PREPARATIONS FOR THE CREATION OF A EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM ON BIOFUELS

1
working with plants - towards the
knowledge-based bioeconomy David
ClaytonCoordinator EU/US Consortium
EPOBIO Lead partner Centre for Novel
Agricultural Products Director Prof Dianna
Bowles
2
the need for sustainable development
climate change and the environment supply,
security and cost of fossil reserves increasing
global demand
the bio-economy bioscience the science of the
21st century
3
a solar energy source for manufacturing
photosynthesis clean technology sustainable high
capacity complex chemicals
plants for food, feed for livestock and non-food
uses
4
field, forest and glass-house crops

• agriculture, horticulture, forestry and
  aquaculture provide products for all aspects of
  our lives food, feed, medicines, chemicals and
  materials
• non-food applications and the potential for
  renewable energy are increasingly important

5
scientific observations become breeding tools
for the farmer

• discovery development demonstration
  deployment

6
a solar energy source for manufacturing
sunlight
yesterday
today and tomorrow
photosynthesis
fossil reserves
biorenewables
oil...refineries
bio...refineries
CHEMICALS MATERIALS FUELS
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land availability and use 15/20 years and
beyond ?
food feed
fuels chemicals
demand for productive land scarcity and security
of resources and water
increasing use of agricultural feedstocks for
industrial production of biofuels and
bioproducts the need to protect the security
and quality of the food chain
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advanced biorefineries
zero-waste multiple products from a
crop specialised feedstocks for biofuels new
opportunities for biochemicals
increasing use of marginal land optimised
products and co-products improved processing
need to decrease inputs and increase outputs
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the biorenewable future
sunlight
photosynthesis
application
science
FOOD FEED CHEMICALS MATERIALS FUELS
integrated, multipurpose, biorefineries
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• Three case studies
• A European/US initiative in which the UK is
  taking the lead
• A UK national industry-led initiative
• A UK centre of excellence in biorenewables

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EC-US TASK FORCE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
science to support policy
plant-based bioproducts creating value from
renewable resources
12
science to support policy
in the epobio project, desk researchers identify
and integrate the science, technology and supply
chains to realise the full potential of the plant
production system validation is through the
analysis of sustainability criteria placing the
science within wider context of environmental
impacts, economics, regulatory frameworks and
social implications

• the epobio process a holistic analysis of the
  issues to provide a thorough evidence-base to
  inform decision-making by funding agencies and
  policy-makers

www.epobio.net
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science to support policy
the epobio process - selection criteria for
priority flagships

• user / consumer benefit societal benefit across
  the entire supply chain
• scientific challenge large-scale,
  complementary, multinational input
• economic benefits and risk analyses the project
  as a continuum research to demonstration
• private sector involvement pre-competitive,
  assurance of value and opportunity

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science to support policy
flagship themes selected
environmental impacts, economics, regulatory
frameworks and social implications a
communication strategy
enabling world class science and technology to
lead to sustainable products of high utility to
benefit society
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science to support policy

• The 2006 epobio Workshop
• PRODUCTS FROM PLANTS the biorefinery future
• The 2007 epobio Workshop
• PRODUCTS FROM PLANTS from crops and forests to
  zero-waste biorefineries

www.epobio.net
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the lignocellulose issue
feedstocks energy crops, agricultural
co-products, forestry, vegetable waste
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crop platforms for cell wall biorefining
lignocellulose feedstocks
forest species and short rotation
coppicing perennial grasses co-products from
arable farming
scientific opportunities in a wider holistic
context economics, regulations, environmental
impacts, sustainability criteria, regional
land-use decisions
RD needs for mid / long term optimisation
18
industrial crop platforms for the production of
chemicals and biopolymers
established global sugar crop specialised niche
crop perennial grasses
scientific opportunities in a wider holistic
context economics, regulations, environmental
impacts, sustainability criteria, regional
land-use decisions
RD needs for mid / long term optimisation
19
oil crop platforms for industrial uses
established global oil crop underutilised arable
crop dedicated non-food oil crop
scientific opportunities in a wider holistic
context economics, regulations, environmental
impacts, sustainability criteria, regional
land-use decisions
RD needs for mid / long term optimisation
20
the efficient production and effective use of the
plant production system is key to the new
bio-based economy
a robust evidence base of science must underpin
policy

21
sustainable development
flagship themes selected
environmental impacts, economics, regulatory
frameworks and social implications a
communication strategy
enabling world class science and technology to
develop sustainable products of high utility to
benefit society
22
a centre of excellence
research and training policy communication
awarded February 2006
understanding plants and micro-organisms in
their environments developing bioproducts from
cell factories
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
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Current open funding 19 M
BBSRC competitive grantsUK and US government
agenciesECcharitable foundationsindustrial
Outputs -
trained research personnelprimary research
articles and invited reviewspolicy
reportsapplicationspatentsoutreach
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finding solutions in the natural world
energy
food
creative science
problemsolving
health
remediation and clean technology
biofuels biochemicals biomaterials
bioprocesses
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RENEWALL

• a new EU/US Consortium to tackle the major
  barriers to efficient lignocellulose
  saccharification
• Coordinator Professor Simon McQueen-Mason

12 European academic institutions 5 European
industrial partners 5 US Research labs
(USDA-funded)
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oil production in biomass
plants
biomassand oil
seeds
green biotechnology
lignocelluloseand oil
oil, starch, protein
white biotechnology
biofuels, industrial feedstocks and chemicals
food and feed first generation biofuels,
industrial feedstocks and products
Professor Ian Graham
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plant bioactives - health in the developing world
Professors Bowles and Graham
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Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, total
investment USD 14M
Professors Bowles and Graham
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the Artemisia production platform
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Science underpinning policy and delivery
applicationsin crops
photosynthesis
plantscience
FOOD FEED CHEMICALS MATERIALS FUELS
Development of the global bioeconomy