Almac, the contract development and manufacturing organization, is involved in a synthetic biology project to develop novel routes to chemicals. Other partners in the academic-industry collaboration include Bangor University (Wales) and Hockley International (manufacturer and exporter of environmental health and industrial chemical products).

A grant of £1 million ($1.6 million) has been awarded to the research team by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council and Technology Strategy Board. The funding is specifically targeted at bringing a novel chemical produced via an enzymatic route from under-utilized natural oil to the market.

Almac is currently performing the research and development work at its Northern Ireland-based laboratories. The company is partnering with scientific experts from both the University's College of Natural Sciences and Hockley to progress the project over a three-year period.

Source: Almac