£14.3m Fuels Options at Nottingham

The University of Nottingham is to develop a new Synthetic Biology Research Centre focused on engineering microorganisms that will sustain the manufacture of molecules and fuels.

With funding from the Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Professor Nigel Minton and his team aim to use bacteria to convert gasses such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH4) into more desirable and useful molecules, reducing our reliance on petrochemicals.

Professor Minton said: “The heightened concerns over global warming and fossil fuel supply, security and prices has led to a need for the production of hydrocarbons and energy by new, sustainable means. Nottingham’s new centre will provide a pioneering alternative approach — by using gas-fermenting microbes that are able to grow gases, such as CO and CO₂.

“This amount of funding is a tremendous boost to our vision and means that we can accelerate our efforts towards the derivation non-petroleum based routes to the chemicals society needs without the consumption of valuable food or land resources.”

Nottingham is one of only three new multidisciplinary centres to receive part of a total £40m investment, which will be allocated over five years to boost national synthetic biology research capacity and ensure that there is diverse expertise to stimulate innovation in this area. The other centres are in Bristol and Cambridge/Norwich.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, said: “Synthetic biology is one of the most promising areas of modern science, which is why we have identified it as one of the eight great British technologies of the future. Synthetic biology has the potential to drive economic growth but still remains relatively untapped and these new centres will ensure that the UK is at the forefront when it comes to commercialising these new technologies."