Engineering saponin biosynthesis pathways for bio-production of novel vaccine adjuants
Lead Research Organisation:
John Innes Centre
Department Name: Biochemistry and Metabolism
Abstract
Plants are a rich source of drugs and other high-value compounds. During the nineteenth century, advances in chemistry enabled many bioactive natural products to be purified from plants and their structures determined, paving the way for the emergence of the pharmaceutical industry. The first naturally derived pure medicine to be commercialized was morphine, extracted from opium Merck in 1826. Subsequently efforts were made to make natural products by chemical synthesis, the first example being salicylic acid, produced commercially by Bayer in 1899. However, despite these and other successes, the vast majority of plant metabolic diversity has remained untapped due to the problems of accessing source species, purifying compounds and the challenges of chemical synthesis.
The ability to decode the chemical potential of plants by sequencing their transcriptomes and/or genomes and to then use this information as an instruction manual to make drugs and other high-value chemicals is opening up new routes to harness the vast chemical diversity of the Plant Kingdom. We have established transient plant expression technology for the rapid reconstruction of plant metabolic pathways and demonstrated that this system can be used to access gram-scale quantities of products. This technology is readily scalable and has been used for commercial production of vaccines. This project is intended to demonstrate that plant-based metabolic engineering is a viable route to the commercial production of pharmaceuticals (and other high-value compounds), and also a credible platform for the generation of molecular diversity and new product discovery. The focus of the proposed work is on engineering saponin biosynthesis pathways for bio-production of novel vaccine adjuvants. The outputs have the potential to broaden the diversity of available adjuvants and expand the resources and the capabilities of the vaccines industry as a whole, to the benefit of the industry and society.
The ability to decode the chemical potential of plants by sequencing their transcriptomes and/or genomes and to then use this information as an instruction manual to make drugs and other high-value chemicals is opening up new routes to harness the vast chemical diversity of the Plant Kingdom. We have established transient plant expression technology for the rapid reconstruction of plant metabolic pathways and demonstrated that this system can be used to access gram-scale quantities of products. This technology is readily scalable and has been used for commercial production of vaccines. This project is intended to demonstrate that plant-based metabolic engineering is a viable route to the commercial production of pharmaceuticals (and other high-value compounds), and also a credible platform for the generation of molecular diversity and new product discovery. The focus of the proposed work is on engineering saponin biosynthesis pathways for bio-production of novel vaccine adjuvants. The outputs have the potential to broaden the diversity of available adjuvants and expand the resources and the capabilities of the vaccines industry as a whole, to the benefit of the industry and society.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Anne Osbourn (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Goddard ZR
(2024)
Advances in triterpene drug discovery.
in Trends in pharmacological sciences
Jo S
(2025)
Unlocking saponin biosynthesis in soapwort.
in Nature chemical biology
Martin LBB
(2024)
Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21.
in Nature chemical biology
Polturak G
(2023)
Discovery of isoflavone phytoalexins in wheat reveals an alternative route to isoflavonoid biosynthesis.
in Nature communications
Reed J
(2023)
Elucidation of the pathway for biosynthesis of saponin adjuvants from the soapbark tree.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Spence P
(2024)
Harnessing plant biosynthesis for the development of next-generation therapeutics.
in PLoS biology
Winegar PH
(2024)
Verazine biosynthesis from simple sugars in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
in Metabolic engineering
| Description | Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) is a flowering plant from the Caryophyllaceae family with a long history of human use as a traditional source of soap. Its detergent properties are because of the production of polar compounds (saponins), of which the oleanane-based triterpenoid saponins, saponariosides A and B, are the major components. Soapwort saponins have anticancer properties and are also of interest as endosomal escape enhancers for targeted tumor therapies. Intriguingly, these saponins share common structural features with the vaccine adjuvant QS-21 and, thus, represent a potential alternative supply of saponin adjuvant precursors. We have sequenced the S. officinalis genome and, through genome mining and combinatorial expression, identified 14 enzymes that complete the biosynthetic pathway to saponarioside B. These enzymes include a noncanonical cytosolic GH1 (glycoside hydrolase family 1) transglycosidase required for the addition of d-quinovose. This work was published in Nature Chemical Biology in 2024 (Jo et al). We have also use combinatorial strategies to make suites of triterpene saponin analogues. Our results open avenues for accessing and engineering natural and new-to-nature pharmaceuticals, drug delivery agents and potential immunostimulants. |
| Exploitation Route | This work has contributed to establishing the foundation of a new spin-out company from the Osbourn lab, HotHouse Therapereutics. |
| Sectors | Chemicals Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | The focus of this project is on engineering saponin biosynthesis pathways for bio-production of novel vaccine adjuvants. This work has been instrumental in enabling the PI to establish a large new research programme on harnessing plant natural products as therapeutics, funded by a Wellcome Discovery Award (2024-2032). It has also paved the way for a new spin-out company, HotHouse Therapeutics, which became operational in July 2024 and has raised £3.7M in seed funds and grants. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Attended Roundtable meeting to discuss how Government might further help in the UK's engineering biology sector. |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Member, UK Engineering Biology Steering Group (not the Engineering Biology Advisory Panel |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/engineering-biology-advisory-panel |
| Description | Visit by Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for human health |
| Amount | £4,817,214 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 227375/Z/23/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2031 |
| Description | Drug delivery |
| Organisation | University of Fribourg |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have initiated a collaboration to investigate the anti-cancer properties of plant medicinal compounds |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborative work involving assays of purified compounds |
| Impact | This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving plant metabolic biology and medicinal chemistry |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Company Name | HotHouse Therapeutics |
| Description | HotHouse Therapeutics develops natural biotechnology solutions. |
| Year Established | 2020 |
| Impact | Company operational from July 2024, with a seed fund raise of ~£3.7 M |
| Description | "A million shades of green: Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for therapeutic applications" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | SCI Engineering Biology Conference, theme of translation out of academia into industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | "Unlocking a pharmaceutical treasure trove-Elucidation of the pathway for biosynthesis of saponariosides from the soapwort plant" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Post Doc talk at Plant Genomes, Systems Biology & Engineering Conference Nov. 29th - Dec. 2nd 2023, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | AO attended Synthetic Biology Industrial Translation Showcase @Synbio_Showcase:Synbite Showcase Programme at the Royal Academy of Engineering 17.11.22 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The aim of the 1-Day SynbiTECH Showcase was to reflect important issues and changes in the field of synthetic biology/engineering biology. As with the previous SynbiTECH meetings, the focus was primarily be on the development of the U.K.'s industrial and commercial synthetic biology/engineering biology sector. Consequently, the programme did not only reflect industrial and company development, but, also, important associated matters including strategy and policy, finance, policy and biosecurity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.synbicite.com/news-events/2022/nov/17/synbicite-showcase-2022/ |
| Description | Anne Osbourn Novozymes Prize Symposium - 'A million shades of green: Understanding and harnessing plant metabolic diversity' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This Novozymes Symposium was focused on cutting edge research in understanding and harnessing plant metabolic diversity. Plants are chemical engineers par excellence, collectively making a vast array of structurally diverse natural products. These molecules have important ecological functions in nature. They are also important to humans for food, health and other industrial applications. The rapidly growing body of available plant genome sequence data is leading to a marked acceleration in the discovery of new biosynthetic pathways and chemistries. The focus of the symposium was on plant natural products - biosynthesis, function, mechanisms of metabolic diversification, and metabolic engineering. It included exciting talks from 12 invited speakers - experts in computational biology, integrated 'omics, biochemistry, metabolic biology, plant diversity and evolution, a mix of early career group leaders and more established research scientists from Europe, Asia and North America. Participants had ample opportunity to enjoy good food and networking in the coffee breaks, at lunch and dinner, and during the poster sessions. Registration was free for all attendees. Two publications have been generated as an outcome of this symposium, one already published in PLOS Biology, and another under submission (a commissioned highlight review for EMBO J, written by a team of five postdoctoral researchers from the Osbourn lab). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tilmeld.dk/anneosbournnovozymesprizesymposium |
| Description | Anne Osbourn meeting with George Freeman MP during visit to Norwich Research Park |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Anne Osbourn met George Freeman MP (Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) as one of the NRP Entrepreneurial Researchers. Professor Anne Osbourn, Founder of Hothouse Therapeutics, spoke about Unlocking Nature's Inaccessible Chemistry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Article - Vaccine Adjuvant QS-21 Produced in Tobacco |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | GEN Article quoting AS-21 Work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Article on Spin out - Hothouse Therapeutics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article published in Biosciencetoday - New spin-out at Norwich Research Park harnessing plant power for next generation drugs |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.biosciencetoday.co.uk/new-spin-out-at-norwich-research-park-harnessing-plant-power-for-n... |
| Description | Biological Diversity Work Group Panel Member |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | UKRI/BBSRC Biological Diversity Working Group in person and on zoom held on 23rd November 2023. Included 5 minute presentation on perspectives on biological diversity (including own research and wider opportunities, trends and drivers relating to biological diversity) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Conference Participant SynBITECH: Company Reviews and Panel Discussion: Women in SynBio |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Conference Participant SynBITECH: Company Reviews and Panel Discussion: Women in SynBio, Panel discussions |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Cracking Natures Code, Engineering Biology (House Magazine) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Content in magazine following an interview, which is targeted at the Houses of Parliament. Article Title: "Cracking Natures Code" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Discussion with Counsellor Kay Mason Billig - Leader of Norfolk County Council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Visit to discuss site development |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | GEN Article on Vaccine Adjuvant QS21 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | See article |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.genengnews.com/topics/bioprocessing/vaccine-adjuvant-qs-21-produced-in-tobacco/ |
| Description | Hosted school visit to our institute |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | We worked with the Country Trust to host a group of children from a local Primary school to visit the John Innes Centre to do some experiments in the training lab on natural products. The children were very excited to come into the lab and enjoyed wearing lab coats and goggles and using real science equipment. We had lots of PhD students help with the activity and the children liked chatting to them about what it's like to be a scientist. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Independent review of UKRI Roundtable discussion co-hosted by the Campaign for Science and Engineering & Sir David Grant |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Anne Osbourn was a member of an independent review of UKRI. Roundtable discussion. Co-hosted by the Campaign for Science and Engineering and Sir David Grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/news/ukri-welcomes-independent-review-report/ |
| Description | Interview with The House Magazine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Interviewed for The Hot House Magazine about work with HotHouse Therapeutics in an article about Engineering Biology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://library.myebook.com/thehouse/house-supplement-focus-on-dsit-house-1760/5275/#page/28 |
| Description | Magazine Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Interview with Journalist writing a piece about the Department for science, innovation and technology's vision for engineering biology, for House Magazine. Focusing on the vision and the government's aspirations for the field. Particular interest in way work is becoming increasingly important to medicine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Member of Group - UKRI BBSRC Biological Diversity Working Group Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Biological Diversity Working Group in person and on zoom held on 23rd November 2023. Included 5 minute presentation on perspectives on biological diversity (including own research and wider opportunities, trends and drivers relating to biological diversity) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | New Phytologist Workshop: Introducing Transformative Plant Biotechnology Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gave an interview introducing transformative plant biotechnology. Recorded during the workshop at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh in 2023. Published on YouTube in January 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XrjN3Ye1XA |
| Description | News Article on QS-21 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | See article |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/the-chilean-tree-that-could-cure-malar... |
| Description | Norwich Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Norwich Science Festival; interacting with the general public, Making Molecules |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Novozymes Prize Lecture - From plant defence to therapeutics: The metabolic poetry of science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | From plant defence to therapeutics: The metabolic poetry of science - Anne Osbourn presented the 2023 Novozymes Prize Lecture at John Innes Centre on Monday 12 June 2023 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Oral Presentation - "Finding Drugs in the garden: Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for therapeutic applications" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Oral presentation "Finding Drugs in the garden: Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for therapeutic applications" given at the New Phytologist Transformative Plant Biotechnology Workshop in Edinburgh on 20 September 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Oral Presentation - "Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for food and health applications" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | High Value Biorenewables Annual Meeting, 14-15 November 2023 in Manchester. Oral Presentation - "Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for food and health applications" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Panel Member - UKRI Connect Transforming Tomorrow Together Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Panel Member at UKRI Connect Transforming Tomorrow Together Event held on 20th October 2023. Aim of event was to showcase and discuss the local impacts of research and innovation, and how innovation in funding approaches can help facilitate this, consisted of two panels. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation at Royal College of Physicians: "Finding drugs in the garden: harnessing plant metabolic diversity for therapeutic applications" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Gave a presentation to Royal College of Physicians at their Medicinal Plant Lectures: July 2024, RCP at Regent's Park, London UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Presentation on HotHouse Therapeutics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented HotHouse Therapeutics at plenary event at the UKRI Connect Stakeholder engagement event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | School Visit (Cambourne) - SAW Trust |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 2 day hands-on SAW workshop for year 6 children at a Primary school in Cambourne. Aim to inspire and inform school children - there were 4 science activity stations followed by a creative writing activity and art activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Sci Comm East Conference Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ran a Science Art and Writing workshop at Sci Comm East Conference for people interested in creative approaches to public engagement. The participants worked through a plant natural product activity to learn how to use science topics to explore real research and then extend learning through creative writing and art. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Science Art and Writing Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | We visited a local Primary school to run a Science Art and Writing Project on the theme of natural products from plants. The children explored the diversity of natural products and had a go at extracting colour pigments from a variety of flowers and used acid/base reactions to identify chemicals. Then they learned about inflammation in our bodies and how some medicines have been developed to target this. We looked at boswellic acid which is extracted from frankincense trees and is a potent anti-inflammatory drug and passed around some frankincense for the children to feel and smell. The final experiment gave the children a mock ELISA assay plate and a selection of plant extract samples which they had to test for activity as anti-inflammatories. They further explored the concepts and new vocabulary though poetry writing and visual art activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Science Art and Writing Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | We visited a local Primary school to run a Science Art and Writing Project on the theme of natural products from plants. The children explored the diversity of natural products and had a go at extracting colour pigments from a variety of flowers and used acid/base reactions to identify chemicals. Then they learned about adjuvants and which plants provide sources of these. We looked at soapwort plants and the children had a go at making foam bubbles using plant extracts. Then we introduced the story of the soapbark tree, the importance of the adjuvant QS21 for better vaccines and how scientists are replicating this molecule to try and protect the trees. In the final activity the children worked in groups and used molymod to build a range of triterpenes. They further explored the concepts and new vocabulary though poetry writing and visual art activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Science Communication Lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Ran a science outreach workshop as part of the University of East Anglia's Science Communication module. Students were first encouraged to think about why sci comm is important and who the various audiences are. We worked through some example activities to show how complicated concepts can be broken down to make them accessible to a non-science audience and we also explored cross-disciplinary approaches to science outreach and the benefits seen by giving people different ways to explore science topics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Science, Art and Poetry activity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Delegates at the Anne Osbourn Novozymes Prize Symposium held at the John Innes Centre on Sep 9th and 10th 2024 participated in plant natural product-themed art and poetry activities run by the SAW Trust, during the refreshment and poster sessions. Colour pigments, ice cubes and diffusion were used to create flower-like patterns that were added to a display that grew over the course of the event and acrostic poems using key words related to the research topics were generated by people each adding a line. These were performed during the closing remarks of the event as a collaborative piece. The activities created an opportunity for delegates to work together, create and play which fostered an atmosphere for relaxed dialogue and a chance to consider novel approaches to science communication. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://sawtrust.org/ |
| Description | Seminar - "Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for food and health applications" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar given at VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology - Title: "Harnessing plant metabolic diversity for food and health applications" on 22nd February 2024 as part of a wider visit to the Center. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Seminar: "Finding drugs in the garden: Harnessing plant metabolic diversity" in the @IPS2ParisSaclay amphitheater on Tuesday 22nd November at 2 pm |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Professor Anne Osbourn gave a seminar about "Finding drugs in the garden: Harnessing plant metabolic diversity" in the @IPS2ParisSaclay amphitheater on Tuesday 22nd November at 2 pm |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Transforming Tomorrow Together Event Panel Member |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended UKRI Connect Transforming Tomorrow Together Event as a panel member. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Visit by Novo Nordisk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | TBC |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |