From Bicycles to Biotech: IBioIC’s 9th Annual Conference

IBioIC’s Annual Conference, now in its 9th year, has become a key date in the industrial biotechnology calendar. NCIMB’s CEO Dr Edward Green reflects on this year’s event, and the unique potential that NCIMB has in supporting the sector. I attended the IBioIC annual conference this week, my first as CEO of NCIMB Ltd. Nearly 400 delegates participated in lively discussion relating to “Resilience and the Bioeconomy”, and the opening plenary focussed on how industrial biotechnology can make a real difference to societal grand challenges including climate change and net …

We’ll be at the IbioIC annual conference! 15 – 16 March 2023

Dr Edward Green and Dr Jude Huggan will be heading to the IbioIC annual conference next week, The two day event, which is held in Glasgow, has the theme “Resilience and the Bioeconomy”, and will explore the twin topics of resilience as it pertains to companies working within the bioeconomy and how the bioeconomy itself can contribute to resilience in industry and society in general. NCIMB’s CEO Dr Edward Green will be presenting in the member showcase on Wednesday 15 March, where he will highlight NCIMB’s offering to the industrial …

NCIMB launches three-point strain health check service

Microorganisms have many applications in a diverse range of industry sectors – from traditional food and drink manufacturing to industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology. Good microbe management is crucial to ensure that processes are optimised and products meet quality requirements. To support companies in achieving this, NCIMB has launched a new three-point strain health check for microbes used as production strains, and in applications such as feed additives or probiotic products. The health check service allows organisations that use microorganisms in these ways to: Identify and assess strain functionality Monitor …

Strain with plant-pathogen control potential now available from NCIMB

Recent additions to the National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria include a strain with potential as a biocontrol agent. NCIMB 15235 Serratia inhibens was isolated from a potato rhizosphere and deposited in the NCIMB collection by scientists from the University of Copenhagen.  A draft genome sequence has been published in Microbiology Resource Announcements. The authors state that the application of rhizosphere biocontrol bacteria to control plant-pathogenic fungi is an alternative approach to the use of chemical agents, and that the genomic data provide insight into the genetics underpinning …

Planning for Business Growth?

By Dr Carol Phillips IBioIC is a valuable support network for industrial biotechnology and I am looking forward to chairing the session on planning for business growth at this week’s annual conference. Biotech companies often start small and grow quickly. But the growth that investors are looking for, and that CEOs and their teams are working so hard to achieve, can present many challenges. How do you market your products in the right way to the right people? How do you scale up your processes and ensure that your workforce has …

Recent additions to NCIMB include Halophiles from the world’s oldest salt mine

Recent additions to the National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria include three moderate halophiles. Moderate halophiles NCIMB 15224 Aquisalibacillus elongatus, NCIMB 15225 Salinicoccus sesuvii and NCIMB 15226 Halomonas aquamarina, were all isolated from saline soil of the Khewra salt mine in Pakistan and deposited at NCIMB by scientists from the Fatima Jinnah Women University. The Khewra salt mine, reported to be the oldest salt mine in the world, is known for production of pink Khewra salt. Salt mines are a popular destination for microbiologists with an interest in …