Biome Bioplastics provides guiding voice in industrial biotechnology

16 June 2014
Biome Bioplastics provides guiding voice in industrial biotechnology

Biome Bioplastics CEO, Paul Mines, has been appointed to the management board of a government-funded body tasked with fostering cross-disciplinary communities in the industrial biotechnology sector.

The Lignocellulosic Biorefinery Network (LBNet) is an active community of industrial practitioners and leading academics generating economic value through novel chemical, material and fuel processes that use lignocellulosic biomass as an alternative to petroleum-derived inputs.

With the production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals increasing, lignocellulosic technologies are an important solution for enabling the use of non-food crops for these processes and developing efficient and sustainable ways of satisfying the world’s chemical and material needs.

Paul Mines:

This is great recognition of Biome Bioplastics’ role as a leading industry player. Industrial biotechnology is an area full of promise, but also with real challenges to reach exploitation at commercial scale. Collaboration of this kind is fundamental in ensuring that the UK remains a world leader this field.

The LBNet is one of 13 collaborative networks set up by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to boost interaction between academia and industry, and promote the translation of that research into benefits for the UK.

Biome Bioplastics is committed to industrial biotechnology as a means of developing high performance biomaterials than can compete with, and ultimately replace, oil-based polymers, and is pioneering ground-breaking research and development work in this field.

Last week, Biome Bioplastics and the University of Warwick announced research results that demonstrate the feasibility of extracting organic chemicals from lignin for the manufacture of bioplastics. The results stem from a one-year feasibility study, funded by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.

An engineer with an MBA from London Business School, Paul Mines spent his earlier career at ICI and Courtaulds and has 17 years experience in the plastics and packaging industry, managing high growth markets, turnarounds and M&A. He has been CEO of Biome Bioplastics since 2007.

In September the LBNet is holding a workshop for businesses and leading academics interested in bringing lignocellulosic-based products to market. The two day event will enable consortia to come together and to apply for BBSRC proof-of-concept funding of up to £50k. More details on the workshop can be found at: www.york.ac.uk/lbnet