattam, KTN

Rebecca Wood,

Yvonne Armitage

Joanna Woolf Cogent

Nigel Perry, CPI

Colin Harrison

Keith Layden Croda

Johnathan Porritt Forum for the Future

Edward M Green Green Biologics

Ian Fotheringham Ingenza

David Brown Institution of Chemical Engineers

Paul Booth SABIC UK Petrochemicals

Iain Wilcock Seventure

Jeremy Shears Shell

Ian Shott Trinova

David Lawrence Syngenta

Will Barton Technology Strategy Board

Andrew Hagan World Economic Forum

Industrial applications of biocatalysisGary Lye, Professor of Biochemical Engineering at University College London, describes how he is working with industry partners to produce a range of value-added chemicals from sugar beet pulp.

UCL, in collaboration with Imperial College and the University of Bath, is looking at the industrial applications of biocatalysis and how biocatalysts can be used in manufacturing.

There are plentiful opportunities for the UK to incorporate sustainable feedstocks into manufacturing as opposed to using petrochemical-based feedstocks. The team recently won a £2m collaborative grant from EPSRC and BBSRC to look at sustainable chemical feedstocks with an industrial consortium. Twelve months into the four and a half year project we’ve made great progress.

AB Sugar is a key member of our industrial consortium; they provide the sugar beet

pulp we’re working on which is the material that remains after sucrose is extracted. This contains mostly pectin and cellulose.

Currently the pulp is dried to be sold as a low-value animal feed, requiring a large amount of energy. This is a large natural resource we’re taking advantage of – approximately 8 million tonnes of pulp is produced in the UK every year so we’re keen to add value to the stream. We’re working to use this UK-based resource and convert it into high value platform chemicals, intermediates for pharmaceuticals and biological polymers.

Our industrial consortium forms the Advisory Board which spans the whole value chain. It means we’re always

Bioscience and the Bioeconomy.

3. Measuring success and shouting about it• Share case studies of success across the three bodies.

Further information on the three Leadership Councils including current members is detailed in the tables, and as a joint initiative KTN representatives of the Synthetic Biology Leadership Council and the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum from the Knowledge Transfer Network will be at the European Congress on Biotechnology on 13-16th July in Edinburgh.

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF)Who are they?

Chair: Steve Bagshaw CEO, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Ministerial co-chair: Rt Hon Michael Fallon MPDate established (first meeting): Nov-09Why was it formed? The IBLF was established as the strategic body to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the 2009 IB-IGT report. Purpose: The IBLF performs a key role in bringing together industry, with other critical stakeholders, to define the strategy for the UK to realise the £12bn potential that IB presents to our industrial manufacturers. The IBLF provides

a powerful focus to setting the priorities for the work undertaken by the Industrial Biotechnology Special Interest Group (IBSIG) and monitoring that delivery. Secretariat: Industrial Biotechnology Special Interest Group (KTN)

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 05

IBLF

Andrew Burgess AzkoNobel

David Hayward AstraZeneca

Stewart Davies Augean plc

Celia Caulcott BBSRC

Stuart West Biocatalyst Ltd

Mark Turner BIS

Alan Shaw CALYSTA Energy

Steve Elliott Chemical Industries Association

Sandy Dobbie Chemical Sciences Scotland

Colin Tattam, KTN

Rebecca Wood,

Yvonne Armitage

Joanna Woolf Cogent

Nigel Perry, CPI

Colin Harrison

Keith Layden Croda

Johnathan Porritt Forum for the Future

Edward M Green Green Biologics

Ian Fotheringham Ingenza

David Brown Institution of Chemical Engineers

Paul Booth SABIC UK Petrochemicals

Iain Wilcock Seventure

Jeremy Shears Shell

Ian Shott Trinova

David Lawrence Syngenta

Will Barton Technology Strategy Board

Andrew Hagan World Economic Forum

The Synthetic Biology Leadership Council (SBLC)Chair: Prof Lionel Clarke, Global Strategic Programme Manager, Shell Global Solutions (UK)

Ministerial co-chair: Rt Hon David Willetts MP Date established (first meeting): Dec-12

Why was it formed? The UK Government established the SBLC to provide a steering structure governance body to assess progress and update recommendations and shape priorities for future implementation of the synthetic biology roadmap for the UK. The SBLC is a visible point for strategic coordination between the funding agencies, the research community, industry, government sponsors and other stakeholders, including societal and ethical representatives.

Purpose: The SBLC is a co-ordinating body for the UK’s interests in synthetic biology. The SBLC works with industry, the relevant academic disciplines (including engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, the social sciences and ICT), regulators, NGOs and Government, to strategically oversee the development of a successful synthetic biology industry sector in the UK. In large part, this is initially founded upon implementation of the recommendations from the Synthetic Biology Roadmap Co-ordination Group.

Secretariat: Synthetic Biology Special Interest Group (KTN)

The Agri-Tech Leadership Council (ATLC)Chair: Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand Ministerial co-chair: Rt Hon David Willetts MP (& Lord Rupert de Mauley, DEFRA)

Date established (first meeting): Apr-13

Why was it formed? ATLC was formed to oversee and shape the UK strategy for agricultural technologies and provide leadership to drive its implementation, and identify opportunities for industry co-investment.

Purpose: To realise the UK ambition for national farming to become more competitive, more productive, more resilient to plant and animal disease, and better at protecting the natural environment. The Leadership Council gives industry a stronger and more cohesive voice with Government and the science.

Secretariat: BIS and DEFRA

SBLC

Sharmila Nebhrajani Association of Medical Research Charities

Paul Gemmill BBSRC

James Brown, Amy Tayler, KTNSue Dunkerton / Colin Tattam

Mike Edbury Government Office for Science

Prof Richard Kitney Imperial College London

Prof Dale Sanders John Innes Centre

Dr Tim Fell Synthace Ltd and BioIndustry Association

Prof Janet Thornton European Bioinformatics Institute

Prof Janet Bainbridge UK Trade & Investment

Prof Joyce Tait University of Edinburgh

ATLC

Ian Crute Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)

Tina Barsby National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB)

Sir John Beddington Former Government Chief Scientific

Martin Douglas Cargill UK

George Freeman MP APPG on Agricultural Science and Technology

Iain Gray Technology Strategy Board

John Godfrey TSB SAF-IP & BBSRC Council

Douglas Kell BBSRC

David Lawrence Syngenta

Ian Noble PepsiCo

John Shropshire G's Group

James Townshend Velcourt Group plc

Bob Webb Scotland's Rural College

Tim Wheeler Department for International Development

looking at the viability of manufacturing the polymer with target products at scale, understanding where the real processing challenges will be, establishing the supply chain and helping us prioritise which products and processes we should really focus on.

For example, AB Sugar produce the raw material, Biocatalysts are helping us to identify the enzymes needed in the process, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult provides the capability to test our results at scale in the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility

while GlaxoSmithKline, Chemoxy and AstraZeneca are key end users. Currently, we have four post doctoral research associates at UCL, Imperial and Bath, with another joining soon to investigate how we can use synthetic biology approaches to better breakdown the pectin fraction and synthesise the chemical products. The academic researchers meet every month to ensure they are working to common goals and it’s great to have such a large multi-disciplinary group of collaborators.

The KTN helped us with the proposal and put us in touch with the right people in the partner organisations. They helped ensure that the companies we worked with spanned the entire value chain, which is going to be vital to the success of the project. We hope that some of the technologies we are developing are implemented commercially and could be applied to other waste streams relevant to the UK.

The IB team in the KTN helped Chemoxy form a collaboration and secure funding to investigate turning a waste stream into a valuable organic chemical. The company is now applying for a patent for a process it hopes will increase profitability and sustainability.

Chemoxy is one of Europe’s largest providers of custom chemicals manufacturing services, serving petrochemical and speciality chemical companies.

A management buyout from Dow in December 2011 allowed the team to explore new strategies. David Randall, R&D Manager at Chemoxy, had an interest in industrial biotechnology and after being contacted by the KTN’s IB team offering a company visit to explore and discuss, he was keen to see how it could benefit the company.

Following an initial meeting where a number of successful IB case studies were presented, David recognised the potential for a new R&D project for Chemoxy, and was keen to learn more about potential partners and how to progress. The KTN’s IB team, on behalf of the IBLF, were about to host an event focused specifically on biocatalysis and invited David to attend.

“The event was really well organised” says David. “It brought together people with similar objectives who didn’t know about each other. The speakers covered the whole spectrum of interests from academic research into biotransformations of enzymes, to the industrial views on what advances could mean for business.”Chemoxy subsequently attended other events, visited people they met and worked closely with the KTN’s IB team. Two organisations stood out as having similar interests and complementary capabilities: Biocatalysts Ltd and Northumbria University. The three organisations identified a mutually beneficial opportunity investigating the biotransformation of a waste stream to produce valuable organic chemicals.

Chemoxy collaboration

06 www.IBLF-UK.com

acid in another to replace petrochemical feedstocks. We are interested to see if we can change the nature of what we do, such as by using biocatalysts and biotransformations instead of acids to make our chemistry more environmentally friendly.Despite its potential, moving to new processes often requires long term planning, particularly with emerging

technologies like IB. David says: “It can be hard for individual businesses to take on the costs of researching projects where the benefits are years away– even if those benefits could be huge. But if you can work with partners and receive government support, those risks diminish and it becomes viable.”

“We have received valuable help from the KTN and found them endlessly supportive and very easy to work with. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have found the right partners, perhaps wouldn’t have secured funding, and this project – which will be good for our business and the environment – might never have happened”.

“Without the KTN and IBLF’s events we would not have known that other companies and researchers were working on topics we were interested in, and we may never have met” says David.

The three organisations formed a collaboration and applied for a grant for a feasibility study of the project from the Technology Strategy Board. The KTN’s IB team worked closely with them to submit the application, which was successful.

David adds: “We had a great idea but we didn’t know the ins and outs of funding applications. The KTN’s IB team were a huge help in ensuring we answered the questions in the right way and I’m certain that the success of the application was largely down to their help.”The first feasibility study showed the project was possible, though the economics still presented challenges. A second collaborative R&D project was subsequently applied for to look at how to make the economics work, which was also funded.

“This time we didn’t need so much help,” says David.

“The work the KTN put in up-front instilled a good understanding of the funding process and we were able to do this on our own”.The second project was also successful and a patent is now being applied for.

Discussing how this supports the company’s wider IB strategy, David

says: “We believe IB can play an important role in the sustainability of our business both economically and environmentally. We are looking at its potential in a number of areas, including ones we are working on with Biocatalysts and Northumbria University. Already we are exploring using biobutanol in one process and bio-succinic

Company News

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 07

Staying connected: Biome Bioplastics

Many emerging industrial biotechnology (IB) companies are interested in how cutting edge research can help their business. However they often lack the contacts and capacity to make links with relevant research groups. The IBLF matches up IB companies with relevant academics through their network of partners. These introductions have led to the transfer of world class science to the biotech industry, benefitting both parties in the process.

Biome Bioplastics, an IB company producing plastics made from plant-based rather than oil-based polymers, has made contacts through the IBLF, which have led to new projects.

Paul Mines, CEO, first met IBLF representatives at a Technology Strategy Board briefing in 2012. Through the introduction he was invited to an IBLF meeting and has worked closely with the IBLF/KTN team since.

Securing the right feedstocks is core to Biome Bioplastics’ innovative approach. In 2013, the company started working on a project looking at extracting platform chemicals from lignin, the complex hydrocarbon that helps to provide structural support in plants. They didn’t have all the necessary expertise in-house, so sought an academic expert on the topic to provide support.

The KTN were able to suggest university groups who were working in the area. The introductions led to Biome Bioplastics partnering with the University of Warwick’s pioneering Centre for Biotechnology and Biorefining.

The collaboration has already identified lignin-degrading enzymes in bacteria found in the guts of termites. The aromatic products of the degradation are candidates for bioplastic feedstocks. Biome Bioplastics and the University of Warwick are now looking at ways to control the lignin breakdown process to determine whether these chemicals can be extracted in significant quantities. It is hoped that the research will lead to bioplastic production from straw or waste from the paper industry.

The research is partly funded by a collaborative R&D grant worth £150,000 from the Technology Strategy Board. Biome Bioplastics received support from the KTN during the application for the funding.

Paul explains: “As someone who was new to the Technology Strategy Board it was extremely helpful to speak to people who understood the process inside out. We were able to sound out ideas with the IBLF team who also reviewed our application. They’re always able to offer support and suggest partners and relevant funding calls – we’re now contemplating another project thanks to an introduction by the IBLF.”

“IBLF meetings and events are an excellent opportunity to meet senior, well-informed leaders in IB,” says Paul. “At the IB Showcase in January 2013 we met representatives from Ingenza and Biocatalysts and have been in touch since to share ideas.”The IBLF also supported Biome Bioplastics when they applied for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership award. The award, funded by the Technology Strategy Board, is supporting a student at the University of Warwick, further strengthening the company’s link with the University. “We’ve got a really high calibre student who is bringing innovative ideas from the university through to our business” said Paul.

Biome Bioplastics recently exhibited at the IBLF showcase in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills where Paul got to meet Minister of State for Business and Energy Michael Fallon MP.

“It was great to represent the industry and show a senior politician the importance of IB to the bioeconomy” said Paul.

Funding Opportunities

BBSRC Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBBs)

08 www.IBLF-UK.com

The BBSRC NIBBs are thirteen cross disciplinary communities bringing together academia and industry to drive innovation to harness the potential of biological resources for producing and processing materials, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals and energy.

The networks offer funding for proof of concept research projects which, if successful, can be investigated by the industrial partners. The networks come hot on the heels of the £45million IB Catalyst and it is hoped that the networks’ projects will lead to groups applying for Catalyst funding.

The thirteen NIBBs 1. Anaerobic Digestion Network 2. A Network of Integrated Technologies: Plants to Products 3. Bioprocessing Network: BioProNET 4. C1NET: Chemicals from C1 Gas 5. Crossing biological membranes: Engineering the cell-environment interface to improve process efficiency 6. Food Processing Waste and By-Products Utilisation Network (FoodWasteNet) 7. High Value Chemicals from Plants Network 8. IBCarb – Glycoscience Tools for Biotechnology and Bioenergy 9. Metals in Biology: The elements of Biotechnology and Bioenergy10. Natural Products Discovery and Bioengineering Network (NPRONET)11. Network in Biocatalyst Discovery, Development and Scale-Up12. PHYCONET: Unlocking the IB potential of microalgae13. Plant Biomass Biorefinery Network (PBBNet)

Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst Round 2The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are to invest £45m in major integrated research and development projects through the Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst.

There are five types of award:

• early stage: translation (academic led)

• early stage: feasibility studies (academic or business led)

• industrial research (academic or business led)

• late stage: pre-experimental feasibility studies (business led)

• late stage: experimental development (business led)

Total project sizes can range from up to £250k for feasibility studies to up to £10m for experimental development.

Registration deadline is noon on 3 December 2014.

Competition close deadline is noon on 10 December 2014.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/ogotlam

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 09

BiocatnetDiscovery to delivery of biocatalysts

Dr Ian Rowles, the biocatnet Network Manager, explains the scope of the network:

“We’re seeing more companies looking to make their processes greener, and using biocatalysts can be a way to make the synthesis of a chemical less energy intensive and reduce the need for heavy metal catalysts and petrochemical-based solvents.

We’ve found that it can be difficult for industry to get access to the array of biocatalysts that are being developed in academic labs around the UK. Our academics are developing a wealth of new processes, novel enzymes and enzyme variants and we want this innovation to be used by industry. Equally, our

industrial partners are eager to discover the recent developments at the cutting edge of academic research. The network allows the industrial partners to explain their requirements to the academics – specific biocatalyst characteristics such as thermostability and solvent tolerance, the level of productivity that is required to make the process commercially viable. Industry and academic members can then establish new collaborations to develop these enzymes to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

We’ve held networking events to bring everyone together. Our academics

can showcase what they’re working on and demonstrate their capabilities and our industrial partners can present their technology too. We’ve got a good community of pharmaceutical and fine chemical companies, with some materials and food manufacturers too. We’re growing quickly and keen to hear from anyone who is interested in joining.”

To find out more about biocatnet and become a partner, contact biocatnet@manchester.ac.uk

Phyconetnot so well known. Phyconet is bringing together those working with microalgae and microalgal products to explore how algae can be exploited as platforms in IB, which complement established bacterial and yeast platforms.

We’re working closely with synthetic biologists and genetic engineers to take the more advanced species to the next level. Another area of focus is mining the genetic diversity of other algae to discover novel enzymes and metabolic pathways. We’re also liaising with engineers to develop industry standards for photobioreactors. Another area of interest is examining the challenges, barriers and opportunities for

High-value products from microalgae

Dr Saul Purton from the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology at University College London discusses the potential of algae as platforms:

“Algae represent a diverse and largely untapped resource for the production of high value chemicals. Pigments, antioxidants, long chain fatty acids and terpenoids can all be produced in an intensive and controlled manner using photobioreactors.

The UK is home to a number of exciting SMEs and leading academic groups but expertise is very fragmented at present and the opportunities to use algae in IB are

algal IB from commercial and regulatory viewpoints.

Later in the year Phyconet is holding several sandpit events to identify joint academic-business projects suitable for proof-of-concept funding through the network. We’re keen to welcome new members from a variety of disciplines.”

For more information and to join Phyconet email Dr Janet Waterhouse: networkmanager@phyconet.org.uk

The second edition of the UK-Norway Industrial Biotechnology Directory is now in the planning stage. Bio-based industries and RTOs in the UK and Norway are invited to add their information to the directory, which is free to produce and acquire.

Enter your company details at: http://tinyurl.com/lz4rct3

If your details were in the first edition, then follow these steps:

1. Check your details are still correct in first edition: http://tinyurl.com/kmerocr

2. If yes, you do not need to do anything

3. If no, visit: http://tinyurl.com/lz4rct3 and fill in the correct details.

2nd UK-Norway Industrial Biotechnology Directory- Add your company details for FREE to raise your profile

Advertising space is available in the Directory for those entering their details or wishing to publicise their companies.

If you wish to take advertising space please contact Benham Publishing Ltd, Tel: 0151 236 4141.

The first edition of the Directory can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/kmerocr The objective of the directory is to facilitate collaboration between the UK and Norway and enhance opportunities for collaborative projects to co-funded competitions such as the Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst.

Criteria:• Must be a R&D business or RTO

• Registered in UK or Norway

Events

Exploring the Challenges in Downstream Processing for Industrial Biotechnology25th September 2014, CPI, Wilton

10 www.IBLF-UK.com

This free event will look at the challenges faced by downstream processing and review the current thinking into the technical solutions in industry, and will provide a networking opportunity by bringing together a multi-disciplined community interested in industrial biotechnology and forming collaborations.

Background:

Downstream Processing (DSP) is often an overlooked step in industrial biotechnology with other stages of the process being higher on the research and development agenda. However, DSP can present a significant design challenge to the achievement of an optimised and cost efficient process. With the demands for bioprocesses to become more diverse with regards to feedstock specifications and the variety of finished products, the challenges for DSP are going to become greater. This event is an opportunity to review the challenges that are faced with DSP and to look at the opportunities and funding that exists going forward.

Programme:

The day will consist of talks from both academia and industry, along with an exhibition and an opportunity to see the IB facilities at CPI.

Themes:

• Water management;• Novel and newly applied technology for the extraction and purification of product in the area of industrial biotechnology;• Scale-up of downstream processing in bio-processes.

Registration:

http://tinyurl.com/n23jzgy

This is an event brought to you by the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum, delivered through KTN Ltd, hosted by CPI and supported by Adapt.

Thursday 5th June 2014 saw nearly

80 industrialists, academics and other

stakeholders come together to hear about

the broad and diverse topic of Industrial

Biotechnology in the development of

consumer products. Organised by the

IBLF, the presenters at the event came

from technology providers, chemical

and biotechnology producers, and

brand owners including large and

SME organisations such as AzkoNobel

and Oxford Biotrans Ltd, speaking

about their respective technologies,

innovation pipelines and emerging

technologies, some of which are nearing

commercialisation.

Commenting on the development of the

event Steve Bagshaw, IBLF Chair, said:

Consumer Products through Industrial Biotechnology across the Value Chain

“Biotechnology holds a great deal of promise to enhance our lives and planet. With an ever increasing world population, biotechnology offers new hope for meeting the world’s demand for food, feed, fuel and materials while reducing our negative footprint on the planet.

Industrial Biotechnology (IB) presents a significant opportunity to be explored, harnessed and exploited to develop consumer products such as pharmaceuticals, personal care, household products and paints which bring significant benefits to both business and society. Many products already exist in the marketplace and new opportunities will arise in areas

Event Review: including food, energy generation, materials, polymers, sensors and electronics.

Benefits may include lower cost, higher quality products and reduced reliance on fossil fuels amongst other environmental benefits. Within the UK we have a coherent strategy to ensure we are enabling the exploitation of IB across industry and academia. This is coordinated by the IBLF and delivered through the KTN, Centre for Process Innovation, the Technology Strategy Board and the Research Councils (BBSRC and EPSRC).”

The event also provided an opportunity

for delegates to hear about the latest

developments in funding for R&D projects

and national centres in biologics and

formulation science. The event provided

plenty of opportunities for networking and

feedback from the delegates was excellent.

Presentations from this event are available

on the IBLF website: www.iblf-uk.com.

Following the success of the first Industrial Biotechnology Showcase in 2013, the second event will be held on the 11th and 12th February 2015 in London.

The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum newsletter 11

The Algal Biotechnology Sheffield Symposium 201426th August 2014, Sheffield University

The symposium aims to bring together UK based algal research groups to share knowledge, develop ideas and provide a platform for collaboration.

Find out more about the 2014 conference and how to register at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/algae/symposium

Registration now open

IB is moving fast. Support and investment has been gaining momentum since the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Growth Team report in 2009 and we have a unified strategy for IB. Funding is bringing together the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board, who are supporting a five year programme to support IB innovation pipelines.

The 2015 Showcase, which is to be held at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, will highlight the IB ready industry in the UK which has come out of the significant investment and drive from government, academia and business.

Over 400 attendees are expected to attend to hear from industry leaders, join supply chain-themed sessions and have a chance to hear about the BBSRC Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Networks and how to join them. An exhibition from industry leaders and innovators will compliment the two days, and even the coffee will be derived from innovative IB technology!

Call for abstracts: We are now welcoming abstracts to be presented in the Technology Showcase Area in 3 themes; (i) Feedstock (ii) Bioprocessing, formulation and omics (iii) Supply & markets.

The IB Showcase will also feature a new business competition – the IBLF Awards– where SMEs can pitch to a panel of dragon-like investors and industry leaders in the IB Den.

For further information and to register, please visit:www.ib-showcase.co.uk or contact: michelle.carter@ktn-uk.org

European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the bio-based economy30th September - 2nd October 2014, Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France

The Technology Strategy Board and the Knowledge Transfer Network are partnering with Norway in a joint exhibition stand showcasing innovative businesses from the UK and Norway. Early bird is 18th July 2014.

Find out more and how to register at http://www.efibforum.com/home.aspx

17th – 18th September 2014, University of Kent

The workshop will highlight recent progress in the use of microalgal platforms for the production of chemicals and proteins. It will form the second half of a meeting starting on September 17, termed the Plastid Preview, which features work on various forms of plastid. The talks on plastids will start at 14.00 on the 17th and the workshop on microalgae will start mid-morning on September 18, finishing at 17.00. The latter will feature talks on the use of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae as production platforms for recombinant proteins and high-value chemicals. All talks will be given by PhD students and postdoctoral Fellows. Example topics include:• Genetic tools for the transformation of algae (Saul Purton group)• Synthetic ecology as a tool for algal exploitation (Alison Smith group)• Production of high-value proteins and chemicals in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Colin Robinson group)• Production of hydrogen in cyanobacteria (Peter Nixon group)• Strategies to improve photosynthetic efficiency in microalgae (various research groups)

If anyone wishes to attend, please contact Professor Colin Robinson: c.robinson-504@kent.ac.uk for further details and an application form.

Workshop on the biotechnological exploitation of microalgae

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