A selection of Agri-TechE members have been successful in winning funding from UKRI for engineering biology R&D.
The £13.5 million funding is provided by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Missions Fund and delivered by Innovate UK. The projects will research topics as wide ranging as advanced wound therapy, to bio-based paint materials. For agriculture, a food waste derived alterntiave to palm oil and feedstocks for precision fermentation are among those tacking the food systems and environmental solutions themes.
Agri-TechE member projects:
Bugbiome will explore syntehtic microbial communities for enhanced crop protection
B-hive Innovations are investigating gene edited potatoes to reduce bruising and enable faster cooking times.
Folium Food Science will be applying their Guided Biotics technology to control clostridium perfringens bacteria in food production.
Blaizing a trail
Dr Kedar Pandya, UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner and Executive Director of Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council said:
“Engineering Biology is one of the critical technologies for the UK’s strength and opportunity identified in the Innovation Strategy. These projects, funded through the Technologies Missions Fund, will enable companies to push boundaries in many fields and develop products and services that will improve our way of life and address some of the serious challenges we face as a society.”
All the projects are supporting business led research and development that will:
- lead to new engineering biology products, processes or services
- help to de-risk the adoption of new engineering biology technologies that offer high market potential
The projects align with the government‘s national vision for engineering biology and follow on from the announcement of £100 million engineering biology mission hubs and awards, which are also funded through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund.
You can read the full press release on the UKRI website and find out more about current funding calls in our Funding Finder.