Nearly 140,000 industrial materials and chemicals are marketed worldwide. Most of them are made from fossil feedstocks with high CO2 emission embedded, and very low resources efficiency. To maintain the UK's global competitiveness, it is vital to identify sustainable alternatives for the manufacturing of these chemicals and materials. Biomanufacturing, that utilises biological systems to produce commercially important biomaterials and biomolecules plays an important role in sustainable development, and has shown successful applications in manufacturing electronic components (e.g., bio-based flexible printed circuits), fine or specialty chemicals (e.g., bio-lubricants), building and construction (e.g., biocementation), consumer products (e.g., bio-based detergents), food (e.g., vitamin and amino acid fortification) and pharmaceuticals (e.g., vaccine production). However, none of the current biomanufacturing routes has achieved zero carbon loss or emission. In fact, many bioprocesses (such as those involving fermentation) will emit large amounts of CO2. In a typical biomanufacturing, only 2/3 of the carbon resources flow ends up in final products, while the rest 1/3 are lost during the manufacturing process, in the form of CO2 emissions and residue wastes. To address this challenge, the project will create the first-of-its-kind Zero Carbon Loss biomanufacturing system that will pave the way for the UK to reach the 2050 Net Zero target. This will be achieved by developing novel sustainable biomanufacturing of aromatics, heterocyclics and other lignocellulosics products with integrated carbon capture and utilization within the manufacturing process. These bio-based products, like building blocks of Lego, then will be used in different combinations to make various product such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, textile, composite materials, etc, with overall net zero carbon loss (emission and waste) throughout the manufacturing life cycle. The technology innovation and resources optimisation of the BMCCU manufacturing route (WP1) will be guided by real-time system wide sustainability assessments (WP3), linked by an interoperable digital twin of the manufacturing process beyond the state of the art (WP2). It creates a new approach in which the lifecycle sustainability assessments will serve as an interactive decision-making tool fully embedded in the early-stage technology developments, rather than traditional retrospective assessment. The project will contribute significantly to the UK's National Industrial Biotechnology Strategy, with a potential scope of £4.5 billion GVA, 63,000 jobs, and 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 saving per year by 2030. To achieve the vision, this proposal brings together a diverse multidisciplinary team from Loughborough University, Heriot-Watt University and Imperial College London, with world leading expertise in circular economy, intelligent manufacturing, industrial digitalisation and decarbonisation.

Nearly 140,000 industrial materials and chemicals are marketed worldwide. Most of them are made from fossil feedstocks with high CO2 emission embedded, and very low resources efficiency. To maintain the UK's global competitiveness, it is vital to identify sustainable alternatives for the manufacturing of these chemicals and materials. Biomanufacturing, that utilises biological systems to produce commercially important biomaterials and biomolecules plays an important role in sustainable development, and has shown successful applications in manufacturing electronic components (e.g., bio-based flexible printed circuits), fine or specialty chemicals (e.g., bio-lubricants), building and construction (e.g., biocementation), consumer products (e.g., bio-based detergents), food (e.g., vitamin and amino acid fortification) and pharmaceuticals (e.g., vaccine production). However, none of the current biomanufacturing routes has achieved zero carbon loss or emission. In fact, many bioprocesses (such as those involving fermentation) will emit large amounts of CO2. In a typical biomanufacturing, only 2/3 of the carbon resources flow ends up in final products, while the rest 1/3 are lost during the manufacturing process, in the form of CO2 emissions and residue wastes. To address this challenge, the project will create the first-of-its-kind Zero Carbon Loss biomanufacturing system that will pave the way for the UK to reach the 2050 Net Zero target. This will be achieved by developing novel sustainable biomanufacturing of aromatics, heterocyclics and other lignocellulosics products with integrated carbon capture and utilization within the manufacturing process. These bio-based products, like building blocks of Lego, then will be used in different combinations to make various product such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, textile, composite materials, etc, with overall net zero carbon loss (emission and waste) throughout the manufacturing life cycle. The technology innovation and resources optimisation of the BMCCU manufacturing route (WP1) will be guided by real-time system wide sustainability assessments (WP3), linked by an interoperable digital twin of the manufacturing process beyond the state of the art (WP2). It creates a new approach in which the lifecycle sustainability assessments will serve as an interactive decision-making tool fully embedded in the early-stage technology developments, rather than traditional retrospective assessment. The project will contribute significantly to the UK's National Industrial Biotechnology Strategy, with a potential scope of £4.5 billion GVA, 63,000 jobs, and 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 saving per year by 2030. To achieve the vision, this proposal brings together a diverse multidisciplinary team from Loughborough University, Heriot-Watt University and Imperial College London, with world leading expertise in circular economy, intelligent manufacturing, industrial digitalisation and decarbonisation.

Humanity faces critical global challenges in supplying clean energy, food, medicines and materials for a population forecast to reach 10 billion by 2050. Chemical synthesis will play a central role in addressing these challenges, as organic molecules are the fundamental building blocks of drugs, agrochemicals, and materials. However, the synthesis of most chemicals remains energy intensive, requiring fossil fuel feedstocks and endangered metal catalysts, and produces huge levels of waste - far from what is needed for a net-zero future. The essential transition to a circular chemistry economy will materialise only with a total re-think of organic synthesis: a 'Chemical Revolution' is urgently needed, for which Industry users will require a 'next generation' of suitably trained graduates. Without such change, the chemical industry will not be able to sustain the necessary pace of innovation in new chemical technologies, in the face of rapidly changing chemical regulation and policy, thus rendering this CDT crucial for the future of UK PLC. The Oxford-York ESPRC CDT in Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet will deliver world-leading, ground-breaking training to a next generation of synthetic chemists, developing a sustainable, innovative chemistry culture that equips them to address major emerging and future global challenges in Human Health, Energy and Materials, and Food Security. In doing so, we meet a critical User Need, by supplying the workforce that is essential to create the innovative solutions UK chemical industries urgently require. Our overarching objective is to train students to supersede current practices for the synthesis of functional organic molecules by developing sustainable, field-advancing synthetic pathways to the complex targets needed in drug discovery, agrochemistry, and materials development. Our student cohorts will work together in a training period at both Oxford and York, before engaging with industry co-supervised projects in four research fields that develop innovative, sustainable transformations and synthetic strategies, and apply them in pharma, agro and materials chemistry contexts. With around a third of projects supervised jointly at Oxford and York, we will ensure a strong cross-institute connection; whole programme meetings and research field seminars will enable students across multiple cohorts to contribute to and elevate each others' science. Our association with the Eur1.25bn Center for the Transformation of Chemistry brings a unique connection for our students to a major initiative that is aiming to revolutionise chemical synthesis, as well its >140 chemical organisations across Europe. Our partnership with >10 SMEs and their Entrepreneurs-in-Residence will develop entrepreneurial skills and ensure students are exposed to the cutting-edge of chemical innovation in UK PLC. The applications and benefits from the CSHP CDT are many: Primarily, we will develop a UK-wide network of sustainably-minded, innovative chemists ready to meet the urgent User Needs of the UK chemical industry, bolstering this major sector of UK PLC. The scientists graduating from the CSHP CDT, the high-level science they produce, along with the related tools and technologies, will all contribute to the UK's ambitions as a Physical and Mathematical Sciences Powerhouse. We will set new benchmarks for graduate training by ensuring sustainability is embedded and visible in all research and its outputs, as well as influencing and connecting to graduates across the UK through biennial symposia. Our cohorts' work as Sustainability Ambassadors will permeate our exciting discoveries and the message of the future role of synthetic chemistry throughout society - from school to the general public. Above all, we believe this rigorous and inspirational programme is utterly essential if the UK is to remain globally competitive in the rapidly evolving chemistry landscape.

The centre will focus on negative emission technologies. Most climate policy specialists in the UK and around the world consider these will be essential to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. At present the Supergen Bioenergy hub has 2 research projects on BECCS (focused on gasification), the Oxford based greenhouse removal hub works with 4 demonstrators (on biochar, peatlands, enhanced weathering and afforestation), all focused on academic research in UK institutes. This project will work with both Supergen and the GGR Hub (as well as the dmonstrators which have Nottingham and Aston leadership and participation) to expand the research to the currently neglected areas of engineered GGR solutions. The scale and level of activity often makes it difficult for individual universiteis to engage fully in the needs of the sector and so the CDT will address that by providing a wide pool of supervisors, facilities and disciplinary perspectives. No other centre currently does this for PhD students. No other centre has or is planned to address the future skills need with the huge anticipated expansion of this centre. The main technological themes are: Direct air capture and CO2 storage Direct air capture and CO2 utilization Biochar synthesis and utilisation Biomass to materials and chemicals CO2 Utilization Biomass to energy with carbon capture and storage