Elements of Bioremediation, Biomanufacturing & Bioenergy (E3B): Metals in Biology

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The UK is well resourced with the multidisciplinary research skills needed to exploit metal-related biological processes in Biomanufacturing and in Bioenergy production. Demand for Metals in Biology expertise in these sectors is growing in concert with increased awareness (i) that more than a half of all Industrial Bioprocesses are likely to directly involve metalloproteins with most of the remainder being indirectly dependent upon metalloproteins, and (ii) that there is scope to increase competitiveness by optimising metalation and by tuning the catalytic activities of metal centres. This phase II E3B network will initiate new Academic-Industry collaborations in these sectors and encourage the migration of research and development instigated by the phase I Metals in Biology (MiB) BBSRC NIBB to higher technology readiness levels (TRLs). The phase I MiB BBSRC NIBB funded a dozen projects related to the Bioremediation and Biorecovery of valuable metals. The UK has considerable expertise in bioleaching and downstream metal recovery using bacterial, fungal and plant systems. For example, metal-reducing bacteria can be targeted to a wide range of high valence metals, with scope to precipitate them as valuable metallic nanoparticles with applications as catalysts, nanomagnets, targeted remediation agents (for metals and organics) and quantum dot materials. Bioremediation will therefore be a sector targeted by the phase II E3B network "but only where this leads to the recovery of valuable metals". A diversity of waste materials and waste streams will be targeted, industrial scale-up and process economics (including life cycle analysis) optimised. About a half of polluted sites in the UK that require remediation are contaminated with metals, or a combination of metals and organics. Bio-transformed bio-recovered metals (in catalytic nanoparticles or metalloenzymes) may also be used to remediate sites exclusively contaminated with organics, and a wide range of UK and international industries produce metal-contaminated effluents and residues. The E3B BBSRC NIBB will exploit this largely untapped resource.The network will run for 5 years and will take advantage of infrastructure, governance and experience gained under phase I MiB. These include (amongst others) the infrastructure to award and manage small grants and contacts (compliant with GDPR). The outcomes of phase I MiB (diversity of new collaborations, breadth and scale of membership, matching/other funding generated, jobs created or safeguarded, patents awarded, papers published, products launched) provide evidence of the ongoing potential for success of the E3B network and hence give a high degree of confidence that the E3B aims and objectives will be realised. Examples of 'potential' consortia to advance TRLs include:Improved hemylation and use of heme-enzymes to manufacture high-value products.The manufacture of vitamin B12 for industrial biotechnology and for sustainable nutrition.Bio-recovery of metals in high-value complexes from contaminated wastes.The free energies of intracellular metals for sustainable consumer goods manufacture.Intracellular availability of metals for quality control in the manufacture of biologics.Optimising trace metals in the manufacture of sources of bioenergy. Final reports show that almost all partnerships (> 90%) funded by MiB phase I are sustaining their Academic-Industry collaboration and/or are eager to find the means to do so, with many testimonials to this effect. For example, the Industrial partner of the final collaboration funded (October 2017) under MiB phase I wrote the following: "So far the development of the LPMOs has progressed very swiftly and we are excited to see the next steps in this project as it has a great potential." In common with most MiB phase I projects, this was a new Academic-Industry collaboration which E3B will progress to higher TRLs.