Designer cell factories

There are many success stories in synthetic biology illustrating the production of very high-value added compounds. 

We are also interested in how far synthetic biology can be pushed: can we make small molecules, which typically have a lower selling price, economically using bio-based manufacturing?  Can we use renewable feedstocks efficiently in order to keep costs down?

In this project we are tackling both questions.  We are developing enzyme stabilisation techniques which allow the efficient degradation of lignocellulosic biomass into usable feedstocks. 

In parallel, we are developing biological systems capable of synthesising diverse small molecules such as monomers for plastic synthesis, flavouring agents, and fragrances. 

The overall goal is to understand how biology and chemistry can work together to make consumer products.