Award details

High Value Chemicals from Plants Network

Reference	BB/L013665/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Ian Graham
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Anne Osbourn
Institution	University of York
Department	Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	819,240
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/01/2014
End date	30/06/2019
Duration	66 months

Abstract

There is broad consensus across Government and Industry that exploitation of high value chemicals from plants can play a major role in the contribution that industrial biotechnology will make to the UK economy in the coming decade. The High Value Chemicals from Plants Network will help realise this potential by developing a coordinated critical mass of academic expertise, working in partnership with industry, focused on identifying novel products and optimising and developing both feedstocks and processes in planta. Platform technologies will relate to Bioactive Discovery, Feedstock Development (which will include molecular breeding, metabolic engineering and new production platforms), Extraction and Processing Technologies, Biotransformation, Chemical Transformation and Product Evaluation. Socio Economic and Life Cycle Analysis will be employed as a matter of routine to ensure full consideration of all aspects of the product supply chain. The Network will capitalise on the available technical expertise through: 1) a searchable members area on the website detailing individual skills, 2) engagement with specialist technology providers such as The Genome Analysis Centre, Norwich and the Biorenewables Development Centre, York, providing time at Network meetings to showcase technologies, 3) development of proof of concept and external funding applications that address challenges through the use of cutting edge technology and cross-disciplinary innovation, 4) shadowing and/or targeted training opportunities for early stage researchers, to ensure technical capability is consolidated across the UK IB research community.

Summary

The High Value Chemicals from Plants Network aims to facilitate delivery of one of the four key objectives identified in the 2010 Department of Business Innovation and Skills report on 'Horizon Scanning and Road Mapping for Industrial Biotechnology through to 2025', which is to make the UK a leading producer of high value chemicals in plants. The scale of the economic opportunity associated with the extraction of high value chemicals from plants was summarised in the DBIS report. Plant-derived drugs represent 5.5% of the total pharmaceutical industry with sales revenue of £18 billion, oils and fats derived from oil-crops have a global market size of £500 million - £1 billion and functional foods and nutraceuticals have a global market of £45 billion. Other important applications and market sectors ranging from personal care to flavour and fragrance also rely increasingly on chemicals from plants as there is a growing demand for green, environmentally friendly and sustainable feedstocks across industrial sectors reducing our dependence on products derived from chemical refineries. The Network will provide the leadership to address key technology challenges currently limiting the development of high value chemical based products from plants; covering the entire discovery, development and delivery chain. An Advisory Team drawn from academia and industry will oversee the Network, which already has significant numbers of interested participants covering a wide spectrum of different academic disciplines and industrial interests. The Network will be open to all, to promote the development of a coordinated critical mass of multi-disciplinary expertise; and will facilitate interactions between research providers and users to ensure that research is appropriately targeted to achieving the full potential of industrial biotechnology in the context of high value chemicals from plants. Activities will be directed at identifying novel products and optimising and developing both feedstocks and processes in planta. Additional bio- and chemical-transformation of plant-derived chemicals and the development of alternate microbial- or microalgal based production systems will also be employed where these prove more economical, robust and sustainable. Network activities will include: workshops, industry-hosted open innovation workshops, an annual meeting, training opportunities, Network directory and web-based interactions/ communications. To maximize Network opportunities, we will be proactive in engaging with other networking organizations and international initiatives. The availability of Network proof of concept funds will support timely exploration of challenges and goals identified at Network events. These funds will be uniquely targeted at accessing and developing key technology areas using UK centres of excellence. This strategy will enable the Network to encourage novel technology-based solutions to major industry problems as well as supporting such centres, promoting their use, securing inward investment and further developing the technologies and processes they offer through engagement with the Network. Priority for funds will therefore be for process-led activities and those that have clear potential for further funding or have a route to commercial translation. In addition, the Network will focus on developing challenges ready for future IB funding rounds, such as the 2014 Catalyst fund and Europe's research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020. The Network will operate to a five-year plan with sufficient flexibility to maximize the benefits of scientific and technology advances in response to industrial requirements. All activities are designed to contribute to the overall target, which is to become an active community focused on innovative translatable research, achieving high levels of grant funding and inward investment in high value chemicals from plants, so that the positive impact of IB on the UK's economy is realised.

Impact Summary

WHO WILL BENEFIT The Network aims to build a multi-disciplinary community of research providers and users, providing an environment for building collaborative work. The participants list demonstrates that there is already considerable interest from the academic research base (not just biosciences but a multidisciplinary community of researchers), technology providers, SMEs and large industry: this is a good indication that those listed feel the Network will be beneficial to them. The Network will also encourage engagement with the wider public through outreach activities in addition to them being wider beneficiaries of research outcomes from the Network. The Network will also act as an accessible forum for advice to UK and EU policy makers. HOW WILL THEY BENEFIT? Specific benefits for different groups include: 1 For academics there is the possibility to access proof of concept funding, interact with industry to gain a wider understanding of their research needs and further their own professional development. 2 For technology providers, the Network will provide opportunities to showcase their expertise as well as develop new technologies and processes through the allocation of proof of concept funds. 3 For industry as research users, the Network offers the opportunity to offer leadership to guide research outputs as well as the potential for new research and development. High value chemicals from plants are recognised as being an important component of the IB sector - and therefore the UK economy. 4 Policy makers who require information and or examples of high value chemicals from plants /industrial biotechnology sector in the UK can access the Network, particularly through the Network Board as a panel of experts in this area. 5 The general public will benefit from the outputs of the Network leading to the sustainable production of feedstocks. In addition, Network engagement with this group will enable the uptake of IB research with greater public awareness. PROOF OF CONCEPT FUNDS IMPACT The Network will have substantial proof of concept funds to award - the funding criteria will ensure that impact is integral to the proposed research. There are good indications that technology development rates will impact on the overall IB market - therefore the Network's proof of concept funds will have a focus on this area, utilising the excellent resources found within the UK's technology providers. Whilst the research projects are currently unknown, high value chemicals from plants have the potential for major impact on industry and society. The future demand for bio-based products will be driven not only by the reduced availability and increased cost of fossil-based resources but also the potential for new products from plants that cannot be achieved by synthetic chemistry routes alone. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the consumer demand for bio-based products, as more environmentally sustainable alternatives will promote the impact of the Network's collaborative research.

Committee	Research Committee B (Plants, microbes, food & sustainability)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Industrial Biotechnology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB) [2013]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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