To continue our series of conversations about the future of bio-based compounds and products research and development, we spoke to Dr. Andrew Mearns-Spragg, a marine biotechnology entrepreneur and Chief Scientific Officer at Jellagen, a company pioneering the development of collagen derived from jellyfish for advanced wound care and tissue healing. The conversation shed light on the advantages, benefits, barriers and main issues for companies that are transitioning to more sustainable sources, helping to create a more environmentally friendly society for all.
Bio-based compounds hold significant potential for reducing environmental impact across a wide range of industries. Dr. Mearns-Spragg points out that many sectors, including cosmetics, food supplements, and even agriculture, could replace harmful synthetic chemicals with greener alternatives. “Bio-fermentation is a very good route to developing production routes or synthetic routes for compounds,” he says, emphasizing that it allows industries to use natural ingredients without sacrificing product quality or effectiveness.
On the other hand, one of the main hurdles, however, lies in the cost of bio-based alternatives. Unsustainable chemicals are often cheaper, making it challenging for industries to transition. “For me is the key barrier: The cost of goods. So, the thing is though, for many of these, what I call synthetic feedstocks, they’re really quite cheap, which makes it challenging for industry to then swap to greener solutions, because that will affect the price”, Dr. Mearns-Spragg notes. He believes that one solution to this challenge lies in government policy. He advocates for tax incentives to encourage companies to adopt greener practices:
“For example, to get a green tax advantage: although their profitability might be impacted to a certain degree, they can then apply for a tax advantage on sales. It could be that they want to move towards a green-based bioeconomy, but they know they can’t do it for some of what I call the bulk ingredient side of things. But if they could offset 20% of their bulk ingredients by a bio-based solution that would augment that, then that should be rewarded in the tax system to allow them to then grow that basis.” Dr. Mearns-Spragg explains.
According to Dr. Mearns-Spragg, such incentives could make it more economically feasible for industries to adopt bio-based solutions, even if they are more expensive upfront. He argues that it could also help bio-based products penetrate higher-end markets first, where companies are willing to pay a premium for sustainable solutions. In industries like cosmetics, there is already a strong demand for products that are vegan-friendly and derived from green chemistry. “Cosmetics have been very good at using bio-based products because the cost of producing active ingredients from fermentation can be profitable,” he adds. But, beyond financial incentives, Dr. Mearns-Spragg stresses the importance of aligning industries and research clusters to foster innovation. He suggests that projects like SECRETed, which seeks to develop green chemistry solutions, should join biosynthetic biology groups and clusters to collaborate on scaling production and reducing costs. “For me, I think the biosynthesis or the synthetic biology groups and clusters would be the first step”, he says. SECRETed already participates in such clusters and actively seeks networking opportunities where its vision and goals can be communicated.
Finally, in terms of environmental impact, bio-based compounds offer tangible benefits. Dr. Mearns-Spragg points just a few of them: “innovations like spider silk and apple waste are helping reduce the need for plastics in clothing, while algal fermentation produces carotenoids for food supplements”. These are just some of the ways bio-based solutions are already making a difference. Agri-tech might also be a good example of this. As Dr. Mearns-Spragg puts it: “Farmers are coming under huge amounts of pressure at the moment, particularly in the UK, and I’m sure it’s the same in Europe. They have got real problems in terms of enabling production of sustainable food crops and livestock”, he adds that a benefit of bio-based compounds might help solve this by looking into “the waste streams and how you process them by using biotechnology and engineering solutions to really capture their value. For example, using crop waste in its interest and developing data on how they then process the crop waste being won and what new biological activities does that crop waste then provide, that can then be sold at probably a higher price than the actual original crop, ironically”.
In conclusion, bio-based compounds present a promising path toward a more sustainable future. However, the transition from synthetic chemicals to greener alternatives requires collaboration between industries, researchers, and policymakers. By providing economic incentives and fostering innovation, we can create a marketplace where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. As Dr. Mearns-Spragg concludes, “It’s about making things that are not only better for the environment but also competitive in the marketplace.” With continued effort, the future of bio-based compounds looks bright.