Projects include:
- one that seeks to produce improved enzymes from waste, which could be used in cleaning products
- one that seeks to produce rose fragrance for perfumes in a more efficient way
- two that seek a biotech route to producing anti-cancer drugs
- one that seeks to develop an enzyme that repels crop-eating pests
- one that looks for new ways to produce bioplastics.
The funding has been awarded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) under its Industrial Biotechnology for Improving Production of Higher Value Chemicals programme. £2.2m was available for grants to support short collaborative projects of between 12 to 24 months with a value up to £250k.
Meeting consumer demand for more sustainable products
The projects – based around the UK – all seek to use ingenious scientific methods to bring chemical products to market, many with sustainable manufacturing practices. This could result in lower carbon emissions and meet consumer demand for more sustainable products, which move away from using fossil-based carbon.
Academic institutions have teamed with commercial partners in this programme, to propose new ways of producing products for the vital UK chemical industry. This sector of the economy generates £9bn gross value added (GVA) per year, employs 105,000 people, and is one of the highest energy intensive industrial sectors.
BBSRC’s Executive Chair, Professor Melanie Welham said: "The chemical industry faces challenges to become more sustainable and lower its carbon emissions whilst also providing better quality and more affordable chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
"The scale of this challenge is matched by the ingenuity and innovation of our biotech sector. Leading academics in this field have partnered with industry to propose fascinating potential solutions. By backing the best of British research and innovation BBSRC demonstrates how science is crucial to society and the economy."