Seaconomy: Integrated Manufacturing and Biorefinery Research for Building the UK's Seaweed Bioeconomy

Seaconomy：构建英国海藻生物经济的集成制造和生物精炼研究

• 批准号: MR/X036812/1
• 负责人: Emily Kostas
• 金额: $ 136.66万
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FX036812%2F1
• 关键词: Seaconomy; Integrated; Manufacturing; Biorefinery; Research

As a naturally occurring resource around the UK coastline, seaweeds continue to gain recognition both nationally and internationally, as one of the most sustainable and energy efficient feedstocks for use within a circular bioeconomy. Seaweeds are known to contain a wealth of valuable compounds locked up within their structures, for applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food and cosmetics, or conversion into biofuels. This comes at an imminent time of need as we need to find alternative sources, or feedstocks, to replace petrochemically derived materials and fuels in the hope to prevent climate change, and to also create more environmentally friendly chemicals and products. Research has revealed the exciting potential seaweeds have to help tackle some of our current global issues through the development of cascading biorefinery processes which are capable of producing multiple valuable products. However, a number of key challenges still exist which are preventing the scalability and commercialisation of seaweed-based processes and products. In my pioneering research, I have already shown viable processing routes for producing novel bioproducts from seaweed, within a biorefinery concept, and with this Future Leaders Fellowship I will firmly put the seaweed-based circular bioeconomy on the engineering and polical landscape of the UK, and world-wide. To achieve this, I will build upon the seaweed process already established in my research, however with the specific aim of overcoming unique challenges hindering the development of seaweed biorefineries. New approaches of biomanufacturing valuable products, food/feed sources and materials (for bioplastics and natural materials applications) and biofuels from seaweed will be explored. Process waste-stream fractions will also be utilised to minimise waste. Novel reactor devices operating under continuous flow will be built to make the recovery of valuable products, such as polysaccharides, more efficient with potential to be scaled up to industrial level. The environmental impacts and costs of the new processes will be assessed to ensure that the new biomanufacturing processes are sustainable, environmentally friendly, and profitable. Furthermore, strategies will be put in place during this Fellowship to make sure there is public acceptance of seaweed biorefinery research and to promote the potential of building a sustainable UK seaweed industry, particularly within coastal communities. Engagement links with policy makers will also be established to facilitate the alignment of government policy establishing seaweed as UK sustainable resource. With all these ingredients for a circular seaweed bioeconomy addressed, the UK will be ready to make the transition to a greener bioeconomy thanks to research the research proposed in my Fellowship, and the Fellowship will enable me as a woman to become a champion of cutting-edge research for net-zero.

作为英国海岸线周围的一种自然存在的资源，海藻继续在国内和国际上获得认可，这是在圆形生物经济学中使用的最可持续和节能的原料之一。众所周知，海藻包含大量在其结构内锁定的有价值的化合物，用于药品，营养学，食品和化妆品或转化为生物燃料的应用。这是在迫在眉睫的时刻，我们需要找到替代石化的材料和燃料，以防止气候变化，并创造更环保的化学品和产品。研究表明，令人兴奋的潜在海藻必须通过开发能够生产多个有价值产品的级联生物填充过程来帮助解决我们当前的一些全球问题。但是，仍然存在许多关键挑战，这些挑战阻止了基于海藻的工艺和产品的可伸缩性和商业化。在我的开创性研究中，我已经展示了可行的加工途径，用于从海藻中生产新型生物产品，以生物融资概念构成，并且随着未来的领导者奖学金，我将坚定地将基于海藻的循环生物经济放在英国的工程和政治环境上，并全球范围内。为了实现这一目标，我将建立在我的研究中已经建立的海藻过程的基础上，但是具体的目的是克服独特的挑战，阻碍了海藻生物精制的发展。将探讨生物制造有价值的产品，食品/饲料来源和材料（用于生物塑料和天然材料应用）以及海藻生物燃料的新方法。过程废物流的分数也将被用来最大程度地减少废物。在连续流下运行的新型反应堆设备将建立以使诸如多糖之类的有价值产品的恢复，从而更有效地将其扩展到工业水平。将评估新过程的环境影响和成本，以确保新的生物制造过程可持续，环保和有利可图。此外，在这项奖学金期间将制定策略，以确保公众接受海藻生物技术研究，并促进建立可持续的英国海藻行业的潜力，尤其是在沿海社区内。还将建立与政策制定者的参与联系，以促进政府政策的一致性，以建立海藻为英国的可持续资源。借助所有这些成分以涉及循环海藻生物经济，英国将准备好通过我的研究金提出的研究来过渡到更绿色的生物经济性，并且该奖学金将使我成为一名女性的企业，成为一名女性的努力。