New hub to turn industrial waste into valuable products using microbes

The University of Surrey is playing a key role in a pioneering new research hub designed to transform UK manufacturing – turning waste into high-value products while cutting emissions and driving the transition to a circular economy.

Credit: Edinburgh Innovations and Maverick Photography

The Edinburgh Genome Foundry facility

Backed by £14 million in funding, the Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub (C-Loop) will use microorganisms to convert carbon-rich industrial waste – usually destined for landfill – into next-generation materials such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and bio-based chemicals.

Surrey’s contribution focuses on redefining how industries assess, scale and optimise resource flows across manufacturing systems. Surrey project lead, Professor Jhuma Sadhukhan and Professor Jin Xuan will apply physics-informed AI integrated with LCSA tools to map and improve every stage, from raw material acquisition to resource recirculation. The novel digital twin framework will not only model processes; it will make them smarter, enabling real-time optimisation across interconnected supply chains.

C-Loop is our moonshot to turn sustainability from a compliance checkbox into a design driver. By embedding intelligence into the flow of materials and decisions, we’re not just reducing waste – we’re rewriting the rulebook for how industrial systems should evolve. Professor Jhuma Sadhukhan, Associate Director of Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts | Vice Chancellor Researcher of the Year 2024 | Professor of Environmental, Energy and Chemical Engineering

The framework brings together environmental, economic and social data to support greener manufacturing and inform inclusive policy, grounded in international ISO standards. The goal is to help industry adopt sustainable practices at scale while creating green jobs, paving the way for a truly regenerative industrial future.

C-Loop is one of four UK-wide engineering biology hubs funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The initiative is led by Professor Stephen Wallace, Chair of Chemical Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Universities of Surrey, Manchester, Nottingham, UCL and Imperial College London.

Amid a growing population, diminishing natural resources, and a changing climate, there is now an urgent environmental, industrial and political imperative to rapidly harness engineering biology technologies to defossilise manufacturing and accelerate the UK’s path to net-zero.

C-Loop brings together diverse expertise from across academic disciplines, industrial sectors, and the entire value-chain to drive the growth and scale-up of this emerging technology, unlocking its full climate and economic potential. Professor Stephen Wallace, Director of C-Loop

The hub also includes over 40 industry partners and will establish the UK’s first BioFactory – a dedicated platform for waste analysis, sustainability evaluation and scale-up that will cut emissions, reduce landfill and help to build a fossil-free manufacturing base.

Achieving a circular economy requires a fundamental redesign of how we produce and use resources. At Surrey, we’re developing intelligent models that can reveal hidden inefficiencies, predict system behaviour, and support data-driven design. By embedding these insights into manufacturing, we can drive real change at scale and accelerate the UK’s journey to net zero. Professor Jin Xuan, Associate Dean (Research and Innovation)