Dr Mike Morris 2000 - Ph.D University of East London. Thesis title: ‘The use of phospholipid fatty acid profiles to determine the diversity of soil microbial communities on managed woodland stands'. 1989 - M.Sc. Analytical Biochemistry, University of Dund

Business Development Manager for the BEACON Biorefining project

Biorefining: Since 2007 I have worked on the bioconversion of the high-sugar perennial rye-grasses (HSPRG) (Lolium perenne) that have been developed through conventional breeding over a 30 year period by the grass breeders at IBERS (previously IGER). Since 2009 I have been the lead scientist on the Defra-LINK Grassohol project investigating the economic feasibility of a HSPRG based biorefinery. This work has been directed toward production of ethanol but I am particularly interested in developing a range of value products from biomass feedstocks, including novel polymerics, platform chemicals (lactic & succinic acid), native proteins, lipids/oils & bioactive compounds etc. I am also responsible for the Biomass Processing KTC which provides larger scale capability of processing biomass, including densification by means of a 400kg/hr pellet press (for biomass & feed pelleting), 4 inch pilot screw press, 15kw hammer mill, drying ovens & the Sartoflow-alphaDL cross-flow filtration system.

I am interested in developing business contacts & R&D collaborations in the area of biorefining between Biorenewables at IBERS & both local, national & international SMEs' & organisations.

Project involvement

• DEFRA RM LINK (2009-12) Conversion of High Sugar Grasses to alcohol based transport fuel (Grassohol)
• WAG CIRP/A4B (2009-12) Use of high sugar grasses for the production of ethanol (Grassohol-WAG)
• WAG CIRP/A4B (2009-11) Equipment grant for 'Biomass processing for high-value products' Knowledge Transfer Centre
• WAG CIRP/A4B) (2010-12) Fibres to products using enzymes (Fibrzymes)
• DTI (2007-2010) Succinic esters from renewable feedstocks (SERF)
• PBL commercial (2008-11) Prebiotics from grasses
• Applied Enzyme Technology collaboration (2009-11)
• BEACON (2010-15) - responsible for designing the new biorefining pilot facility building. Specification & purchase of the larger scale processing equipment for the BEACON facility

I received my PhD from the University of East London in 2000 with a thesis titled "The Use of Phospholipid Fatty Acid Profiles to Determine the Diversity of Soil Microbial Communities on Managed Woodland Stands" under the supervision of Jim Harris.
In February 2001 I started a 3 year Post-doc contract with Dr John Witty at IGER to design and build a portable "electronic nose" instrument to measure soil porosity and monitor efflux of anaerobic gases from soil cores as a way of determining soil quality.
Since early 2007 I have worked on the bioconversion of the high-sugar perennial rye-grasses (HSPRG) (Lolium perenne) that have been developed through conventional breeding over a 30 year period by the grass breeders at IBERS (previously IGER).
Since 2009 I have been the lead scientist on the Defra-LINK Grassohol project where we have been looking at the economic feasibility of a HSPRG based biorefinery. While this work has necessarily been directed toward production of ethanol I am particularly interested in developing a range of value products from this and other biomass feedstocks, these include novel polymerics, platform chemicals (lactic & succinic acid), native proteins, lipids/oils and bioactive compounds etc.