APPLES Consortium To Develop Improved In-Line Liquid Monitoring Technologies For The Manufacture Of High-Value Products

Romsey, UK – 29 March 2010 A consortium of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Green Biologics and the Centre for Processing Innovation (CPI), led by Stratophase, is developing a cost-effective, multi-parametric sensor system for increasing the efficiency of high-value liquid based production processes. The £1.2m APPLES (Advanced Process and Production Light Enabled Sensors) project is funded with assistance from the UK government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board. The project sets out to maximise yield and minimise waste within high value manufacturing processes. This is achieved through a better understanding of real-time processes, thus enabling GSK, Green Biologics and CPI to enhance their ability to develop, and scale up, both existing and novel biofuel and active pharmaceutical ingredient production processes. The consortium is producing and validating a sensor system capable of monitoring multiple parameters in liquids both non-disruptively and in-line throughout the production cycle to provide superior economical benefit and clear environmental dividends.

As a general purpose process monitoring system, the sensor developments within APPLES offer multiple complementary measurement types integrated into one sensor ‘head’, allowing real-time evaluation of complex reactions. Commenting on the APPLES project, Dr Richard Williams, CEO of Stratophase said, “The APPLES project will result in more efficient processes than are currently available through application of a cheaper and more informative monitoring system. The realisation of such a monitoring system would not be possible without close collaboration between experts in process development and sensing technology, the support from the Technology Strategy Board has been invaluable in the formation of such a strong consortium.”

The technology is intrinsically safe, (passive and spark free) and will enable the monitoring of the state of the product throughout the manufacturing cycle and allow tighter and more timely control over the production process. Benefits include an increase in product quality and production efficiency, together with a reduction in waste and energy consumption making the new system highly relevant to a wide range of industrial processes.

For further information on the APPLES, please visit www.stratophase.com.

About Stratophase:

Stratophase is a VC-funded spin-out from the University of Southampton in the UK. Its unique SpectroSens technology is an optical microchip sensor which measures chemical processes and detects biological targets. This core optical measurement technology can be realised in a vast array of sensing heads, offering a wide variety of system configurations applicable to a broad spectrum of industries including chemical and biochemical production as well as biological detection.

The Stratophase team, guided by CEO Dr Richard Williams, includes the original inventors of the SpectroSens technology as well as senior managers with a vast array of industry experience.

About GlaxoSmithKline:

GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

About Green Biologics:

Green Biologics Ltd (GBL) provides world leading technology, based on advanced fermentation biotechnology, for the production of renewable butanol and other chemicals from waste and agricultural by-products. GBL is based near Oxford and serves markets around the world, generating royalty and other revenues by adding significant value to customer operations.

About Centre for Process Innovation:

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is the UK’s foremost technology innovation centre for the chemical process industries and operates in two main fields: sustainable processing and printable electronics. CPI’s remit is to address a gap in the innovation process occurring between university research and the commercial market. Ultimately, CPI converts inventions into new products, processes and services that create value for the UK economy.

www.uk-cpi.com

About the Technology Strategy Board:

The Technology Strategy Board is an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB), established by the Government in 2007 and sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The activities of the Technology Strategy Board are jointly supported and funded by BIS and other government departments, the devolved administrations, regional development agencies and research councils.

With a focus on driving innovation, the Technology Strategy Board aim to stimulate technology–enabled innovation in the areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity. It promotes supports and invests in technology research, development and commercialisation. Furthermore, it spreads knowledge, bringing people together to solve problems or make new advances.

The Technology Strategy Board advises government on how to remove barriers to innovation and accelerate the exploitation of new technology. Work is carried out in areas where there is a clear potential business benefit, helping today’s emerging technologies become the growth sector of tomorrow.

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