Biome Bioplastics builds biosciences skill base

18 September 2013
Biome Bioplastics builds biosciences skill base

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Warwick will accelerate the commercialisation and scope of the company’s industrial biotechnology research.

As a leading developer of natural plastics, Biome Bioplastics is conducting pioneering research in the field of industrial biotechnology aimed at significantly improving the costs, functionality and performance of bio-based polymers.

Earlier this year, the company was awarded a £150,000 research grant by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, to investigate bio-based alternatives for the oil derived organic chemicals used in the manufacture of bioplastics.

This research is being undertaken in conjunction with the University of Warwick’s Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biorefining and is focused on the feasibility of deriving these chemicals from lignin, a waste product of the pulp and paper industry.

Biome Bioplastics has now secured a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Warwick to broaden this work. The KTP project is supported by £164,000 of funding from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). It will fund a Postdoctoral Associate’s work, to ensure that knowledge and expertise of lignin degradation are effectively transferred to the company. This project has a total budget of £244,000.

Biome Bioplastics CEO Paul Mines explains:

The KTP project is an important part of extending our competence in the biosciences field and will help to ensure the effective exploitation of the technology we are developing. The Associate’s work will complement our research projects, allowing us to apply the technology to a broader range of lignin-degrading bacteria and help drive the results through to commercialisation.

Tim Bugg, Director of the University of Warwick’s Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biorefining commented:

It is crucial that pioneering academic work in the field of biotechnology is quickly and effectively embedded into industry. The KTP project with Biome Bioplastics is a great example of how business and academia can work together to propel this revolution.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) support UK businesses wanting to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance by accessing the knowledge and expertise available within UK Universities and Colleges.