As of January 1st 2010, knowledge institutes, the Dutch government and industry are to cooperate more intensively and at international level to speed up the introduction of the bio-based economy, an economy based on renewable sources.
By placing the emphasis on scale-up research, an open innovation model and a proactive role for the financial sector, the BE-Basic consortium aims to stimulate innovation which will lead to accelerated introduction. TU Delft is coordinating the new initiative that includes, among others, an R&D budget exceeding $171 million (120 million euro), of which 85.5.million (60 million) is made available by the Dutch Ministries of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Environment
BE-Basic’s (Bio-Based Ecologically Balanced Sustainable Industrial Chemistry) R&D program comprises research into the development of bio-based products such as biochemicals, biomaterials and biofuels. The effect of this production on the environment (soil, water, air) will also be closely analyzed using genomics technology. The consortium will build on the work of the earlier, successful B-Basic and Ecogenomics Consortium research programs and will continue to conduct cutting-edge academic research into industrial and environmental biotechnology.
Bio-refineries
In order to implement research results on a wide scale into the current economy, BE-Basic also plans a multi-purpose facility for scale-up research, suited to both current technology and future development. This urgent ambition of industrial and knowledge partners within and outside BE-Basic is expressed by Rob van Leen, Chief Innovation Officer at DSM: “One major element of BE-Basic’s strategy is the addition of an experimental test facility to the research portfolio.
The translation from science to industrial practice requires technology as applied in large-scale integrated bio-refineries. Real breakthroughs can only be achieved if different sectors (agro, food, paper, chemical, materials and energy industries) integrate their activities into a bio-based chain. Cooperation between academic and industrial partners in an open innovation environment is essential here.”
The translation from science to industrial practice requires technology as applied in large-scale integrated bio-refineries. Real breakthroughs can only be achieved if different sectors (agro, food, paper, chemical, materials and energy industries) integrate their activities into a bio-based chain. Cooperation between academic and industrial partners in an open innovation environment is essential here.”
Worldwide
BE-Basic will not just position itself as a leading institute nationally, but will have a large number of European and global industrial, academic and financial partners, including DSM, AkzoNobel, possibly Novozymes, Imperial College (UK), TU Dortmund and Karlsruhe (Germany), several US and Asian players, and financial parties such as Burrill & Company (USA) and Rabobank. The alliance will also form part of the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (http://www.eit.europa.eu/) a North European initiative to introduce the bio-based economy into the chemical, materials and energy sectors.
"BE-Basic has an eminent reputation for delivering scientific quality in a public-private environment," Richard Templer of Imperial College (London, UK) and director of the British Porter Alliance explains: "That is true for their biological science and technology activities, but has also extended to the socio-economic programmes. We are delighted to continue collaborations with BE-Basic in both spaces, and trust this is positive news for the bio-based economy and climate efforts in Northern Europe."
Research within BE-Basic is organized across industrial collaborations on the one hand and fundamentally scientific projects on the other hand: the so-called Flagships bring together scientific topics and industrial challenges with the aim of generating true innovations. They represent the areas in which B-Basic as a whole, integrated with Ecogenomics, distinguishes itself and will ensure outstanding results on an international level. Nine Flagships are defined, each addressing a major scientific/socio-economic challenge:
1. Second Generation Fuels and Chemicals: to convert recalcitrant mixtures of organic/lignocellulosic waste compounds efficiently to biofuels and a wide range of building blocks and polymers;
2. Active Ingredients by Biocatalysis and Fermentation: to develop and engineer new enzymatic tools for the conversion of cheap, lignocellulosic feedstocks into highvalue bioactive end-products;
3. Bioconcrete: to enhance the naturally available property of solid formation due to microbial conversions for the improvement of soil and concrete properties;
4. Recycling of Rare Resources: to improve the efficiency of recycling of rare resources through microbes: improvements on commercial sulphur processes, recovery of metals from ores and prevention of biocorrosion processes;
5. Micro- and Macrobiosystems: to develop high-throughput tools (micro fluidics, improved lab-on-a-chip, robotic platforms) to aid in the much needed rapid optimization of strains and conditions throughout the Flagships;
6. Synthetic Biology: to analyse and engineer cell membranes/walls to improve the performance of microorganisms under toxic or stressful conditions (e.g. to increase uptake of compounds, to increase export of compounds or to increase tolerance of the cells);
7. High throughput discovery, Metagenomics and Mining: to develop a highthroughput screening facility for engineered enzymes with improved biocatalytic properties; to use functional metagenomics (studying microbes in their actual living communities without need to isolate/culture individual members) to mine nature for new bioactive compounds, biocatalysts and bio-construction enhancers;
8. Ecotoxico Genomics: to develop and validate novel cell-based and whole organism genomics-based test systems, using omics-technology as alternative for non-animal tests;
9. Socio-economics & Ecosystems Services: to study the impact of bio-based approaches vs. fossil-based production on society from a socio-economic and an ecosystem functioning point of view.
2. Active Ingredients by Biocatalysis and Fermentation: to develop and engineer new enzymatic tools for the conversion of cheap, lignocellulosic feedstocks into highvalue bioactive end-products;
3. Bioconcrete: to enhance the naturally available property of solid formation due to microbial conversions for the improvement of soil and concrete properties;
4. Recycling of Rare Resources: to improve the efficiency of recycling of rare resources through microbes: improvements on commercial sulphur processes, recovery of metals from ores and prevention of biocorrosion processes;
5. Micro- and Macrobiosystems: to develop high-throughput tools (micro fluidics, improved lab-on-a-chip, robotic platforms) to aid in the much needed rapid optimization of strains and conditions throughout the Flagships;
6. Synthetic Biology: to analyse and engineer cell membranes/walls to improve the performance of microorganisms under toxic or stressful conditions (e.g. to increase uptake of compounds, to increase export of compounds or to increase tolerance of the cells);
7. High throughput discovery, Metagenomics and Mining: to develop a highthroughput screening facility for engineered enzymes with improved biocatalytic properties; to use functional metagenomics (studying microbes in their actual living communities without need to isolate/culture individual members) to mine nature for new bioactive compounds, biocatalysts and bio-construction enhancers;
8. Ecotoxico Genomics: to develop and validate novel cell-based and whole organism genomics-based test systems, using omics-technology as alternative for non-animal tests;
9. Socio-economics & Ecosystems Services: to study the impact of bio-based approaches vs. fossil-based production on society from a socio-economic and an ecosystem functioning point of view.
More information
Prof. Luuk van der Wielen (Director of BE-Basic), +31 (0)15 2782361, +31 (0)6 22802800, L.A.M.vanderWielen@tudelft.nl
BE-Basic website: http://www.be-basic.org
BE-Basic website: http://www.be-basic.org
