HiProSoph – High productivity Sophorolipid manufacturing for rapid market expansion

越来越多的工业、监管和消费者倾向于在一系列日常产品中使用更环保的替代品，特别是在非食品配方产品中（超过73%的生态消费者研究家庭清洁和个人护理产品的环保证书，而食品的这一比例仅为61%，GlobalWebIndex，2018）。这是政府的一项关键战略，协会和制造商提供生物基的替代表面活性剂作为关键成分在这样的清洁和配制产品。合成表面活性剂的生物基替代品自20世纪90年代以来，（石油/植物/动物来源的）天然气已经存在，然而，它们目前的生产工艺受到一系列限制，包括生产率低（<2 gL-1h-1）、高能源成本、高用水量、大量废水产生和下游处理要求导致高价格点，Holiferm旨在通过设计一个生产槐糖脂的示范工厂来测试他们的大规模新型重力分离技术的可行性（在家用清洁和洗衣应用中合成表面活性剂替代活动中的关键目标分子），在建造工业规模工厂之前，该工厂每年能够生产1000吨。除此之外，曼彻斯特大学还将开展原料开发工作，以减少对食品级原料的依赖，重点关注低等级甚至废物流。Holiferm的技术能够逐步改变槐糖脂生产成本，使配方产品制造商能够克服当前的采用障碍，将节省的成本传递给潜在的用户和消费者。Holiferm已与领先的家用清洁和洗衣护理配方公司星星品牌合作，进行初步的初步配方工作，测试和验证，以确保在示范工厂生产的材料的市场可行性。（通过与陶氏、汉高、巴斯夫和星星品牌等最终用户的讨论），并在之前Innovate UK ICURe概念验证研究的基础上，该项目将着手验证一个试点规模的进程。这种新的解决方案有可能彻底改变槐糖脂的生产方式，通过降低低价值大批量应用的价格，允许生物表面活性剂的广泛采用。Holiferm的技术本质上也适用于生物表面活性剂和其他分子（包括甘露糖脂（MEL）和鼠李糖脂）的一系列生物发酵过程，具有巨大的成本节约潜力。这种创新的解决方案具有在一系列关键领域进行全球开发的潜力，并将减少合成表面活性剂对环境的影响，同时具有成本竞争力。

There is increasing industrial, regulatory and consumer sentiment towards to the use of greener alternatives for a range of everyday products with a particular focus on formulated non-food items (with over 73% of eco-consumers researching environmentally-friendly credentials of household cleaning and personal care products, compared to only 61% for food products, GlobalWebIndex, 2018).It is a key strategy for the government, associations and manufacturers to provide bio-based alternatives to surfactants as a key components in such cleaning and formulated products. Bio-based replacements for synthetic surfactants (petroleum/vegetable/animal-derived) have existed since the 1990's, however, their current production process suffers from a range of limitations including low productivity (<2 gL-1h-1), high energy costs, high water usage, significant waste-water production and downstream processing requirements that lead to a high price point, limiting the full potential of market adoption.Holiferm aims to test the feasibility of their larger-scale novel gravity separation technique by designing a demonstration plant for the production of sophorolipids (key target molecule in synthetic surfactant replacement activities in household cleaning and laundry applications) at a cost-effective price point with a facility capable of producing 1000t per annum before building an industrial-scale plant. Alongside this, The University of Manchester will undertake feedstock development work to reduce dependence on food-grade feedstocks, focussing on lower-grade or even waste-streams. Holiferm's technology enables a step-change in the cost of sophorolipid production, allowing manufacturers of formulated products to overcome current adoption barriers, passing savings onto potential users and consumers. Holiferm have engaged with Star Brands, a leading household cleaning and laundry care formulation company, to undertake initial preliminary formulation work, testing and validation to ensure market viability for material produced within the demonstration plant.With market need validated (through discussion with end-users such as Dow, Henkel, BASF and Star Brands) and building on a prior Innovate UK ICURe proof of concept study, this project will proceed to validate a pilot scale process. This novel solution has the potential to completely revolutionise the way in which sophorolipids are manufactured, allowing wide-scale adoption of biosurfactants through a reduction in price for low-value high-volume applications. Holiferm's technology is also inherently applicable to a range of biofermentation process for biosurfactants and other molecules including Mannosylerythritol Lipids (MELs) and Rhamnolipids, providing large cost saving potential. This innovative solution has the potential for global exploitation in a range key sectors and will reduce the environmental impact of synthetic surfactants whilst being cost-competitive.