From lignocellulosic biomass to chemical wealth

Project lead

Mauro Rinaldi

Institute

University of Hull

Summary:

Our society desperately needs to transition away from petrochemicals in the manufacturing of high-value chemicals to meet global sustainability and carbon goals. These everyday chemicals include life-saving medicines, agrichemicals, and flavours and fragrances in our toothpaste and cleaning products. The challenge is that manufacturing of carbon-based chemicals cannot be decarbonised, and biomass is the only material abundant enough to displace petrochemicals. However, bio-based conversion of biomass into chemicals is challenging and has relatively low yields.

We propose a new solution. In this project, we strategically partnered with a company that specialises in purifying cellulose from biomass (wood waste). We will use this cellulose as a feedstock to grow chemical-producing microbes in an industrial biotechnology approach. We will use engineering biology to create subcellular compartments and new microbial industrial strains to overcome production limitations given by chemical toxicity.

These bio-produced chemicals will supply a large chemical manufacturer with renewable carbon, sustainable chemicals that can be readily incorporated into their processes and products to meet the demand from a new responsible consumer culture. We will thus build a whole supply chain and give industrial partners competitive advantages. In collaboration with chemical engineers, we will conduct techno-economic and life cycle assessments to evaluate the commercial viability and sustainability claims of the technology, respectively, and guide future development.

We thus aim to provide environmentally friendly options for UK consumers while contributing to national Net Zero targets and growing the Bioeconomy aiming to establish the UK as a global leader of low carbon chemical production.

This project is ongoing and an update on the outcomes and impact will be published on completion.

Academic partners: Mauro Rinaldi and Stavros Michailos, University of Hull

Industrial partners: Florence Gschwend and Marcus Elmer, Lixea Ltd; Lixea Sweden AB