NCIMB news, 26 March 2026 Scottish bio-based chemical manufacturer Celtic Renewables is collaborating on a three-month project with Aberdeen-based microbiology company NCIMB. Celtic converts waste and by-products like potatoes and residues from whisky distillation into bio-based chemicals. NCIMB will work with Celtic Renewables on an initial 12-week project to assess candidate microbial performance using a range of feedstocks identified by the company, supporting the scale-up of their process. Currently, acetone and butanol are primarily derived from the petrochemical industry. Celtic Renewables aims to displace the use of fossil fuels by …
NCIMB scoops award at European Cyclodextrin Conference
Technology for production of novel molecule could bring important societal benefits NCIMB news, September 2025 NCIMB principal scientist Dr Brandon Childers was awarded the CarboHyde poster prize for most industrially relevant work at the 8th European Cyclodextrin Conference last week. CarboHyde is a private preclinical company focussed on redefining industries through the potential of cyclodextrins, and Brandon’s poster described the work he has carried out at NCIMB on a novel enzyme technology for the production of a cyclodextrin molecule that is smaller than those currently available. The availability of a …
Clostridium XVII conference highlights latest research into industrial application of diverse genus
NCIMB senior scientist Dr Brandon Childers reflects on his attendance at the Clostridium XVII conference, held in China Last month. Clostridium is a genus of strictly anaerobic endospore forming bacteria. Species within this genus are highly diverse in terms of their potential applications – some have been extensively studied for their ability to produce butanol, and the contribution they could make to net zero goals, whilst others have potential use in probiotic products and live biotherapeutics. With so much industrial potential, it’s no surprise that the National Collection of Industrial, …
NCIMB Ltd kicks-off innovative enzyme technology development project with potential application in medicines and environmental remediation.
Aberdeen-based biotechnology company NCIMB has kicked-off a new research project to demonstrate novel enzyme technology with an exciting array of potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food & drink and environmental sectors. The work is being supported with a Bio-based Manufacturing in Scotland grant from Innovate UK. The project targets the production of a molecule called cyclodextrin – something that many people will have encountered in their day-to-day lives without realising it. Cyclodextrins are natural products made from starch, using enzymes produced by bacteria, and this project focuses on the enzyme …
Desulfovibrio desulfuricans – friend or foe?
by Connor Trottor, PIPS Intern The National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria includes thousands of industrial strains – but what exactly is an “industrial” strain? The collection includes strains with biotechnological potential, as well strains studied because of the problems they can cause industry. Some strains fall into both categories. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, may be better known for its role in oilfield souring, microbiologically influenced corrosion and as a producer of toxic gas, but in this blog, PIPS intern Connor Trotter considers some of the positive applications it could …
Dr Edward Green to highlight potential for biotech application of NCIMB microbial strains at Scottish Fermentation Network Meeting.
NCIMB’s CEO Dr Edward Green is presenting at the 12th Scottish Fermentation Network meeting in Glasgow on Wednesday 8 November 2023. The theme of this one-day conference, which has been jointly organised by IBioIC and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), is “Sustainable Biobased Chemicals Production – Towards a Low Carbon Future”, and Edward will be highlighting how NCIMB can support that vision through the strains within our culture collection and the supporting services we provide to industry. NCIMB’s culture collection, the National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria …