Dr Ian Levett

In 2014, Ian worked on the conceptual design and techno-economic assessment of PHA bioplastic production from methane, from which he built a case for thermophilic methanotrophic PHA production. This work led into his PhD thesis, which looked at developing biodegradable matrices for the controlled delivery of fertilisers, with a particular focus on PHA, and blends thereof, as the matrix. A key research focus here was the development of extrusion processing techniques for producing such materials, tracking and modelling the release kinetics for the active ingredient, and the determining the rate of biodegradation of the matrix itself. After graduating, Ian spent 2 years working for a process consulting company, developing high purity aluminium-based products for application in batteries, LEDS, CMP polishing and sapphire glass production, among others. His core interest lies in process development in the green fields space, with a particular interest in bioplastics production and downstream product development.