Laboratories : Case Study
Biobase Europe Pilot Plant facilities for the biomanufacturing of biosurfactants and used Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council innovation funding for algal technology to manufacture value added soil conditioners and fuel substitutes from farming waste water .
Dr Rahman said he hopes to scale up production at the Wiliton Centre to several thousand litres of fermentation by the end of 2016 , by which time the process will be much more competitive . Biosurfactants currently sell at roughly $ 10 per milligram ( cosmetics and healthcare applications ), $ 1 / gram ( detergents ) and $ 1 / kg ( industrial waste management applications ).
He added : “ The biosurfactant market in Europe is worth £ 511 million and is expected to grow to £ 1.35 billion by 2030 . However , biosurfactants still represent a major untapped and unexplored area of research .”
www . teegene . co . uk
Dr Pattanathu Rahman inspects TeeGene ' s biosurfactant fermentation equipment
Dr Pattanathu Rahman with samples of TeeGene ’ s bioemulsifiers
Refining waste water
TeeGene is exploring the use of naturally occurring microorganisms , microalgae , in the treatment of industrial waste water as well as their potential as a high value chemical ingredient .
Funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BBSRC ) Network as well as support from the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant has helped test and develop the TeeGene ’ s biotechnology processes .
Dr Pattanathu Rahman , director of TeeGene Biotech , said : “ Microalgae are a promising source of biofuel , high value chemicals and nutraceuticals .”
“ However , there are major technological challenges limiting the extent to which microalgae can be used in this way and the funding will enable us to explore them further and try to overcome any obstacles .”
The additional backing by the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant has enabled TeeGene to assess the feasibility of its biosurfactant processes using specialist facilities in Ghent , Belgium .
Dr Rahman added : “ The work proposed in this project will pump-prime one of the arms of TeeGene ’ s business model , the development of integrated biorefinery technology based on organic waste streams .”
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