Antimicrobial biomaterials from bio-based feedstocks with novel feedstock supplementation strategies

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Both the climate crisis and public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are presenting substantial challenges to our communities and economies.To address the climate collapse, we need to rapidly reduce our manufacturing industries' reliance on fossil fuels and build new decarbonised supply chains that are robust and resilient in an ever-changing world.In 2016/2017 healthcare associated infections cost the NHS £2.1B, and were responsible for approximately 22,800 inpatient deaths. To protect public health and reduce the burden on health care providers, we need new technologies and products that can reduce the spread of microbial pathogens carrying healthcare associated infections such as scarlet fever, strep A and bacterial co-infections that accompany conditions like COVID-19\. As well as fulfilling these functions, new products must also be manufacturable without any reliance on fossil fuels.In this project, Evolutor is addressing these challenges by developing production processes for the manufacture of advanced and highly-functionalized biomaterials with antimicrobial properties. We will use our specialist Accelerated Evolution Platform to develop microbial production hosts that, through precision fermentation, can turn waste products into biomaterials that are fully biodegradable and biocompatible. Additionally, we will test new strategies and manufacturing processes to impart natural antimicrobial properties to these materials by supplementing fermentation feedstocks with a range of natural compounds.Through these project outputs, we will produce and analyse the performance of several small batches of novel biomaterial that:* is 100% natural;* has customizable antimicrobial functionality;* is produced from waste;* requires no direct fossil fuel input;* is completely biodegradable and non-toxic;* produces significantly less chemical pollution than conventional materials; and* can be tailored to a wide range of applications.Overall, the success of this project will drive the expansion of the UK's bioeconomy, bring us closer to a Net Zero world, and help to reduce the spread of microbial pathogens and the burden of associated healthcare costs. It will also accelerate Evolutor's ambition to build its world-leading bio-foundry Galapagos Towers in the North of England.Beyond the completion of this project, the innovations achieved will allow Evolutor to explore scaled-up manufacture of its antimicrobial biomaterials as well as conduct onward R&D of feedstock supplementation to customise material properties beyond antimicrobial functionality. Example properties include colour (for advanced clothing and construction materials), fragrance (for cosmetics and detergents), tensile strength (for industrial and construction use) and permeability (for wastewater treatment and pollution control).