Research outputs per year
Research outputs per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
At the Centre for Enzyme Innovation, we are working to solve one of the most pressing environmental issues facing our planet.
Learning from the natural world, we are delivering transformative enzyme-enabled solutions for the circular recycling of plastics.
Following a £5.8 million award from the Research England Expanding Excellence Fund in 2019, and a £1m award from the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership in 2020 through the HM Government Getting Building Fund, we have created state-of-the-art facilities and built a team of specialist multidiscipline researchers to deliver world-class research and innovation.
We currently have 30 scientists covering a wide range of disciplines including microbiology, molecular biophysics, biochemistry, enzyme engineering and synthetic biology, biotechnology, and more recently, polymer chemistry.
Hosted in our new custom laboratories, we have the expertise and facilities required to help tackle the challenge of plastic pollution and develop enzyme-based low energy, low carbon, biorecycling solutions.
Our research sits at the interface between enzymes and polymers with a focus on both pure and applied research in biocatalysis.
We are expanding our research and innovation activities to address the diverse range of plastics, including mixed waste streams and composites, materials that are often incinerated or end up in landfill and leak to the environment.
Our research is divided into 4 areas:
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Discover new enzymes from the environment that break down plastics
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Engineer these enzymes to enhance their activity, stability and yield
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Deploy enzymes by pilot scale fermentation and industry-ready formulations
- Apply these enzymes in proof-of-concept biorecycling and upcycling processes
UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Dive into the research topics where Centre for Enzyme Innovation is active. These topic labels come from the works of this organisation's members. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Profiles
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Luisana Avilan
- Faculty of Science & Health, School of the Environment and Life Sciences - Senior Research Associate
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation
Person: Research, Academic
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Angie Beckett
- Faculty of Science & Health, School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences - Senior Research Associate
- Institute of Life Sciences and Healthcare
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation
Person: Support, Associate
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Jessica Berrones Reyes
- Faculty of Science & Health, School of the Environment and Life Sciences - Senior Research Associate
- Centre for Enzyme Innovation
Person: Research, Doctoral Student
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Engineering and application of a thermostable MHETase for PET depolymerization
Murphy, N. P., Gado, J. E., Neumann, T., Perez-Garcia, P., Komp, E., Avilan, L., Mathews, I. I., Bell, E. L., Norton-Baker, B., Clark, M., Garcia, R. R., Alt, H. M., Sarangi, R., Pickford, A. R., Streit, W. R., McGeehan, J. E., Gauthier, N. P. & Beckham, G. T., 22 Jun 2026, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 14, 24, p. 10981-10995 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated polyester textile at high solids loading through fusion with a carbohydrate binding module
Graham, R., Wain, B. H., Clark, R. A., Bemmer, V. L., Borin, G., Avilan, L., Rudge, E. M., Lahive, C. W., Shaver, M. P. & Pickford, A., 8 Feb 2026, (Early online) In: Bioresource Technology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Forecasting the multidimensional burdens of hospital admissions in LRTIs and COPD: projections of healthcare expenditures, resource utilization, and socioeconomic and environmental outcomes for Switzerland
Schnidrig, D., Campbell-James, T., Schramm, J. D., Ackermann, N., Nicholson, L., Fries, M., Robson, S. C., Leuppi, J. D. & Beeler, P. E., 21 Jun 2026, (Early online) In: Infectious Diseases and Therapy.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Student theses
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The Enzymatic Deconstruction of Poly(ethylene terephthalate): Influence of Crystallinity, Substrate Morphology, and Feedstock Variability on Biocatalytic Recycling
Wain, B. H. (Author), Pickford, A. (Supervisor), Bemmer, V. (Supervisor) & Lichtenstein, B. (Supervisor), 6 Jan 2026Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
File -
Engineering Enzyme Thermodurability for Improved Plastic Degradation in Bioreactors
Moore, B. R. (Author), Pickford, A. R. (Supervisor), Robson, S. (Supervisor) & von der Haar, T. (Supervisor), 10 Sept 2024Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
File -
RNA Bio-Design: Developing Molecular Switch Components for Enzyme Expression Systems
Goddard, L. (Author), Callaghan, A. J. (Supervisor), Scarlett, G. (Supervisor) & Gowers, D. M. (Supervisor), 30 Apr 2024Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
File
Datasets
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REDPOL: Amphipod Baseline Behaviour Datasets
Vogeler, S. (Creator), Parker, M. (Creator), Robson, S. (Creator) & Ford, A. (Creator), University of Portsmouth, 6 Oct 2025
DOI: 10.17029/cbcf9c1d-94ca-4176-8b8a-3bf644eddbfc
Dataset
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The role of Bmp and Fgf signalling in early embryonic head development
Schubert, F. (Creator), Robson, S. (Creator) & Dietrich, S. (Creator), NCBI, 8 May 2023
DOI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/970268, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/970268
Dataset
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Site-Specific Iron Substitution in STA-28, a Large Pore Aluminophosphate Zeotype prepared using 1,10-Phenanthrolines as Framework-Bound Structure Directing Agents (dataset)
Shannon, M. D. (Creator), Dugulan, A. I. (Creator), Wright, P. A. (Creator), Dawson, D. M. (Creator), Lozinska, M. M. (Creator), Ashbrook, S. E. M. (Creator), Cox, P. A. (Creator), Bode, B. E. (Creator), Slawin, A. M. Z. (Creator), Mayoral, A. (Creator), Watts, A. E. (Creator) & Turrina, A. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 1 Jan 2020
DOI: 10.17630/89249deb-fdde-466b-934b-902a987f6fed, https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/datasets/sitespecific-iron-substitution-in-sta28-a-large-pore-aluminophosphate-zeotype-prepared-using-110phenanthrolines-as-frameworkbound-structure-directing-agents-dataset(89249deb-fdde-466b-934b-902a987f6fed).html
Dataset
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Preventing Plastic Pollution with Engineering Biology (P3EB) Mission Hub
Pickford, A. (PI), Callaghan, A. (CoI), Cox, P. (CoI), Robson, S. (CoI), Cragg, S. (CoI), Lichtenstein, B. (CoI), Bemmer, V. (CoI) & Farrand, L. (CoI)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
14/02/24 → 13/02/29
Project: Research
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P3EB: Preventing Plastic Pollution with Engineering Biology (P3EB) Mission Hub
Pickford, A. (PI), Cragg, S. (CoI), Callaghan, A. (CoI), Farrand, L. (CoI), Lichtenstein, B. (CoI), Robson, S. (CoI), Bemmer, V. (CoI), Cox, P. (CoI), Hollfelder, F. (CoI), Miodownik, M. M. (CoI), Lettieri, P. P. (CoI), Jeffries, J. J. (CoI), Hailes, H. H. (CoI), Orengo, C. C. (CoI), Paige, B. B. (CoI), Paulillo, A. A. (CoI), Sadler, J. J. (CoI), Wallace, S. S. (CoI), Yakunin, A. A. (CoI), Golyshin, P. P. (CoI), Jimenez, J. J. (CoI), Shaver, M. M. (CoI) & Wong, L. S. (CoI)
13/02/24 → 30/03/29
Project: Research
Activities
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Revolution Plastics PhD conference
Couceiro, F. (Organiser), Bowyer, C. (Organiser), Evans, T. (Organiser), Pickford, A. (Speaker), Dhakal, H. (Speaker), Roberts, K. (Participant), Winton, S. (Presented paper), Northen, S. (Presented paper), Fantuzzi, L. (Presented paper), Chege, W. (Presented paper) & Nieminen, L. K. (Member of programme committee)
10 Mar 2025 → 11 Mar 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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UK Research and Innovation (External organisation)
Lichtenstein, B. (Member)
2025 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
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Viva Examiner at University of Manchester
Lichtenstein, B. (Examiner)
2025Activity: Examination and External Supervision types › Examination
Prizes
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Best Poster Award
Oliveira Pessoa, L. (Recipient), Nov 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Conference Attendance Grant
Oliveira Pessoa, L. (Recipient), Mar 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Researcher Development and Travel Grant
Oliveira Pessoa, L. (Recipient), May 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press/Media
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Portsmouth scientists to help crack the COVID-19 code
27/05/20 → 3/12/20
1 item of Media coverage, 1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research cited
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