Public Funding for Membranology Limited

Extension for impact

BIOREVIEW is a biorefining collaboration between industry and academics in UK and India that aims to develop innovative economically viable pilot scale industrial biotechnology (IB) processes to produce value added products from waste streams (spent wash (SW) from ethanol production and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fibre) of the Indian sugarcane industry. Volatile fatty acids acetic, propionic and butyric acid with a predicted market value of £11.9Bn will be produced from SW and xylitol, a diabetic compatible sweetener that prevents tooth decay, will be produced from SCB that has a predicted market value of £1Bn by 2025. Microcrystalline cellulose for food and pharmaceutical applications will be produced, along with depth filters for pollution abatement, from residual SCB fibre. It is envisaged that the integration of these IB biorefining processes into Indian sugar mills will be of economic, environmental and societal benefit to both industry and the Indian population.

Natural food preservatives to extend the shelf life of processed foods are increasingly important in the provision of food safety in sugar & salt limited recipes. Iminosugars (C&I) are valuable products which have been shown to provide a natural preservative function in foods. Potato manufacturing process generates out of spec potatoes, known to contain the compounds. The proposed project is designed to generate the technical knowledge for extraction, purification & concentration of C&Is & evaluation of effectiveness through testing in chilled & ambient processed food systems. This project is innovative in that, if successful, it will be the UK's first major source of new natural preservatives, likely to be widely used, especially where reduction in salt & sugar may lead to shelf life & food safety issues. The use in food systems will support public health initiatives - weight management, salt & sugar regulation, and progression towards a circular economy via the reduction in food waste, supporting business sustainability and innovation strategies.

There is widespread concern about levels of salt consumption amongst UK consumers. Reducing salt (NaCl) content is often achieved by adding potassium salt (KCl), but this is inherently bitter, cannot be added in large quantities and has it's own health risks. The Quorn manufacturing process generates a water based effluent (Centrate) containing compounds called 5' Nucleotides & Glutamates (NAGs) and some rare sugars. These have been evaluated for use as a component of natural flavouring systems and have been found to be effective as a salt replacer and taste enhancer in savoury vegetarian foods, potato crisps and soups. Other applications have not yet been tested due to unavailability of NAGs in sufficiently large (kg) quantities. The proposed project is designed to evaluate a cost effective way of concentrating the effluent and using enzymes to maximise the NAGs to deliver a highly potent flavouring system. The NAGs can then be used as part of a flavouring system or to reduce added salt in a number of foods. This project is innovative in that, if successful, it will be the UK's first major source of NAGs that are not from a yeast based origin.

Biofilms are present in chronic wounds and are known to contribute to continued infection and inflammation with antibiotic resistance of biofilms complicating the problem. Current wound healing treatments are associated with antibiotic resistance and often use mammalian (bovine) collagen treatments, which risks contamination from disease causing agents such as prions (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and interspecies viruses. In the present Feasibility Study, by embedding jellyfish collagen with novel plant derived antimicrobials, it will be possible to produce a prototype product capable of delivering antimicrobial agents directly to the wound and reduce the need for antibiotics. By combating biofilms in chronic wounds, the consortium will reduce the burden on the NHS and drastically improve the quality of life of chronic wound sufferers. The wound healing product output of this project will address the current problems with wound chronicity that contribute to this growing problem in the UK.

Awaiting Public Project Summary