Sustainable bio-based chemicals and materials

Biocatalytic routes to essential medicines and fine chemicals

Through enzyme discovery and engineering, and combining enzymes into tailored, multi-step processes, we develop new biocatalytic routes to produce essential medicines and fine chemicals that with major improvements in efficiency, precision and sustainability.

Our research delivers robust catalytic processes for manufacturing high‑value pharmaceutical ingredients and complex molecular building blocks.

Working closely with industrial partners, we translate these advances into scalable, low‑waste production routes that reduce energy use and minimise reliance on hazardous reagents.

Synthetic biology for advanced materials

We optimise enzymes to produce monomers for sustainable bioplastics – either as drop-in replacements or next-generation polymeric materials – that would be challenging to produce using traditional organic synthesis. We also develop engineered proteins as materials, inspired by nature’s fibres, adhesives and structural scaffolds.

By combining biomolecular design with nanoscale characterisation and advanced analytical methods, we deliver materials that address industrial and clinical needs, contributing to major advances in regenerative medicine and bio‑enabled manufacturing.

Enabling cost‑effective, scalable biomanufacturing

We translate laboratory‑scale biological innovations into scalable manufacturing processes by integrating strain performance with bioprocess development.

Our scale‑up activities focus on optimising fermentation conditions, bioreactor operation and downstream compatibility to ensure consistent performance from bench to pilot to industrial scale. Working closely with academic and industrial partners, we address challenges such as mass transfer, process robustness and operational stability, enabling reliable, cost‑effective deployment of engineered biological systems in real‑world manufacturing environments.

Industrial strain engineering

Our industrial strain engineering research focuses on designing and optimising microbial hosts for reliable performance under industrially relevant conditions.

Using automated design–build–test pipelines, we develop robust strains across yeast, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Halomonas that tolerate harsh process conditions, utilise alternative and waste‑derived feedstocks, and deliver high productivity. By integrating metabolic engineering, pathway optimisation, and adaptive laboratory evolution, we create versatile microbial platforms capable of producing fuels, polymers, antibiotics, and other high‑value products at industrially meaningful titres and yields.