School of Natural Sciences
Established in 1884, Bangor University is steeped in history and is a strong, confident institution recognised regionally, nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence for its varied portfolio of teaching and research, and for the unique, multicultural, inclusive experience it provides for its staff and students. We are renowned for our world-leading research and our lecturers are experts in their field. Bangor University has a long tradition of academic excellence and a strong focus on the student experience. The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences offers a broad range of opportunities for those interested in subject areas across the natural sciences. We have an international reputation in research and offer a diversity of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes on topics relating to Agriculture, Biology, Conservation, Environmental Science, Geography, Forestry and Zoology.
Meet the Bangor University team
Peter Golyshin
PG will be coordinating and supervising the Bangor University research on microbial engineering and environmental pollutant bioremediation related to Theme 2 (Environmental bioremediation, Cluster 2: Engineering microorganisms to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants) and Theme 3 (Wastewater and waste management, Cluster 5: Biorecovery of metals), as well as to Technical Pillar 3 (Host and consortia engineering).
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Alexander Yakunin
Alexander Yakunin will be involved in research on enzyme discovery and engineering for pollutant degradation and metal recovery within Theme 2 (Cluster 2) and Theme 3 (Cluster 5).
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Davey Jones
On EBIC, Davey Jones will be involved in microcosm and field trials of organic pollutant degradation and general kinetics of carbon utilization within Theme 2 (Cluster 2).
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Dr Prabhakar Lal Srivastava
I am currently working as a Research Fellow at the School of Environmental & Natural Sciences at Bangor University. My present role in EBIC focuses on the various aspects of “Engineer microorganisms to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants and enhance natural remediation processes” part of Theme 2 (Cluster 2). In addition to this, I am involved in Theme 3 (Cluster 5) focusing on “Biorecovery of metals, rare earth elements from metal-contaminated wastes and by-products”.
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Gwion Bowen Williams
He is currently finalising his thesis focusing on the metagenomic discovery and biochemical characterisation of plastic degrading enzymes from marine biofilms, and is working within EBIC as a Research Project Support Officer handling expression and characterisation of enzymes for bioremediation applications, including laccases, peroxidases, and peroxygenases.
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Life Sciences
In 2016, Brunel University London celebrated 50 years as a university. However, our history can be traced back much further to 1798 through our predecessor colleges of Borough Road College, Maria Grey College, Shoreditch College and the West London Institute of Higher Education and as well as through Acton Technical College then Brunel College. Our rise since 1966 has been impressive and our reputation grows year on year. Now a university of 12,746 students – 3,309 students engaged in postgraduate and research study – our special approach is to combine academic rigour with the practical, entrepreneurial and imaginative approach pioneered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Our research seeks to bring meaningful change to society; and empowers our students to lead that charge. That means tackling the major scientific and economic challenges facing the modern world, and delivering a world-class, research-informed education in all our subjects.
Meet the Brunel University London team
Ronan McCarthy
Ronan is championing EBIC’s Technical Pillar 2 on Biomolecular engineering, Technical Pillar 4 on Data science/mind map systems biology under Theme 2 focusing on Environmental bioremediation. He will also lead Cluster 3 on Engineering living biofilms for continuous capture of a wide range of pollutants in natural water environments.
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Lyuboslava Harkova
Lyuboslava’s role in EBIC is in designing genetic circuits to control bacterial biofilm formation and driving the evolution of enhanced biofilm properties. Working in collaboration with other hub members she aims to utilise biofilms for more effective bioremediation.
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School of Water, Energy and Environment
Cranfield University is a specialist postgraduate university. The university’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. We work in partnership with business, academia, governments and other organisations to develop and deliver applied research and innovative education in science, technology, engineering, and management. Cranfield’s distinctive expertise is in its deep understanding of technology and management and how these work together to benefit the world. Our education portfolio is renowned for its relevance to business and industry, and we are the largest UK provider of master’s-level graduates in engineering and offer a flagship MBA, extensive world-class customised executive education and professional development programmes. Our work informs government policy and leads the way in producing cutting edge new technologies and products in partnership with industry. The research and consultancy we carry out for industry, government and business provides our students with a real-world learning environment, allowing them to develop as professionals and then transfer their knowledge to the global economy.
Meet the Cranfield University team
Prof. Frederic Coulon
Frederic Coulon is EBIC’s Lead and Chair of the EBIC Management Board.
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Vinod Kumar
Vinod Kumar’s role on EBIC is to generate and enhance production of chemical building blocks using waste streams rich in fermentable carbon via engineered cell factories along with process optimisation.
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Zhugen Yang
Prof Yang is co-leading the Theme 1 on synbio-enabled next generation biosensing for environmental monitoring and surveillance.
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Tao Lyu
In EBIC, Tao Lyu will co-lead clusters 2 and 4 under Theme 2: Environmental Bioremediation. He will work on engineering microorganisms/living biofilms and integrating them into natural or engineered bioremediation systems for the degradation of a wide range of pollutants, particularly recalcitrant organic pollutants.
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Francis Hassard
Francis is co-leading Theme 3 focusing on wastewater and waste management and leading Cluster 4 on integrating synbio techniques for the removal of recalcitrant contaminants in bioengineered treatment systems.
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Bruce Jefferson
His role in EBIC includes working in Cranfield’s team contributing to Theme 3 and co-Chairing the Operational Management Board, and helping to promote integration and outreach across the Hub.
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Nicola Heaven
Nicola’s role at EBIC is Knowledge Mobilisation and Science Communication Officer, where she will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and impact derived from the Centre’s research activities with stakeholders and the wider community.
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Mahsa Baniasadi
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Yasmin Meeda
Yasmin is a postdoctoral researcher at Cranfield University. She recently finished her PhD project working on understanding the Phosphorus-Calcium signalling pathway in marine diatoms. As an algal biologist, Yasmin hopes to bring knowledge of algal model systems to the EBIC project.
At Cranfield, Yasmin will be working with Dr. Francis Hassard and Prof. Fred Coulon to develop novel tools for resource recovery of rare earth elements, biodegradation of PFAS and engineering biofilms.
Professor Paul Jeffrey
Paul Jeffrey holds a first class honours degree in Science & Society from Middlesex University as well as an MSc in Energy and Environment and a doctorate in Technology Policy from Cranfield. A Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Paul is an experienced senior researcher and educator with interests in the social and governance dimensions of resource management and technology innovation. He has a substantial track record of collaborative working with industry; bringing innovation and thought leadership to bear to solve business and engineering challenges. Working closely with engineers and scientists from a range of disciplines, Paul’s work has explored the perceived risks of new technologies as well as issues of social justice and the role of stakeholder participation in shaping technological innovations and their deployment. His research, funded by both the public and commercial sectors, has made contributions to the understanding of risk behaviours (e.g. Protection Motivation Theory), contemporary resource management theories, and progressive governance arrangements for disruptive technologies.
Paul is co-lead for Theme 4 on Responsible Research and Innovation; exploring the social, ethical, and environmental implications of Engineering Biology to inform decision-making and promoting the integration of EBIC’s research advances within the broader context of environmental biotechnology.
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Dhiman Chakravarty
Dr. Dhiman Chakravarty is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Faculty of Engineering & Applied Sciences at Cranfield University. He obtained his PhD in cyanobacterial stress biology from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, India. He has been working as a Scientific Officer at BARC since 2012 and studied both fundamental and applied aspects of stress biology. During his tenure, he elucidated novel aspects of enzymatic antioxidant defence mechanisms in extremely radiation and desiccation tolerant cyanobacteria. He has also ventured into the application of thermo and alkali tolerant catalase enzyme for peroxide removal in textile industries. Over the years he developed expertise in microbial genome engineering, biotechnology, enzymology, structural biology etc. For his work on oxidative stress biology and potential application of unique enzymes in textile processing, he was conferred with Young Scientist Awards from Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Science (India) and the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.
He recently joined Cranfield University as a Research Associate to work on engineering biology applications for biological water treatment systems and environmental monitoring. He will be contributing to the EBIC Theme 1: Next Generation Biosensors and Theme 3: Wastewater and Waste Management.
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Kawinharsun Dhodduraj
His current research work focuses on the production of 2,3-butanediol using various organic waste streams rich in fermentable sugars. This involves developing optimal pretreatment strategies, optimizing the production pathway through metabolic engineering and process intensification. His research emphasizes utilizing renewable carbon sources and developing low-carbon manufacturing technologies, aligning with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Kristell Le Corre Pidou
Kristell is EBIC’s manager.
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School of Engineering and Physical Science
Heriot-Watt University is a specialist, pioneering University, with a global presence, world renowned, innovative research and highly employable graduates. The University strives to develop solutions in key areas of economic and societal benefit, through a number of interdisciplinary research centres and institutes including the flagship Lyell Centre. The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), has an international research reputation and close connection with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering and technology. The university offers an integrated and multidisciplinary melting pot and a unique platform for innovation in science and technology to meet global environmental challenges, as reflected in this academic-industrial and collaborative research proposal by way of conducting dedicated research toward producing recombinant rhamnolipids for use in applications to enhance/improve the bioremediation of contaminated waters and land.
Meet the Heriot-Watt University team
Tony Gutierrez
Dr. Gutierrez’s work has led to the discovery of 3 novel cultivable bacterial species (comprising 1 new family and 2 genera) that use petrochemical pollutants as their sole source of food. Using a sophisticated molecular biology tool called DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP), his lab has uncovered many other bacterial species that break down petrochemicals and plastic polymers. Another major focus of his work is on discovering new types of microbial bio-surfactants.
Tony’s role on EBIC is to develop sustainable microbial bio-surfactants, and recombinant systems to produce these biomolecules, for applications to enhance the natural attenuation and bioremediation of environmental sites contaminated with toxic chemical pollutants. (Theme 2).
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School of Computing
As a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive Universities, Newcastle University has been working to understand our world since 1834. We push the boundaries of knowledge through innovation and creativity. Ranked as a Global top 110 University, our research and teaching are world leading. We have three campuses in Newcastle, Singapore, and Malaysia. Our 27,000-strong student community is drawn from 145 countries. Our community of over 250,000 alumni are creating outstanding impact around the globe. We’ve developed a global network of strategic industry partners and employers. Our collaborations are providing ideas and solutions of economic, social and cultural benefit for our world. Newcastle University offers a synergistic blend of world-leading research in engineering biology, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge expertise. Newcastle University is a powerhouse in engineering biology, with cross-faculty expertise spanning computational and model-based design of synthetic systems, development of synthetic bacterial systems, and core synthetic biology disciplines. This includes computing science, bioinformatics, engineering, cell biology, and responsible innovation. The environmental engineering group in the School of Engineering has been finding biological solutions to environmental problems since the late 1940s. For the past two decades they have spearheaded the synthesis of molecular microbial ecology, theoretical microbial ecology and design required to harness the metagenomics.
Meet the Newcastle University team
Natalio Krasnogor
Natalio is leading Technical pillar 4 which is underpinning the research activities of Themes 1 to 3.
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Tom Curtis
Tom is co-leading Theme 1 on next generation biosensors and contributing to theme 2 environmental remediation.
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Biological Sciences
The University of East Anglia, part of the Norwich Research Park (NRP) is a world leading centre for microbiology, environmental sciences and biotechnology. The NRP is one of the largest hubs for microbiology research with over 250 scientists generating important discoveries year on year and has potential applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food processing and environmental monitoring and remediation
Meet The University of East Anglia team
David Lea-Smith
David’s role in EBIC will be in development and improvement of synthetic biology tools, large scale generation of plasmids and mutants, characterisation of proteins of environmental and biotechnological importance and co-operating with other hub members in developing these mutants for biotechnology applications.
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Harry Maguire
I am currently working as a technician in microbiology. My role within the EBIC is to produce, on a large scale, plasmids and mutants of microorganisms with improved biotechnology applications.
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Amanda Hopes
Amanda Hopes is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of East Anglia. Her PhD and postdoctoral work centred around molecular method development in microalgae, biosilicification and adaptive evolution. Her expertise includes developing cloning, CRISPR-Cas and various transformation methods for new species.
Amanda is working in the Lea-Smith lab to create constructs and GM strains for the EBIC. Using high throughput techniques, she will largely be supporting work on environmental bioremediation, recovery of resources from wastewater and biotechnological applications.
School of Biological Sciences
The University of Edinburgh is a world-leading centre of academic excellence. Thirty-eight percent of the university’s research was rated world-leading, and a further 45% internationally excellent, in the most recent assessment of research quality in UK universities. The University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Engineering Biology is a community of over 50 research groups and 200 researchers spanning biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, informatics, medicine, and social sciences. It is underpinned by specialist research facilities including Edinburgh Genome Foundry, the world’s largest automated DNA assembly platform and EdinOmics, for mass spectrometry, metabolomics, and proteomics analysis. Aligned with the UK Government’s National Engineering Biology Programme (NEBP) the centre builds on fundamental synthetic biology research and transforms it into real world solutions, driving impact and strengthening the UK’s position as an international leader.
Meet the University of Edinburgh team
Louise Horsfall
The Horsfall group has published the most advanced bio-based process for lithium-ion battery recycling to date and authored, alongside leading battery experts, the roadmap for a sustainable circular economy in lithium-ion and future battery technologies. Their research has also combined the use of biosynthesised nanoparticles with cutting edge green chemistry techniques to demonstrate routes to improved catalysis.
Louise is co-leading Theme 3 and cluster 5 focusing on wastewater and waste management and the Theme 4 on Responsible Research and Innovation.
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Kyle Parker
From 2020-2022 he worked with Dr Mark Winskel as a Research Fellow on the ‘Energy Policy Effectiveness’ project for the ClimateXChange research agency, where he produced systematic evidence reviews on energy and climate change policy issues on behalf of the Scottish Government. More recently, he has worked with Professor Steve Yearley, as a Research Fellow on the TransFIRe (Transforming the Foundation Industries Research Hub) project, studying the socioeconomic dimensions of transformative change and industrial decarbonisation.
Kyle’s role within the EBIC hub is to study the social, ethical, and environmental implications of Engineering Biology. This work will take a critical look at the proposed uses of synthetic biology tools for environmental problems, explore ambiguities and assumptions around the use of engineering biology tools for environmental purposes, and examine claims made about environmental benefit, sustainability, and public engagement.
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Dr Annegret Honsbein
In her role within the EBIC, Annegret will focus on microbe-based technologies for the biological recovery of critical metals (e.g. rare earth and platinum group metals) from metal-contaminated waste streams such as mine tailings and industrial sludges.
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Biological Sciences
The University of Essex is a university where curiosity prevails, and where exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries, isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. The university is equally committed to excellence in education and research, for the benefit of individuals, communities and society. The university’s determination to make a difference in society means it is ranked 56th in the global Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023, which ranked more than 1,400 universities around the world. Making an impact through research is at the heart of the University. It is in the UK top 10 for research quality in four subjects (Grade Point Average, REF2021) and in the UK top 10 for research power in five subjects (Times Higher Education 2022).
The Ecology and Environmental Microbiology Group research aims at understanding the ecological mechanisms behind changes in global biodiversity and by association ecosystem functioning, and providing clear management and policy recommendations. The group addresses these challenges across all levels of biological organisation (from genes to ecosystems) and across taxonomic groups (from microbes to macro-organisms), focussing on four broad themes:
- Biodiversity (including microbial)
- Climate and environmental change
- Biogeochemical cycling
- Environmental biotechnology
The group’s research benefits society in the areas of conservation and sustainable use of living resources and their habitats, assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, and detection and remediation of pollution.
Meet The University of Essex team
Dr Boyd McKew
Boyd McKew is involved in EBIC’s Cluster 2 activities, providing target genes to be used in parts of the research undertaken under Theme 2 focusing on environmental bioremediation.
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Hannah Adams
She will be joining Dr Boyd McKew as a Senior Research Officer to help identify genes and proteins involved in hydrocarbon degradation and biosurfactant production, in a range of environmentally relevant bacteria, with the goal of enhancing these pathways for bioremediation.
This work will contribute to EBIC’s Cluster 2 activities, providing target genes to be used in parts of the research undertaken under Theme 2 focusing on environmental bioremediation.
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School of Engineering
The University of Glasgow, Scotland, is a research-lead world top 100 university, founded in 1451. The University has over 23,000 undergraduate and 19,000 postgraduate students distributed over four colleges, including the College of Science and Engineering (CoSE). The James Watt School of Engineering is the largest school within the CoSE and hosts the Water and Environment Research group involved in EBIC.
Meet the University of Glasgow team
Cindy J Smith
In EBIC, Prof Smith’s group will be exploring the fate and activity of the syn-bio organisms, developed by EBIC consortium, within natural complex microbial communities that impact water treatment and delivery, under a suite of controlled experimental systems and conditions in the laboratory.
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School of Engineering
The University of Southampton is a research-intensive university and a founding member of the Russell Group. Our world-class teaching and research activities are delivered across 5 faculties, each of which hosts several subject-specific schools and departments. Our School of Engineering’s achievements in engineering span the last 3 centuries, during which we have used sound science and creative engineering to help shape the world you know today. Our expertise looks deep below the Earth’s crust, reaches into space and encompasses everything in between. In particular, we pride ourselves on our specialist knowledge in 4 key areas: aerospace, biomedical engineering, infrastructure and sports engineering. Our research focuses on solutions to real-life problems across a range of industries. From sustainable energy to resilient infrastructure, we’re addressing some of the biggest challenges facing modern society.
Meet The University of Southampton team
Sonia Heaven
Her role in EBIC includes working in the Southampton team, co-Chairing the Operational Management Board, and helping to promote integration and outreach across the Hub.
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Yue Zhang
Yue’s role in EBIC is in development of sustainable and economically viable microbial fermentation processes for value-added product synthesis during the treatment of organic wastes. Interactions between the biological system and its engineering envelope will be explored in detail in co-operation with other Hub members.
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Yongqiang Liu
In her role within the EBIC, Yongqiang will focus on the development of effective and efficient biofilm-based engineering processes and techniques for recalcitrant pollutants. Working alongside other hub members, she aims to facilitate the pragmatic use of engineered microorganisms for bioremediation.
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Yexin Feng
Yexin Feng is an early career researcher in the Water and Environmental Engineering Group at the University of Southampton. Her research focuses on integrated mixed-culture anaerobic fermentation and chemical-free product recovery, especially on the interaction between biological process and its engineering envelope to enhance the desired functions of microbial consortia for optimising resource recovery.
She completed her undergraduate study at the University of Manchester in BSc Environmental Science and her master study at Imperial College in MSc Environmental Engineering.
Prior to becoming a researcher at the University of Southampton, she worked for 4 years in consultant companies in the UK in the field of water, wastewater treatment and anaerobic digestion.
Her role in EBIC is within Cluster 7 Microbial fermentation for value-added product synthesis from organic waste streams.
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Peter Golyshin
Peter Golyshin is Professor of Environmental Genomics and Director of the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB) at Bangor University, a major investment from the UK and EU. His research focuses on exploring natural microbial diversity for applications in bioremediation and biotechnology, including biodegradation of organic pollutants and prospecting for novel enzymes for industrial applications. Peter has an outstanding record in the fields of metagenomics, microbial biodiversity and application of OMICS approaches to study extremophiles, oil-degrading bacteria, and pollutant-degrading microorganisms with over 200 papers published in peer-reviewed journals including numerous publications on metagenome-based enzyme discovery and novel industrial enzymes.
PG will be coordinating and supervising the Bangor University research on microbial engineering and environmental pollutant bioremediation related to Theme 2 (Environmental bioremediation, Cluster 2: Engineering microorganisms to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants) and Theme 3 (Wastewater and waste management, Cluster 5: Biorecovery of metals), as well as to Technical Pillar 3 (Host and consortia engineering).
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Life Sciences
In 2016, Brunel University London celebrated 50 years as a university. However, our history can be traced back much further to 1798 through our predecessor colleges of Borough Road College, Maria Grey College, Shoreditch College and the West London Institute of Higher Education and as well as through Acton Technical College then Brunel College. Our rise since 1966 has been impressive and our reputation grows year on year. Now a university of 12,746 students – 3,309 students engaged in postgraduate and research study – our special approach is to combine academic rigour with the practical, entrepreneurial and imaginative approach pioneered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Our research seeks to bring meaningful change to society; and empowers our students to lead that charge. That means tackling the major scientific and economic challenges facing the modern world, and delivering a world-class, research-informed education in all our subjects.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Water, Energy and Environment
Cranfield University is a specialist postgraduate university. The university’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. We work in partnership with business, academia, governments and other organisations to develop and deliver applied research and innovative education in science, technology, engineering, and management. Cranfield’s distinctive expertise is in its deep understanding of technology and management and how these work together to benefit the world. Our education portfolio is renowned for its relevance to business and industry, and we are the largest UK provider of master’s-level graduates in engineering and offer a flagship MBA, extensive world-class customised executive education and professional development programmes. Our work informs government policy and leads the way in producing cutting edge new technologies and products in partnership with industry. The research and consultancy we carry out for industry, government and business provides our students with a real-world learning environment, allowing them to develop as professionals and then transfer their knowledge to the global economy.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Engineering and Physical Science
Heriot-Watt University is a specialist, pioneering University, with a global presence, world renowned, innovative research and highly employable graduates. The University strives to develop solutions in key areas of economic and societal benefit, through a number of interdisciplinary research centres and institutes including the flagship Lyell Centre. The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), has an international research reputation and close connection with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering and technology. The university offers an integrated and multidisciplinary melting pot and a unique platform for innovation in science and technology to meet global environmental challenges, as reflected in this academic-industrial and collaborative research proposal by way of conducting dedicated research toward producing recombinant rhamnolipids for use in applications to enhance/improve the bioremediation of contaminated waters and land.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Computing
As a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive Universities, Newcastle University has been working to understand our world since 1834. We push the boundaries of knowledge through innovation and creativity. Ranked as a Global top 110 University, our research and teaching are world leading. We have three campuses in Newcastle, Singapore, and Malaysia. Our 27,000-strong student community is drawn from 145 countries. Our community of over 250,000 alumni are creating outstanding impact around the globe. We’ve developed a global network of strategic industry partners and employers. Our collaborations are providing ideas and solutions of economic, social and cultural benefit for our world. Newcastle University offers a synergistic blend of world-leading research in engineering biology, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge expertise. Newcastle University is a powerhouse in engineering biology, with cross-faculty expertise spanning computational and model-based design of synthetic systems, development of synthetic bacterial systems, and core synthetic biology disciplines. This includes computing science, bioinformatics, engineering, cell biology, and responsible innovation. The environmental engineering group in the School of Engineering has been finding biological solutions to environmental problems since the late 1940s. For the past two decades they have spearheaded the synthesis of molecular microbial ecology, theoretical microbial ecology and design required to harness the metagenomics.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
Biological Sciences
The University of East Anglia, part of the Norwich Research Park (NRP) is a world leading centre for microbiology, environmental sciences and biotechnology. The NRP is one of the largest hubs for microbiology research with over 250 scientists generating important discoveries year on year and has potential applications in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food processing and environmental monitoring and remediation.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Biological Sciences
The University of Edinburgh is a world-leading centre of academic excellence. Thirty-eight percent of the university’s research was rated world-leading, and a further 45% internationally excellent, in the most recent assessment of research quality in UK universities. The University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Engineering Biology is a community of over 50 research groups and 200 researchers spanning biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, informatics, medicine, and social sciences. It is underpinned by specialist research facilities including Edinburgh Genome Foundry, the world’s largest automated DNA assembly platform and EdinOmics, for mass spectrometry, metabolomics, and proteomics analysis. Aligned with the UK Government’s National Engineering Biology Programme (NEBP) the centre builds on fundamental synthetic biology research and transforms it into real world solutions, driving impact and strengthening the UK’s position as an international leader.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
Life Sciences
The University of Essex is a university where curiosity prevails, and where exploring new ways of thinking and pushing boundaries, isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. The university is equally committed to excellence in education and research, for the benefit of individuals, communities and society. The university’s determination to make a difference in society means it is ranked 56th in the global Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023, which ranked more than 1,400 universities around the world. Making an impact through research is at the heart of the University. It is in the UK top 10 for research quality in four subjects (Grade Point Average, REF2021) and in the UK top 10 for research power in five subjects (Times Higher Education 2022).
The Ecology and Environmental Microbiology Group research aims at understanding the ecological mechanisms behind changes in global biodiversity and by association ecosystem functioning, and providing clear management and policy recommendations. The group addresses these challenges across all levels of biological organisation (from genes to ecosystems) and across taxonomic groups (from microbes to macro-organisms), focussing on four broad themes:
Biodiversity (including microbial)
Climate and environmental change
Biogeochemical cycling
Environmental biotechnology
The group’s research benefits society in the areas of conservation and sustainable use of living resources and their habitats, assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, and detection and remediation of pollution.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Engineering
The University of Glasgow, Scotland, is a research-lead world top 100 university, founded in 1451. The University has over 23,000 undergraduate and 19,000 postgraduate students distributed over four colleges, including the College of Science and Engineering (CoSE). The James Watt School of Engineering is the largest school within the CoSE and hosts the Water and Environment Research group involved in EBIC.
![EBIC-Logo](https://ebicentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBIC-Logo.png)
School of Engineering
The University of Southampton is a research-intensive university and a founding member of the Russell Group. Our world-class teaching and research activities are delivered across 5 faculties, each of which hosts several subject-specific schools and departments. Our School of Engineering’s achievements in engineering span the last 3 centuries, during which we have used sound science and creative engineering to help shape the world you know today. Our expertise looks deep below the Earth’s crust, reaches into space and encompasses everything in between. In particular, we pride ourselves on our specialist knowledge in 4 key areas: aerospace, biomedical engineering, infrastructure and sports engineering. Our research focuses on solutions to real-life problems across a range of industries. From sustainable energy to resilient infrastructure, we’re addressing some of the biggest challenges facing modern society.
Trusted partners
Led by Cranfield University, EBIC brings together scientists from ten leading UK institutions in a mission to advance the properties and functions of micro-organisms, creating more effective ways to monitor the environment and remove pollutants.
EBIC is funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s Technology Missions Fund and support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/Y008332/1)
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