Life sciences, biotechnology and bio-chemistry for sustainable non-food products and processes
- Strengthening the knowledge base and developing advanced technologies for terrestrial or marine bio-mass production for applications in industrial processes and in energy production. This will include plant, animal and microbial genomics and metabolomics to improve the productivity and composition of raw materials and bio-mass feedstocks for optimised conversion to high added-value products including biological resources utilisable in pharmaceutical industry and medicine, while exploiting natural or enhanced terrestrial and aquatic organisms as novel sources. This will fully incorporate life cycle analysis of bio-mass production practices, transportation, and storage and market deployment of bio-products.
- Addressing the application of industrial bio-technologies within whole crop and forest bio-mass chains to realise the full potential of the bio-refinery approach (e.g. green chemicals), including socioeconomic, agronomic, and ecological and consumer aspects. This will be enhanced by an increased understanding and control of plant and microbial metabolism at the cellular and sub-cellular level, and how this is integrated into whole system performance in the production of high value commodities deploying bio-processes with increased yield, quality and purity of conversion products, including bio-catalytic process design.
- Using or developing bio-technologies for novel and improved high quality, high added-value and renewable forestbased products and processes to increase sustainability of wood and wood production, including timber, renewable materials and bio-energy stocks.
- Addressing the potential of biotechnology to detect, monitor, prevent, treat and remove pollution.
- Maximising the economic value of waste and by-products through new and potentially energy-saving bio-processes, alone or in combination with plant systems and/or chemical catalysts.