More than 600 delegates are set to descend on Aberdeen next month for two major life sciences conferences.
The city’s AECC will play host to the International Conference on Natural Product Biotechnology (ICNPB) and the International Conference on the Mechanism of Action of Nutraceuticals (ICMAN), held jointly with the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products Section.
ICNPB takes place on 25th and 26th September, before ICMAN-IUPHAR on 27th – 29th. The conferences will bring together the life science and biotechnology communities to discuss natural resources, sustainable ingredients and ways of using them to produce nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients.
Conference Director Jim Brown said: “We are looking forward to a fantastic week at the AECC, learning about the great science that’s going on is this field. It’s an area where Scotland has great strengths, with some really innovative businesses drawing on our marine and agri-food resources, coupled with the real depth of expertise and knowledge embedded in our research networks.
“ICNPB is a home-grown conference – it started off as Natural Products Scotland – but our remit now covers the whole chain of identifying valuable compounds in nature, and the sustainability of the processes to convert them into useful products. The circular economy is increasingly important too, as is maximising the potential value from waste streams, and I think that’ll emerge as a key theme this year.”
The programme includes sessions from Dr Charlie Bavington, Founder of Glycomar, a specialist in marine natural products; Ross Campbell, founder of Cybercolloids, who has been involved with the research, product and business development of polymers; Prof Ian Graham, Leader of the High Value Products from Plants Network; and Prof Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, who specialises in soil microbiology, soil science and sustainable development.
Professor Campbell said: “The SEFARI collective, of which the James Hutton Institute is part, is delighted to support this conference. The work of Scotland’s research institutes drives innovation across the agri-food and other sectors in the Scottish economy, and I look forward to sharing success stories at the conference”.
The conference benefitted from subvention funding from VisitAberdeenshire, which helped secure the conference for the city.
Jenni Fraser, Business Development Director of VisitAberdeenshire said: “For Aberdeen to have attracted three globally renowned conferences shows real confidence in the region. Hosting association congress like this generates significant income to the area, and the Natural Products Biotechnology conference alone will generate over £200,000 for the local economy through hotel bed nights, restaurants and other visitor attractions. We are looking forward to welcoming the conference and delegates to Aberdeen.”
Steven Daun, Associations Sales Manager at AECC commented: “We are delighted to be hosting this event in Aberdeen; showcasing the world class research that takes place in the city and the wealth of life science knowledge that we have here in Scotland. With ICNPB being held in conjunction with ICMAN-IUPHAR, delegates can benefit from attending both events with one visit.”
Around 250 delegates are expected to attend ICNPB, with an additional 450 for ICMAN/IUPHAR.
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