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Agricultural, industrial and marine biotechnology are closely linked. For example, plants and marine organisms can provide the renewable feedstocks as well as the enzymes for use in production of chemicals, materials and energy. There is increasing interest in non-food/industrial uses of crops. Plants are the basis of European industries with an annual turnover of more than €1 Trillion. Plant science is expected to have an increasingly important role to play in meeting the demands of a growing global population - including healthy, safe and sufficient food as well as other applications. For example, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources with crop-derived fuels and industrial feedstocks offers an opportunity to address climate change and sustainability and the UK's expected reliance on imported oil and gas by the middle of this century.
Long development times of up to 15 years means that the sector is dominated by six multinationals - BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow Agrosciences, Dupont, Monsanto and Syngenta.
The Agricultural Biotechnology Council (ABC) is the intermediary for the multinationals. The UK has world-class plant and crop science, particularly in the BBSRC institutes. The UK also has world-class animal science at the Roslin Institute, Babraham and the Institute of Animal Health. The Genesis Faraday Partnership in farm animal genetics and genomics based at Roslin has received BERR Bioscience Unit funding. Key issues for the sector include regulation and public perception (eg Genetically Modified crops)
BERR is focusing on:
Some sources estimate that "Industrial biotechnology could account for one-fifth of the world's chemical output by value by 2010 - some $160 bn worth of products".
Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for the processing and production of chemicals, materials and energy. UK expertise includes the Centre of Excellence in Manchester for biocatalysis, biotransformation and biocatalytic manufacture (CoEBio3) and the Centre for Process Innovation in Wilton. The UK sector is dominated by SMEs. Bioscience Unit is seeking to encourage this growing sector by building networks - in particular via the new Bioscience for Business KTN.
BERR and Defra published a joint Government strategy on non-food uses of crops in 2005. Actions are being taken forward with stakeholders and overseen by a Steering Group. One of the key mechanisms for delivery of the strategy is through the National Non-Food Crops Centre in York. The Centre was launched in November 2003 to encourage and promote wider industrial use of crop-derived materials. Technology translation activities at the Centre have recently been incorporated into the new Bioscience for Business KTN. Some examples of non-food uses of crops include plant-derived pharmaceuticals, biopolymers, biofuels for transport etc.
The marine environment offers a huge, largely untapped resource for novel products and processes across a very wide range of sectors and potential applications eg anti-viral compounds, TAQ polymerase enzyme for DNA sequencing and use of coral-derived materials as bone replacements. BERR funded a study of "The Prospects for Marine Biotechnology Development in the UK" (BioBridge Ltd) which was published in January 2005. It identified UK strengths including marine actinomycetes, marine virus and biofilm research and a small but growing company base; including Aquapharm BioDiscovery and Integrin Advanced Biosystems. The main focus of activity in the UK is in the South West of England and in Scotland. Another UK strength is the NERC funded research network which is now part of the KTN.
