BlueMicrobe: NERCs Knowledge Transfer Network for Marine Biotechnology

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BlueMicrobe NERCs Knowledge Transfer Network
for Marine Biotechnology

• Biotechnology Strengths of the South West
• Exeter Conference, 1 March 2005
• Dave Woodwark FIRSTFARADAY working with NERC
• Exploiting Investment in Understanding Marine
  Freshwater Microbial Biodiversity

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Scope of the Presentation

• The NERC Marine Freshwater Microbial
  Biodiversity Programme
• M FMB Technology Transfer activities,
  opportunities and ideas
• The BlueMicrobe Network
• Next Steps

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The NERC MFMB Programme

• MFMB A 5 year, 7m Science Programme ending in
  2005
• 30 Projects (including 2 year TT initiative)
• Finale Events
• May 24 Edinburgh
• June 2 London
• www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/thematics/mfmb

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The NERC MFMB ProgrammeThe Scientific Goals

• Addressing some fundamental questions
• Diversity/ubiquity
• Culturing the uncultured
• Population dynamics
• Biogeochemical cycles
• Cell-cell signaling

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Major Scientific Achievements

• New microorganisms with novel characteristics
  discovered
• Actinomycetes
• Archaea
• Viruses
• Important new cell-cell signaling activity
  identified
• Photosynthetic activity established in
  bacteriophages infecting cyanobacteria
• New insights into microbial community structure
  and geochemical cycles

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Exploitation of M FMB The Intent

• To develop fundamental research to a point at
  which industrial investment and exploitation is
  possible
• FIRSTFARADAY engaged by NERC to undertake
  Technology Translation activities to establish
  industrial/applied RD links and develop a
  portfolio of exploitation oriented projects and
  collaborations. Initial 1 year project extended
  to 2 years, finished in November 2004. KTN
  Network approved for 2 years, started January
  2005.

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The Scope of Exploitation Opportunities

• The markets in which marine and freshwater micro
  organisms might ultimately make significant
  economic impact are diverse and potentially huge
  but its a long journey from the ocean/laboratory
  to the marketplace.
• See The prospects for Marine Biotechnology
  Development in the UK (www.dti.gov.uk/marine_biot
  echnology_report.html)
• How do Researchers know what Industry needs and
  how does Industry know what the UK Research Base
  has to offer?

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Example Drivers of Market Opportunities

• Shortage of New Products in Pharma Company
  Pipelines
• Failure of current strategies to overcome
  Antibiotic Resistance HTS and Combinatorial
  Chemistry not enough
• Emerging recognition that New Organisms can lead
  to genuinely Novel Bioactive Compounds And that
  Culture of these Organisms is feasible

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M FMB Technology Transfer The Approach

• Close dialogue with Programme representatives to
  identify projects with possible commercial
  potential
• In-house workshops to develop ideas for specific
  exploitation opportunities
• Raise profile of Programme and build network of
  contacts through conferences, networking events,
  publications
• Engage Industry and the applied RD community

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MFMB Exploitation Current Focus

• Viruses and Phages
• Novel Enzymes etc.
• Phage Applications
• Biofilms/Cell Signaling/Bioreactors
• Novel Bioreactor
• (Biofouling)
• Natural Products
• Bioactives (drug substances) from Actinomycetes
• Biocatalysis/biotransformations

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Exploitation Opportunities Viruses and Phages

• Enormous biological resource (ca. 1031 tailed
  phage globally)
• Phage therapy human, animal, plant
• DNA modifying enzymes
• Glycobiology
• Self-assembling nano-structures
• Specific outline proposals for
• Novel enzymes from viruses infecting microalgae
  (possible applications to gene mapping)
• Phage and bacteria mapping in aquaculture ponds
• Phage enzymes and polysaccharide biochemistry

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Developing The Exploitation Potential

• Express and purify novel enzymes/proteins
• Screen for (commercially attractive) activity
• Collaboration with commercial partner established
  under NDA
• Dialogue with other potential commercial partners
  initiated

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Some Specific Exploitation Opportunities Outline
proposals in the areas of

• Novel approaches to antifouling (biofilm
  disrupting strategies of marine bacteria)
• Culturability and related expertise (including
  cell-cell signaling and resuscitation mechanisms)
• Biocatalysis and bioremediation (e.g. novel
  methanotrophs and methyl halide degrading
  bacteria)
• Novel metabolites (e.g. anti-microbial compounds)
  from marine organisms

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Taking Exploitation Forward

• Build stronger links between the MFMB research
  community and industry/the applied RD community
• Get specific direct feedback on relevant industry
  interests
• Develop more specific exploitation ideas based on
  feedback
• Establish more joint projects

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The NERC Knowledge Transfer Fund

• New collaborative activities
• Technology translators/facilitators
• Industry, policy and academic exchanges
• User events (workshops, conferences etc)
• Special publications (industry/policy user
  focused)
• Special data management, presentation models and
  projects

• Knowledge transfer networks should create
  new communities through communication between
  researchers and users of science in the
  appropriate science, technology, public and
  private sector groups. Networks encourage the
  transfer of ideas, experimental techniques,
  technological and scientific insights and the
  flow of knowledge between academia and users of
  NERC science.

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MFMB KTN proposal aims To make key areas of
exploitable science arising from the MFMB
programme accessible to a wider user
community To help build Marine Biotechnology
business sector (in the UK) To develop
business and commercial awareness of NERC
scientists To disseminate knowledge nationally
and internationally
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NERC Knowledge Transfer (KT) Project BlueMicrobe U
sing knowledge on marine and freshwater microbial
biodiversity
245k over 2 years Led by Phil
Williamson (UEA),supported by FIRSTFARADAY (Dave
Woodwark) BioBridge (Meredith Lloyd-Evans) PML/MBA
(Willie Wilson, Declan Schroeder, Ian
Joint) Heriot-Watt (Grant Burgess) Newcastle
(Mike Goodfellow, Alan Ward)
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BlueMicrobe main areas of focus Viruses Cell
signalling, Biofilms and Bioreactors New
bioactives from marine microorganisms
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BlueMicrobe main activities Workshop
meetings and annual conference Website and other
networking Short term secondments Video/DVD Tra
ining Course(s) viral ecology methods Promote
MFMB outputs to end users Build links that lead
to effective, exploitation-oriented collaborations
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www.BlueMicrobe.com Draft Home Page
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BlueMicrobe Next Steps

• Building the Network
• Topical Workshops
• The MFMB Programme Finale Event(s)
• Please get involved Contact
• Dave Woodwark (dave.woodwark_at_btinternet.com
  Tel[phone])
• Meredith Lloyd-Evans (mlloydevans_at_biobridge.co.uk
  Tel [phone])