Seventy years ago, Churchill famously said: 'We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.' Cultured meat is a healthier (less antibiotics), more ethical (better animal welfare), more efficient (better use of land) and sustainable way to produce meat and meet the protein demand of a growing population. The market for cultured meat is estimated to reach £30B in 2030 (McKinsey). To scale the production process there is a need for enabling technologies, like edible microcarriers that allow anchorage, proliferation and differentiation of stem cells, and then harvesting of the final product. Naturbeads cellulose beads production process (currently scaling from pilot to demo plant) allows customizing the properties of the cellulose beads to promote cells attachment, growth, and differentiation. We have already developed a prototype that shows performance in cell culture plates (2D) superior to commercially available scaffolding that are currently only used in R&D due to their prohibitive costs. With this project we aim to move from proof of concept to a commercial prototype that we can sell by the end of the project for industrial R&D to lock in customers for scaled up production. Naturbeads will work together with Cellular Agriculture to test the performance of the cellulose microcarriers in bioreactors (3D) to optimize the parameters for cell proliferation, differentiation in stirred tanks, and cell detachment. Naturbeads carriers are made of cellulose a natural, edible, and biocompatible biopolymer, that can be sourced sustainably from forestry groups part of PEFC (Programme for the endorsement of Forest Certification). It is also inexpensive, offering a low-cost scaffolding structure with the potential to lower production costs of culture meat, allowing it to reach price parity with conventional meat within the next five years.

Plastic pollution on land and in the oceans has reached alarming levels, affecting the whole ecosystem, with plastic debris found everywhere, from the deepest reaches of the oceans to Mount Everest, in animals' stomachs and in human placentas (Environmental International 2021). Microplastics, or plastic particles smaller than 5mm, are a particularly insidious type of plastic pollution because once they are in the environment, they are impossible to remove, making remediation costs prohibitive. For this reason at Naturbeads we believe that microplastics have to be replaced with biodegradable materials at the source. Naturbeads, a spin-off of the University of Bath, is scaling up the manufacturing process to produce cellulose beads as an alternative to microplastics intentionally added to many products we use every day. Cellulose is natural - it is what trees are made of - and renewable because every year the earth produces millions of tons of cellulose which is 100% biodegradable. Naturbeads team has the expertise to manufacture cellulose, usually available in fibre form, in spherical form to provide the same performance as spherical plastic microbeads. Our beads have been successfully tested in applications ranging from personal care and cosmetics, to paints and coatings, adhesive and more. Naturbeads has identified a clear market need for biodegradable, sustainably sourced, spherical beads, in the 1-50 µm size range. With impending regulations (Europe 2022) companies are currently actively looking for alternatives and Naturbeads is well positioned to bring its innovation to market at the right time. With this industrial research project, we aim to respond to our customers' demand for a product that in addition to being biodegradable and sustainable is also price competitive with plastic. We have already validated the technical performance during Innovate UK 105285, with the commissioning of a pilot plant with capacity of up to 1 t/year. To reduce costs, Naturbeads is now working on two process and equipment innovations that will reduce both the capital costs to build the production plants and the operational costs to produce the cellulose beads.

For tens of thousands of year humans relied on nature to provide them with clothes and materials for shelter and other uses. This changed in the first half of the 20th century as organic chemistry developed methods to create new synthetic fibers and materials. Plastic rapidly replaced natural fibers for clothing and wood for furniture and many other everyday items. The 21st century might see an inversion of this trend: Stricter environmental regulations and the increasing impact of plastic waste in landfills and in the environment are pushing companies to look for more biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials. In this industrial research project, Naturbeads aims to contribute to this trend by replacing polluting plastic carriers used in biocatalysis processes with cellulose based carriers. Carriers are used in biocatalysis processes to immobilize enzymes to reduce downstream processing costs and improve the enzymes' stability towards different organic solvents in a wide range of temperatures. These carriers are mostly based on synthetic polymers in form of spherical, porous microparticles. Due to the enormous environmental impact of polymeric microparticles (microplastics), the European Chemical Agency is now considering banning plastic smaller than 5mm in all applications. For this reason, industry players are actively looking for more environmentally friendly replacements to plastic microparticles. Naturbeads is scaling up a process to produce cellulose, usually available in fibre form, in a spherical form as a direct replacement for spherical plastic microparticles. Cellulose is natural, renewable and 100% biodegradable. Naturbeads also holds the know-how to tailor the surface, mechanical and optical properties of the cellulose beads to mimic the properties of different polymers. In this project, Naturbeads will work with Prof. Edler of the University of Bath and ChiralVision to optimize the performance of cellulose beads as enzyme carriers. The project brings together the expertise of the Naturbeads team in cellulose beads production and customization with the expertise of Prof. Edler in enzyme immobilization. ChiraVision will validate the outcome of the process by testing selected carriers and enzyme/carrier combinations in small scale industrial processes. The immobilized enzymes will be tested for their activity, selectivity and stability in standard tests like hydrolytic and esterification reactions as well as their leaching behaviour to evaluate their recyclability. The project's goal is to produce a scalable protype that Naturbeads will manufacture (with a scale up partners) and ChiralVision will commercialize as a green solution for the biocatalysis industry.

Enzymes are widely used as biocatalysts because they offer high yields and purity, shorter synthetic production pathways, environmentally friendly products and reduced waste and co-products. In order to reduce costs of downstream processing, improve separation and stability towards different organic solvents in a wide range of temperatures, enzymes are often immobilized on carriers. These carriers are mostly based on acrylates and styrene polymers in form of spherical, porous microparticles(200<d<1000μm). Due to the enormous environmental impact of polymeric microparticles (microplastics), the European Chemical Agency is now considering banning plastic smaller than 5mm in all applications. For this reason, industry players are actively looking for more environmentally friendly replacements to plastic microparticles. Naturbeads, a spin-off of the University of Bath, is scaling up an innovative process to produce cellulose, usually available in fibre form, in spherical form to be used as a direct replacement for spherical plastic microparticles. Cellulose is natural, it is what trees are made of, it is renewable because every year the earth produces millions of tons of cellulose and it is 100% biodegradable. The Naturbeads team has also the know-how to tailor the surface, mechanical and optical properties of the cellulose beads to mimic the properties of different polymers. In this feasibility study Naturbeads will work with Prof. Karen Edler of the University of Bath and customer (and no cost partner for this project) ChiralVision in the Netherlands to validate the performance of cellulose beads as enzyme carriers. The process combines the expertise of the Naturbeads team in cellulose beads production and customization with the expertise of Prof. Edler in enzyme immobilization on cellulose beads. ChiraVision's will validate the outcome of the process by testing selected enzyme/carrier combinations in small scale industrial processes. The immobilized enzymes will be tested for their activity, selectivity and stability in standard tests like hydrolytic test and esterification, as well as their leaching behaviour to evaluate their recyclability. Upon successful completion of this feasibility study Naturbeads and ChiralVision will proceed with the optimization of the cellulose beads properties (e.g. increase of porosity to increase the surface area available to the enzymes) to increase the enzyme activity towards commercialization of a green solution for the biocatalysis industry.

Plastic microbeads have risen to the headlines following bans in UK, US, Canada and other countries, for their use in rinse-off cosmetic products. These bans are good news for consumers and the environment, with more and more evidence of the presence of plastic beads in humans, plants, animals and as far away as the Arctic. However, the bans have given the public the false perception that the problem of microplastic pollution has been solved. This is far from being true: first, microbeads are still used in leave-on cosmetic products, e.g. make-up and sun cream and second, and more importantly, plastic microbeads are used in much larger quantities in paints and coatings, oil and gas fluids, agriculture and construction. Although, in these applications, microbeads might have a longer working life than in a shower gel, they also end up in the environment, contributing to microplastic pollution in waterways, soil and air. Naturbeads has developed the expertise to manufacture cellulose microbeads ranging in size from 1 micrometre to \>1mm and is scaling-up the production of small microbeads for the cosmetic industry (1-100 micrometres). Cellulose is a natural material, renewable and biodegradable. Thanks to its chemical stability it has the potential to replace microplastics where other alternatives fail because of operating conditions including high temperature, pressure or due to corrosive solvents. The beads' spherical shape mimics the rheological properties of plastic microbeads in a way that fibres cannot. A 2019 report from the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) proposed an extension of the plastic microbeads ban to large volume applications beyond cosmetics (detergents, paints and coatings, horticulture and agriculture, oil & gas, construction materials, and medicinal products). Naturbeads is well positioned to provide biodegradable cellulose beads as alternative to plastic microbeads in these applications. In this industrial project, Naturbeads will demonstrate a manufacturing solution for the production of cellulose beads with dimension \>100 micrometres, to address the needs for plastic microbead replacements in industries affected by the proposed ECHA bans. This new product line works on a streamlined process to produce beads at higher volumes and lower costs than those for the cosmetics industry. The larger microbeads produced in this project will be tested in different end-users products, starting with construction, consumers products, and oil and gas applications. The project will serve as a proof-of-value of the production process and allow testing of the performance of the beads in end-users' products.

The scourge of ocean plastic pollution has become a matter of public concern, driven by striking images such as that of a seahorse floating attached a cotton bud, or the video of a turtle with a straw in its nostril. Laura Parker from the National Geographic, June 2018 issue, says 'unlike climate change, there are no ocean trash deniers'. Earlier in 2018, UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced a 25-year plan to tackle the issue of plastic pollution and pledged to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. Plastic microbeads used in personal care and cosmetic products (PCCP), similarly to plastic bags and straws, have a working life of only few minutes, but, if made of persistent plastics, do not biodegrade, persisting in the environment for decades or even centuries. For this reason, they are among the first targets in the battle against plastic pollution towards the elimination of avoidable waste. Naturbeads has been incorporated to take manufacturing technology for the production of microbeads from biodegradable, plant-derived cellulose to commercialisation, so that environmentally friendly replacements for plastic microbeads can be offered to the market. As cellulose is a natural material, Nature has evolved ways to degrade this material, but it is difficult to process into forms such as beads. Naturbeads has a continuous process for the production of cellulose microbeads with equivalent properties to plastic microbeads and superior properties with respect to current available alternatives (e.g. silica, pumice, nut shells, fruit seeds and biodegradable plastics). In this industrial research project, Naturbeads will scale-up the production process and set in place all required recycling loops to ensure that the process is as environmentally friendly and cost-effective as possible and producing a prototype production rig. The microbeads produced with the prototype will be incorporated into different formulations, from facial makeup to exfoliating products. The project will serve as a proof-of-value for the cellulose microbead production process and the superior performance of the cellulose beads in personal care and cosmetic products.