Kent Impact Acceleration

The University of Kent BBSRC and MRC IAAs are delighted to announce the second joint University of Kent and Discovery Park Innovation Showcase Event, to be held from 9.30am-3pm on Thursday 27th February 2025, in the Raleigh suite, Innovation House Discovery Park, Sandwich, Kent. Stakeholders from academia, industry, public and third sector organisations are invited to share ideas, collaborate and inspire each other - sign up at https://bit.ly/3Zn6ufZ #DiscoveryPark #Innovation #ImpactAccelerationAccounts

A fascinating insight into how bacterial enzymes can be harnessed to safely degrade polypropylene rope! Charlotte Bilsby presented her work on this exciting project at the #KentFungalGroup lecture. Charlotte's research is part of a collaboration led by Nutri-San's Michelle Marin Chau and Professor Tobias von der Haar of the University of Kent which has been supported by Growing Kent & Medway funding. With around 2.25 billion kilograms of polypropylene plastics produced globally every year, finding ways to safely degrade and dispose of this versatile and ubiquitous plastic is vital. Congratulations Charlotte on your work so far! #sustainability #innovation #collaboration

Congratulations to the business and academic collaborators awarded Business Innovation Vouchers by Growing Kent & Medway to advance sustainable innovation in our food systems! 🌱 5 of the 13 funded projects will draw on the expertise of academics in the School of Biosciences and School of Chemistry and Forensic Science at the University of Kent: 👉 Professor Tobias von der Haar will be working with Nutri-San to develop a yeast strain which can break down and destroy the plastic used in the seaweed cultivation process. 👉 Dr Robert Barker is helping the UK Carbon Code of Conduct understand the impact of different sizes, types and application rates of small rock particles (known as fines, a waste product from quarrying) on carbon capture and soil health. 👉 Dr Anastasios Tsaousis is using cutting-edge genetic sequencing techniques to help Inspro understand how different diets and environments influence the gut microbiome of black soldier fly larvae and how the natural fertiliser they produce can improve the nutrient availability and microbial diversity in soil. 👉 Dr Helen Cockerton will analyse the chemical profiles of hops to support Wantsum Brewery  to develop a new, sustainable, non-alcoholic beer using UK-grown hops. 👉 Dr Cockerton will also be working closely with Ramsgate Brewery Limited (Gadds’) and a Kent-based hop breeder to delve into the unique aroma, flavour and chemical composition of UK hops to help breweries select and use the right hops for their needs. Read more about the projects here ⬇ https://lnkd.in/dkmbug7j #Sustainability #Innovation #Collaboration

Biosciences University of Kent scientists find indications of Cryptosporidium on pre-washed salads. https://lnkd.in/ePj-_37H.

A great piece in THE this week - use of #Reflexivity practice to support postgraduate student wellbeing. University of Kent's Jennifer Tullet, Wellbeing Lead for the UK Research and Innovation/ BBSRC funded SoCoBio Doctoral Training Programme (a collaboration between Kent and other Universities in the South East), is leading this initiative which builds on pioneering work by the international "Women in Supramolecular Chemistry" group. The THE article was co-written by SoCoBio students who gave the Reflexivity Workshop a ringing endorsement. https://lnkd.in/eCVEGwb7 #Wellbeing #Postgraduates

Many thanks to everyone who attended the Kent BBSRC/MRC IAA Harmonised funding round workshop yesterday afternoon. It was great to see so many researchers there from across all six Academic Divisions of the University. Special thanks go to the Division of Natural Sciences Research and Innovation staff who supported the event and also to Barrie Bernadette Rooney our Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, who provided her business insight and David Beal who gave his advice on how to successfully apply for BBSRC and MRC IAA funding. Thanks everyone for making it a fantastic event!

Impact of a different kind: on April 3rd the Gulbenkian Theatre at the University of Kent hosted this year's regional FameLab heat, with science communication talks on spaceballs, sleeping seals, statistics and other interesting topics (not all beginning with S). Watch the talks on KMTV at https://lnkd.in/e452jWd9 - they are really excellent.

Taking agricultural waste and seeking nutritional value, a great opportunity for further research and innovation

In a project supported by Kent’s BBSRC Impact Acceleration Account, Marina Ezcurra’s lab at the University of Kent School of Biosciences are using their favourite model organism (the nematode C. elegans) to characterise the nutritional and nutraceutical value of agricultural waste. In collaboration with Kentish wine producers they demonstrated that marc (the skins and pips left over from grape pressings) contains compounds that increase the stress tolerance of C. elegans, paving the way for the useful exploitation of this resource which is currently going to waste.

Really looking forward to this AI Industry Forum event at the University of Kent on the 1st May. Hope to see you there!