C1net CONFERENCE 2 – CHEMICALS FROM C1 GAS

24/07/2016 - 26/07/2016

What: Free participation and full board for two nights and two days

When: Sunday 24 July – Tuesday 26 July 2016

Where: East Midlands Conference Centre and Orchard Hotel, University of Nottingham, University Park campus, Nottingham, NG7 2RJ

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Report

This summer’s heat wave lasted just long enough to allow a jaded sun to shine upon the C1net conference on “C1 gas fermentation”.   This was the second conference to be held by The University of Nottingham’s based BBSRC-NIBB “C1net” and was organised by network manager Jacque Minton.  The event was held July 24 – 26 at the East Midlands Conference Centre, University Park Campus, Nottingham, giving visiting delegates the opportunity to visit the “State of the Art” SBRC research laboratories as well as enabling a large number of Nottingham students to attend a high calibre international conference.

Formally starting with a Welcome BBQ at the Orchard Hotel, there followed 2 days packed with talks, pitches and posters.  With the aim of bringing together academic and industrial scientists to commercially exploit C1 gas organisms as platforms for chemical manufacture, the conference attracted 108 attendees, 24 of whom came from industry.   Delegates were mainly from the UK, with 12 from Europe and 2 from the USA.    A total of 29 talks were presented, 10 of which were invited; the rest were selected from abstracts, or were Proof of Concept (POC) reports.  Eminent veteran scientist Rolf Thauer topped the bill with his key note talk “How Acetogens Form Ethanol when Growing on Syngas”, but space was also made in the programme for 4 PhD students to gain valuable oral presenting experience.   Additionally, 13 pitches were made in a fast-fired session to find partners for the four POC funds of £50,000 on offer.  A total of 17 academic posters were presented along with an Outreach display by Outreach Officer Louise Dynes, showcasing the new C1net board game “Game of Fuels” for use in schools.

Delegates gave good feedback for the conference. They appreciated the high calibre of invited speakers, the mix of academia and industry, the PhD student presentations, and the ample opportunity to network.  Many new relationships were forged which we are hopeful will initiate new collaborations.

“I honestly thought it was one of the best programmes of any meeting I have been to”.

“The talks were varied and I found areas not remotely linked to my subject area to be some of the most interesting”.

“Many excellent talks, many contacts, part of them new and unexpected”.

“Enjoyed the conference, some leading presentations.  Good commercialisations seen.  Great organisation.  Thank you”.

Survey Results:-
100% thought it was well organised
98% thought the venue was very god/excellent
95% thought the programme was very/extremely engaging
92% thought the pitching was useful
93% met new contacts
48% may/will put in a POC application

Several applications were made for the four £50K POC awards, the results announced in November 2016 were :-

  • Alex Conradie (University of Nottingham) “Exoelectrogenic Intensification of CO2/ H2 Fermentations using 02 as Final Electron Acceptor”
  • Nigel Minton (University of Nottingham) “Development of an assembly-based, recombineering pipeline for overcoming recalcitrance to DNA transfer caused by RM systems in C1 chassis”
  • Martin Warren (University of Kent) “Towards improved bioprocess kinetics for C1 feedstock fermentation in acetogens”
  • William Zimmerman (University of Sheffield) “Microbubble enhanced gas exchange in a methanotroph gas fermenter”