A new hub in the UK is set to turn industrial waste into treasure. The Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub (C-Loop) will ‘transform’ the manufacturing sector by converting industrial waste into valuable, sustainable chemicals and materials[i].
Set to cost £14 million, C-Loop will use microorganisms to transform carbon-based waste -usually destined for landfill- into more advanced and valuable materials such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. C-Loop aims to make the manufacturing of everyday products, cleaner and part of a circular economy. The group estimates that at present, more than 90 percent of products are manufactured from fossil fuels using unsustainable chemical processes.
The project will be led by Professor Stephen Wallace, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Chair of Chemical Biotechnology from the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham and Surrey, University College London, and Imperial College.
C-Loop is one of four UK-wide centres announced by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is providing £11 million of the funding.
Director of C-Loop, Professor Stephen Wallace has said:
“Amid a growing population, diminishing natural resources, and a changing climate, there is now an urgent environmental, industrial and political imperative to rapidly harness engineering biology technologies to defossilise manufacturing and accelerate the UK’s path to net-zero”[ii].
He adds:
“C-Loop brings together diverse expertise from across academic disciplines, industrial sectors, and the entire value-chain to drive the growth and scale-up of this emerging technology, unlocking its full climate and economic potential”[iii].
More than 40 industry partners are also involved in the hub, these include global companies from across seven industry sectors, as well as national innovation centres such as IBioIC, and facilities including the Edinburgh Genome Foundry and Imperial’s BRC Genomics Facility.
Edinburgh University boasts the UK’s largest and most comprehensive group of researchers within engineering biology research and innovation and across the University, researchers are working with more than 200 engineering biology-related companies to drive UK innovation, adoption and growth. Dr Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations said:
“In 2023, the UK Government identified engineering biology as one of its five priority areas, and it’s fantastic to see investment into this field: one that offers so much promise for sustainable industry, and an area where the UK can lead globally. At Edinburgh, we have a host of pioneering, multidisciplinary researchers, and world-leading facilities. We would urge companies to get in touch and work with us as part of this future green industrial revolution”[iv].
You can find out more about Edinburgh University’s work relating to climate & the environment here: Climate & Environment research.
[i] New hub uses microbes to turn trash into treasure | News | The University of Edinburgh
[ii] Ibid
[iii] Ibid
[iv] Ibid
Lauren has extensive experience as an analyst and market researcher in the digital technology and travel sectors. She has a background in researching and forecasting emerging technologies, with a particular passion for the Videogames and eSports industries. She joined the Critical Information Group as Head of Reports and Market Research at GRC World Forums, and leads the content and data research team at the Zero Carbon Academy. “What drew me to the academy is the opportunity to add content and commentary around sustainability across a wealth of industries and sectors.”
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