It is no secret that plastics are destroying our planet - especially our oceans.
Approximately 400m tonnes of plastics are produced each year, with 40% designated for single-use such as straws, according to EQUO.
Additionally, at least 14 million tonnes of plastics enter the oceans annually, constituting about 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments, IUCN reported.
The Problem with Microplastics in Marine Environments
The impacts of this have been widely reported with marine species ingesting these plastics leading to illness, injury, and death.
Microplastics are also spread in the marine environment, again affecting marine health.
In 2022, scientists from Universiteit Amsterdam found that microplastics from the sea and air have been found in human blood which can potentially cause damage to human cells and be lodged in organs.
Scientists have urged for changes around plastic usage and recycling to ensure the safety of our wildlife and human health.
Synthetic Biology Solutions for Sustainable Plastics
Enter E.V.A Biosystems, the University of Edinburgh spinout that is using synthetic biology additives to develop new bioplastics for manufacturing.
Alex Speakman, the start-up's founder, says that the biological additives that the company makes are placed into plastics that can selectively degrade in certain environments. In other words, the plastic will only break down when it enters an area like the ocean.
“The technology comes in the form of microbes,” says Speakman. “It is specifically bacteria that can be embedded within the plastics during the manufacturing process.” “The bacteria lie dormant until they are activated by a certain stimuli, such as a high concentration of salt that could indicate seawater,” he says.
By using engineering biology, E.V.A Biosystems can customise what activates the bacteria and what they do in response to a specific environment.
“Using enzymatic degradation means we can degrade plastics at a polymer level meaning that the whole product will serve as food for bacteria and leave nothing - rather than current plastics which turn into microplastics,” says Speakman.
A Personal Mission Against Plastic Littering
Speakman always wanted to be an inventor and completed his Doctorate in bioengineering at the University of Edinburgh. His exposure to the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem further pushed him to launch his start-up. The concept of his technology began in 2020 with the start-up being founded in 2021.
In addition, his concerns over the environment helped hone in on his technology to focus specifically on plastic degradation. “I initially saw this invention as a platform that can be used for a lot of different applications,” he says. “But plastics that can degrade themselves very quickly stood out as the strongest application.”
“It’s frustrating, for instance, when you go to the beach, and you see large amounts of litter washing up on the shores. It is disheartening. This coupled with the commercial opportunity meant it was the best fit for me,” he says.
“The plastics industry needs change. But it has so much inertia that a paradigm shift is going to be hard to achieve but I think technology like mine would work in the existing system and make a meaningful difference,” he says.
Industry Response and Early Recognition
Since E.V.A Biosystems' launch, the company has gained a positive response to its invention and has also won awards such as the Young Scottish EDGE award. Speakman says that the company’s attraction comes from the growing urgency around plastics. “Plastic pollution is a tangible problem, and it resonates with a lot of people, but they are reluctant to change and disrupt an industry they know,” he says.
He says that plastic companies view E.V.A Biosystems' invention as something that fits in with what they are working with. “We get a lot of questions about the technology, but the corporations are receptive to the fact that we’re in our early stages. We are still figuring out what’s the best way forward, and they're keen to support us on that journey,” he says.
Scaling Innovation and Overcoming Challenges
Despite the startup's growing success, Speakman is aware that scaling will cause a potential setback. “Taking something from a flask to a 10,000-litre bioreactor is not smooth sailing—but we are working with a company called IbioIC that can help make the scale-up journey possible,” he says.
He also says that the company has several technical questions that need answering. “We need to optimise our manufacturing compatibility and the actual degradation performance of the microbes, but we also need to be mindful of the degradation products themselves,” Speakman says.
“We need to make sure that the degradation is working as planned and measure how safe this practice is - and this involves a lot of R & D,” he says. Speakman says that even though the journey for the company will be a long one, he is optimistic that with the correct funding and drive that the results will be worth it.
Looking Ahead: Product Development and Expansion
Speakman says that the next steps for the company involve investing in new technologies, finding new customers and further refining the product. “We need to demonstrate compatibility with injection moulding for mass manufacturing,” he says.
“We also need to gather data on the degradation product and those microplastics, because the corporations want answers to this question,” he says. “Finally, we are looking to expand our team, especially people with manufacturing and commercial expertise,” he says.
Speakman ends by praising the Scottish Entrepreneurial ecosystem and bio-economy, highlighting the success of E.V.A Biosystems to the region. “I don’t think a company like mine could have flourished like this anywhere else. I was one scientist with a weird idea, but I have made the most of it with the support from universities, Scottish Enterprise, and the competitions I mentioned,” he says.
“Scotland breeds innovation. The region punches well above its weight, and people should be keeping an eye on the other companies coming out of this ecosystem,” he says.
