Foundation of modern medicine is under threat

Scientists and researchers at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research are finding new solutions to prevent the next global pandemic

0
min 2024

“It is a global threat to all of us and requires a global response from all of us,” said Mr David Sweetnam, Chair of the IOI Advisory Board.

“Routine surgeries, childbirth, common infections and sexually-transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, could one day become deadly.” Due to a lack of investment in research, the world has not discovered a new class of antibiotics for almost 40 years. INEOS’ £100 million gift to Oxford University has allowed researchers to undertake the science to find new antibiotics, while also understanding how resistance to these lifesaving medicines is spreading around the world.

The institute’s biggest priority is to protect last-resort antibiotics, such as meropenem, that are used in hospitals to treat severe infections such as sepsis.

“A world without effective antibiotics is a scary one and it will affect all of us,” said Dr Alistair Farley, a scientific lead at the institute. “We need to develop new drugs to tackle AMR, but we also need more effective stewardship of new and existing drugs.”

IOI’s work is guided by its global surveillance programmes in countries most affected by the threat of AMR. The institute is now working in more than 28 sites across 13 countries to support and strengthen surveillance systems and laboratories, especially in poorer countries.

“The quicker we can understand the global picture, the quicker we can act,” said Dr Kirsty Sands, a scientific lead at the institute.
“There is no way to solve a problem if you don’t have actionable data,” said Professor Tim Walsh, IOI Director of Biology. “It is crucial to understand how antibiotics are being used around the world to understand the full scale.”

Nationally, that very detailed genomic data will help influence health policies and responses to health emergencies. Globally, it can provide early warnings of emerging threats and help identify long-term trends.

This global data informs the work of scientists at the institute to design new antibiotics and trial new combinations of antibiotics to try to outsmart those superbugs.

“Research in the 20th century discovered easy-to-use antibiotics of enormous value, but that doesn’t mean that there are not more to be found,” said Professor Chris Schofield, IOI Director of Chemistry.

Scientists have found meropenem’s effectiveness can be restored by combining it with another antibiotic and an inhibitor to stop the bacteria breaking down the antibiotic before it has time to work.

Professor Schofield has also been leading a team undertaking ground-breaking synthetic organic chemistry, creating novel compounds they hope to progress through to early-stage clinical trials. Early in vivo work is very encouraging.

“This sort of early pre-clinical work is vital if we are to discover a successor to the dwindling stable of effective antibiotics,” said Mr Sweetnam.

Finding new antibiotics is a long, arduous and expensive journey. It can cost up to $1 billion and take up to 10 years to complete all the safety trials before coming to the market.

With no guaranteed revenue stream at the end of the process, it is perhaps no surprise that almost all the big pharmaceutical companies have ditched this vital area of research in favour of other more lucrative areas, such as lifestyle drugs to tackle, for example, obesity.

And therein lies the problem. There is simply no financial incentive to work on antibiotics.

“You may have a very effective antibiotic, but you don’t actually want it to be used extensively because then the resistance will inevitably arise,” said Dr Farley.

He said AMR, which killed 1.27 million people in 2019, which is more than HIV or malaria, was a complex issue, akin to the challenge of climate change.

“It’s only by working with industry and government and policy makers that we can tackle this together,” he said.

INEOS is working alongside the IOI team to bring its business acumen and experience to this huge challenge.

“Receiving such an unprecedentedly large gift was wonderful, but, in my opinion, the help and guidance from INEOS in this advisory role is what makes this all the more special,” said Mr Sweetnam.

In September, leaders from government, industry, financial institutions and scientific organisations will meet in New York to discuss the looming threat AMR poses to global health and food security.

“This presents a timely opportunity for global leaders to unite to overcome one of the biggest health challenges facing our society today,” said Mr Sweetnam.

More from INCH Magazine

Clash of the titans

THE day of reckoning is looming for INEOS Britannia. By late October, the Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup will know whether it has won the most coveted sailing trophy in the world for the first time in its 173-year history. Not to get ahead of ourselves, though, there is a lot to do to even get to the challenge. “Winning the America’s Cup is one of the toughest things you can do in sport and that’s the motivation for us as a team,” said Sir Ben Ainslie, who is hoping to lead his team to victory this summer. “We know it is going to be an incredibly tough challenge, but it is one that we are up for.” Last time the battleground was the inner Hauraki Gulf off Auckland in New Zealand. This time it is the Mediterranean, off the coast of Barcelona. “We have a very different boat to last time,” said Sir Ben. Sir Ben, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, was speaking after INEOS Britannia’s bold, new 75ft race boat was officially christened and set sail for the very first time. “After years of design and development, it felt amazing to be out on the water and put all of our learnings into practice,” he said. Britannia is the result of INEOS’ collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, who helped to design and develop the 6.2-tonne race yacht in an aircraft hangar at Turweston Airfield in Brackley, Northamptonshire. “It’s hard to explain just how complex these boats are,” said Sir Ben. “We have got over 100,000 components that are all individually modelled and manufactured. It’s like Formula One on steroids when you look at the technical challenge.” The boat was initially built at Carrington Boats in Hythe, Hampshire, before undergoing structural and load testing at Turweston. Martin Fischer is chief designer at INEOS Britannia. “I’m a strong believer that looking at a problem from different perspectives can lead to new and potentially better solutions,” he said. “Working in Brackley together with the Mercedes F1 Team sparked extremely fruitful discussions between race yacht and race car designers and has led to a yacht that has surprised observers with her look and will hopefully also positively surprise on the racecourse.” INEOS Britannia has also sought advice from other elite teams within INEOS Sport, including the INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team, who have been training the eight cycling sailors – cyclors – for much of the past two years in preparation for the Cup. Four of those ‘cyclors’ are former Olympic rowers and three of them had never been on a foiling race boat before until its official launch. Matt Gotrel and Freddie Carr are among the cyclors. Matt won gold with the GB men’s rowing eight at Rio in 2016; Freddie has been involved in the America’s Cup for the past 20 years when boats typically hit speeds of 10mph. “Today they are flying above the water at more than 60mph,” he said. With the competition due to start on August 22, all focus is now on testing Britannia’s capabilities before the Barcelona Preliminary Regatta, which will see all six AC75s racing for the first time. The five challenger teams will then battle it out for The Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to take on defenders Emirates Team New Zealand. “The challenge ahead is immense and one that I know the team will face with grit and determination,” said INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The America’s Cup dates back to 1851 when Britain challenged America to a 51-mile race around the Isle of Wight. Britain lost that race and, despite numerous attempts, has never wonit since. For the British team, which now numbers more than 200, it is that chance to make history that keeps their spirits alive. “This is the best British sailing boat that has ever been built,” said Freddie. “It makes the rockets that land on the Moon look basic. It is a work of art.”

3 min read

Rise of the cyclor

INEOS Britannia’s sailing crew have been preparing for this summer’s battle on the water – on land. They have been training with the INEOS Grenadiers, one of the most successful cycling teams in the world. For it is legs, not arms, that will power the flying machines in this year’s race to be crowned winners of the 37th America’s Cup. “Providing the hydraulic power to sail a boat travelling at high speed is quite a task,” said skipper Sir Ben Ainslie. In all, eight cycling sailors – known as cyclors – have been chosen to help power the boat. But only four will be on board for each race. Among the British team are four former world-class rowers – Matt Gotrel (Olympic champion Rio 2016), Matt Rossiter, Ryan Todhunter and Harry Leask (Olympic silver medallist Tokyo 2020). The cyclors’ job will be to provide the hydraulic power to trim the sails by pedalling static bikes fixed inside the 75ft carbon-fibre hull. Their goal? To churn out watts faster than the other teams. And that means – for Britannia to hit top speeds – they must maintain up to 500 watts on the bikes for spells of 20 minutes and nail sprints at up to 1,800 watts. In the 36th America’s Cup, onboard ‘grinders’ played that pivotal role. The more power they generated – using their arms to turn hand cranks – the more accurately the mainsail and headsail could be trimmed. “We’d got to a pretty high standard with our arms and trained pretty hard for that for the best part of six, seven years for the last two Cups,” said Matt. “So it came as a bit of a shock to the system having to teach our bodies to pump oxygen to the legs instead.” But six-hour bike rides in the open countryside with the INEOS Grenadiers’ top cyclists have done wonders for their fitness. They are ready. “This time you won’t see a lot of heads bobbing around in the boat,” said Matt. “But you will see backs tucked away out of the wind.” Prologo has been tasked with ensuring the cyclors are able to stay in the saddle regardless of how choppy it gets on the water. Each saddle has been designed to reduce muscle fatigue, increase grip and absorb vibration. The handle bars have been fitted with Prologo’s Onetouch 3D tape, which will also help riders absorb vibrations. “After having raced and won on the road with seven World Tour teams, and off-road with over 10 supported Mountain Bike teams, it was exciting to take on a new ambitious challenging terrain: the sea,” said Salvatore Truglio, Brand Manager of Prologo. During each race, the cyclors will have to contend with the lumps and bumps of the sea off the Spanish coast. “It can get pretty bumpy,” said Matt. “It’s not like riding a bike on a road. It’s like riding a road bike on a mountain bike trail with lots of rocks. It’s like cycling and being in a rugby match at the same time.” Among those keen to test the onboard equipment was INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is backing Britain’s bid to make history. He boarded Britannia, shortly after the AC75 was christened, to join three other cyclors, impressing Sir Ben with his grit, rigour and humour. “That INEOS mantra underpins all of our work at INEOS Britannia, and Sir Jim definitely showcased those three things by jumping on board and helping us power Britannia,” he said.   

4 min read

-HR-20240508-SAIL NOT RIGHT COLOR!!!!!! (1).jpg

Wind of change for Britannia’s unwanted carbon fibre sails

LIGHTER winds blew Britain’s hopes of challenging defenders New Zealand for the 36th America’s Cup completely out of the water. In the head-to-head showdown with Italy, Britannia was simply no match for the Luna Rossa which went on to win the Prada Cup 7-1 – and a place in the America’s Cup final. And it was all down to the Italians’ superior manoeuvrability in the lighter winds. “They had the better overall package across the range of wind conditions and deserved to take the final,” Sir Ben Ainslie said at the time. But just as the British team have found a new lease of life – and are now ready for this summer’s challenge – Britannia’s carbon fibre sails have also been put to good use and are now being sold as laptop cases, holdalls, pouches and wash bags thanks to Ocean Republic. “It hasn’t been an easy fabric to work with because it is extremely tough stuff and doesn’t particularly like being anything other than the most efficient sail known to man,” said Ocean Republic founder Rory McKellar. But that didn’t deter Rory and his team from agreeing to partner INEOS Britannia to turn the sails into a range of limited edition, robust, cool products. “Working with the team has been a real honour,” said Rory. “Their professionalism and friendliness made this a truly wonderful experience.” He and his team at Ocean Republic had salvaged the British team’s unwanted sails after New Zealand won the oldest international sporting trophy in the world last year – for the fourth time. “They only had one set of sails and we got them,” he said. Each product is handmade by sailmakers on the south coast of England and 10% of the profits go to Sir Ben Ainslie’s youth education charity, the 1851 Trust. Helping them has been Pablo, who has been making sails for 15 years. “He has come up with some great designs even though it is a notoriously difficult material,” said Rory. “The sail may have come to the end of its life but we have been able to give it another one by turning it into something else.”

2 min read

Women’s America’s Cup Barcelona

BARCELONA will also host the first-ever women’s America’s Cup. And the British sailors seeking to make history include Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark who won gold in the 470 class at the Rio Olympics in 2016. “There’s really nothing like competing for your country on a global stage, and to help support the youth to deliver their potential is an incredibly cool challenge,” said Hannah. “We’re 100% in it to win it.” Hannah is team principal across the Athena Pathway women’s and youth entries for GB and will skipper the British women’s America’s Cup squad. The Athena Pathway programme was founded in August 2022 by Hannah and INEOS Britannia’s skipper Sir Ben Ainslie to fast-track promising sailors and increase diversity in the sport. “We couldn’t be prouder of what Athena Pathway stands for,” said Ben. “We have selected a high-calibre squad and to have someone like Hannah leading them on and off the water is incredibly inspiring. We will certainly be setting our expectations high.” More than 300 sailors had applied to be part of the squad which will race the AC40 – a new, 40ft one-design foiling monohull concept based on the AC75 designed by Emirates Team New Zealand. All six nations competing in the 37th America’s Cup will be fielding both youth and women’s teams and face further competition from Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Australia. Each AC-40 will have a crew of four – two helms and two trimmers – with all power coming from batteries. “The inclusion of a women’s event for the first time in the competition’s 173-year history signifies huge progress towards gender equity in high-performance sailing,” said Ben. While the British women – Hannah, Saskia, Freya Black and Ellie Aldridge – will be seeking to make history, Britain’s youth team will be aiming to defend their title, having won the Youth America’s Cup during the 35th America’s Cup series in Bermuda in 2017.

3 min read

Sustainability

It is ingrained in all the business thinking, it is at the forefront of decisions, and it is what powers innovation, even in times of uncertainty. Marc de Jong is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, which helps organisations to innovate more sustainably. “During periods of uncertainty, organisations that invest in innovation—contrary, perhaps, to the impulse to batten down the hatches—are more likely to emerge ahead of competitors,” he said. Recent global events have created a challenging economic environment for energy-intensive manufacturers like INEOS. The energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and pressures on industry have disrupted supply chains, suppressed demand and led to spiralling raw material, labour and energy costs. But against this backdrop, INEOS has not wavered in its desire to be at the forefront of the transition to a greener economy because it knows that true sustainability considers society, the environment and the economy as one. It knows what needs to be done and is in it for the longhaul. The company recently published its 2023 global sustainability report which highlighted a 22% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to 2019, mostly due to a 10% reduction in energy consumption. The report also highlighted INEOS’ leading role in Project Greensand, which involves CO2 being safely captured and permanently stored under the seabed – a move seen as critically important to help decarbonise the world’s energy and tackle climate change. INEOS’ advances in helping to create a circular and bio-based economy are also detailed in the 158-page, 2023 report which was prepared in line with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. “The chemical industry is essential for modern existence yet faces unprecedented challenges,” said Francesco Lasagna, sustainability officer at INEOS Inovyn. Despite that, he said he was excited about helping to shape the sustainability strategy for a company that had an opportunity to play an important role in making the chemical industry greener. Improving the sustainability of its business and operations is central to the way INEOS works because it matters to staff, customers, the communities in which INEOS operates, and its investors. “At INEOS, we don’t just collect numbers,” said Erwin Alcasid, sustainability and environmental data specialist at INEOS Styrolution. “We make them speak to drive performance.”

2 min read

Innovation leads the way

INEOS teams up to test world-first NEOS Nitriles has agreed to host the next stage of a company’s development of its ground-breaking acrylonitrile technology. If it works, INEOS’ plant in Texas, US, will be able to start producing sustainable acrylonitrile using plant-based raw materials from next year – and significantly cut CO2 emissions in the process. For INEOS, it is a chance to be involved in another world first. For Trillium Renewable Chemicals, a company which was founded in a garage about 10 years ago, it is a chance to show off its patented, proven technology to a global market that is desperately seeking greener, bio-based raw materials. “Demonstrating Trillium’s technology at a larger scale will allow our customers to verify product quality at scale,” said Trillium chairman Erik Scher. “That will be a key milestone in our path to becoming a leading producer of renewable chemicals.” The demonstration plant, for the production of acrylonitrile from plant-based glycerol, will be built at INEOS Nitriles’ Green Lake facility, which is already home to one of the largest and most advanced acrylonitrile producing units in the world. “Our support of this project, which is part of our wider sustainability strategy, emphasises our commitment, as the world’s largest producer of acrylonitrile, to reducing the carbon footprint of the industry,” said Hans Casier, CEO of INEOS Nitriles. Acrylonitrile and its co-products are valuable raw materials that are used in a range of interesting products from structural parts in planes and cars to acrylic fibre sweaters and toys. Trillium knows its technology works, and valuable lessons have been learned from its pilot plant, which will continue running to provide customers with sample products. The first onshore carbon capture and storage JUST months after proving to the world that it was possible to capture, transport cross border, inject and safely store CO2 1.8kms under the seabed, INEOS has now been given the green light to look at safely storing it deep underground on land. INEOS, which leads the ground-breaking Project Greensand, will now work closely with its two partners to determine whether the Gassum formation in Jutland, Denmark, is also a suitable location for CO2 storage. “The potential for safe storage in Gassum is high,” said Mads Weng Gade, Head of INEOS Energy Denmark, “but we now need to conduct the necessary studies utilizing the important learnings from Greensand to demonstrate safe and efficient storage in Gassum as well.” Denmark wants to lead the way in establishing a new, commercially-viable carbon capture and storage industry in Europe.Its decision to award its very first onshore carbon capture and storage licence to INEOS Energy Denmark, Wintershall Dea and Nordsøfonden is seen a step towards that. “Establishing offshore and onshore sites for permanent storage of CO2 will be crucial for the EU to meet its climate goals and to support a robust market for carbon capture and storage,” said David Bucknall, CEO INEOS Energy. The Danish geology has significant potential for CO2 storage. According to analysis by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), there is capacity to store between 12 and 22 billion tonnes of CO2 in the Danish sub-surface, which is equivalent to 700 times Denmark’s annual CO2 emissions. If all goes well, the three partners hope to start pumping CO2 into two separate geological formations in Jutland in 2029.  INEOS opens doors to innovation INEOS has become the first plastic producer in the world to invest in technology that could prevent one million tonnes of waste ending up in landfill sites each year. Manufacturers, who are keen to develop recyclable plastic packaging, are now being invited by INEOS O&P to test the technology at its R&D centre in Brussels.“Flexible packaging films play a valuable role in society, but we recognise and share people’s concerns about plastic waste,” said CEO Rob Ingram. “That’s why fully recyclable films are a big development.” INEOS’ customers will be able to test the new multi-layer, blown film line on INEOS’ premises without affecting production at their own manufacturing sites. And they are lining up to do so. Plastic packaging keeps food fresher, for longer. Without it, many of the products on supermarket shelves would not survive the journey to the store. And keeping food fresh reduces food waste, which is another major contributor to climate change. But there’s also a problem with plastic packaging, when it comes to recycling, because it is made from so many different polymers, and different plastics melt at different temperatures. “Making simpler films with the same performance means the new packaging can be more easily recycled,” said Rob. The state-of-the-art technology, supplied by Hosokawa Alpine, heats and stretches polymer films to improve their quality. INEOS will be using the new pilot line and its own polymer expertise to develop new, packaging film products from polyethylene and polypropylene.  INEOS answers call for greener ammonia AS the world’s population grows, so too does the demand for ammonia, which is widely used as a fertiliser to help grow healthy crops, and provides an important raw material for acrylic and carbon fibre. And it’s a greener ammonia the world wants now more than anything. To meet that growing demand, INEOS Nitriles and Hanwha Corporation are considering building an ammonia plant in America with low CO2 emissions. The plant would be capable of producing more than one million tonnes of ammonia a year and help both companies to cement their position in the global ammonia market. The hydrogen used to make the ammonia would be produced from natural gas, with the unwanted CO2 emissions captured and permanently stored. As the largest producer of acrylonitrile globally, INEOS will use this low-carbon ammonia to make acrylonitrile, to help cut emissions in markets that rely on acrylonitrile for everything from water purification to green energy and from pharmaceuticals to toys and construction. Although a final investment decision about the plant won’t be made until 2026, both companies are excited at the potential environmental benefits. “This project is a potentially important contributor to INEOS Nitriles’ carbon emission reduction targets in 2030 and its net zero ambitions by 2050,” said Hans Casier, CEO of INEOS Nitriles. Kiwon Yang, CEO of South Korea’s Hanwha Corporation, believes it could prove to be a pivotal turning point in his company’s vision for a sustainable future. About 80% of the ammonia produced by industry is used in agriculture as a fertiliser with China deemed to be the world’s leading producer. The location of the proposed US plant has yet to be decided.

2 min read

Hydrogen hits the road

TRUCKS, fuelled entirely by liquid hydrogen, will soon begin transporting goods in Germany as part of a year-long trial. Vervaeke, which will be transporting up to 25 tonnes of PVC for INEOS Inovyn, is among the five companies that have agreed to test the prototype Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck – a truck that covered 1,047km on a single tank of liquid hydrogen in 2023. If the latest trials are successful, it could encourage the haulage industry to start switching from diesel vehicles to zero emission hydrogen-powered HGVs. “The market is still showing hesitancy so we want to show that it can be done, because hydrogen is a game-changing source of energy which will help us to meet Europe’s net zero targets and reduce CO2” said Wouter Bleukx, INEOS Hydrogen Business Director. Last year INEOS Inovyn became the first company in Europe to use a hydrogen truck to transport PVC from its production plant in Tavaux to Benvic’s PVC compound plant in Dijon. Geir Tuft, CEO INEOS Inovyn, described that as a historic moment for INEOS. “Using hydrogen trucks for product deliveries is a key part of our sustainability roadmap which aims to drastically reduce our CO2 footprint over the next few years,” he said. INEOS Inovyn is one of the largest operators of industrial electrolysis, the technology necessary to produce renewable hydrogen, and produces 60,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually across multiple sites. As both a user and producer of hydrogen, it is in a unique position to lead the transition to a hydrogen-powered economy. INEOS Inovyn has worked with Vervaeke for many years. “Our two companies share the same vision,” said Frédéric Derumeaux, CEO of Vervaeke. “So we are delighted to have their confidence to collaborate on a ground-breaking project that promotes sustainability.” During the 12-month trial with Daimler Truck AG, the HGVs will be refuelled at designated public liquid hydrogen filling stations in Wörth am Rhein and in the Duisburg area. But it is widely believed that hydrogen will only become the fuel of choice for buses and HGVs if more countries invest in the infrastructure. Currently Japan leads the way with about 170 hydrogen refuelling stations compared to 96 in Germany, 21 in France and nine in the UK.

2 min read

Grenadier - Visions of the future

INEOS Automotive has hit the road with an eclectic collection of potential future Grenadiers, including its first-ever rally car with full racing specification, including modified suspension, brakes, bucket seats and a full roll cage. The five prototypes were unveiled at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed – motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party in the UK – and were proof, if proof were needed, of the Grenadier’s adaptability. “The Grenadier’s body-on-frame chassis has already proven itself to be incredibly versatile, so we want to keep innovating,” said Lynn Calder, CEO of INEOS Automotive. “Our new brand advertising campaign states that the Grenadier is Built For More, so over the next few years we will be showing just what that means.” In addition to the rally car, which has been designed to compete in the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship, there was also a Grenadier Quartermaster and a Station Wagon with raised chassis and larger, all-terrain tyres, a shorter version of its Quartermaster pick-up, plus an eight-seater converted Quartermaster pick-up perfect for safari adventures. Spectators at the five-day Goodwood Festival of Speed near Chichester in West Sussex got a taste of all five. But that wasn’t all. INEOS also chose the festival, which bills itself as the greatest motorshow on earth, to highlight its partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and also officially launch a limited edition Grenadier, which will be known as the Detour. Just 200 Detours will be built. Enthusiasts will be able to spot the Detour by its unique 18-inch forged alloy wheels and its specially-designed front grille with headlight surrounds. The 4x4 will also come in four exclusive colours. “This will be a level of individuality not found in the 4x4 market,” said George Ratcliffe, commericial director at INEOS Automotive. The Detour is the first limited edition vehicle produced by INEOS Automotive’s new Arcane Works division, which will create hand-finished, personalised Grenadiers. Meanwhile, as part of its five-year partnership with the RNLI, INEOS has agreed to deploy 20 Grenadier Station Wagons at various locations around the UK and Ireland. The Grenadiers’ main role will be to help crews launch their D-class inflatable lifeboat, which has been the charity’s workhorse for the past 60 years. “This is a powerful endorsement of the Grenadier that it’s able to meet the rigorous standards required for such vital frontline work,” said Lynn. Since it was founded in 1824, the RNLI has saved more than 140,000 lives. “Support such as this from INEOS Automotive enables us to continue to save lives at sea, and provides our operational volunteers with the best equipment available,” said Jamie Chestnutt, RNLI director for engineering and supply. “It’s only by working in true partnership with industry that can we sustain our lifesaving service in our 200th year.”

4 min read

Foundation of modern medicine is under threat

“It is a global threat to all of us and requires a global response from all of us,” said Mr David Sweetnam, Chair of the IOI Advisory Board. “Routine surgeries, childbirth, common infections and sexually-transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, could one day become deadly.” Due to a lack of investment in research, the world has not discovered a new class of antibiotics for almost 40 years. INEOS’ £100 million gift to Oxford University has allowed researchers to undertake the science to find new antibiotics, while also understanding how resistance to these lifesaving medicines is spreading around the world. The institute’s biggest priority is to protect last-resort antibiotics, such as meropenem, that are used in hospitals to treat severe infections such as sepsis. “A world without effective antibiotics is a scary one and it will affect all of us,” said Dr Alistair Farley, a scientific lead at the institute. “We need to develop new drugs to tackle AMR, but we also need more effective stewardship of new and existing drugs.” IOI’s work is guided by its global surveillance programmes in countries most affected by the threat of AMR. The institute is now working in more than 28 sites across 13 countries to support and strengthen surveillance systems and laboratories, especially in poorer countries. “The quicker we can understand the global picture, the quicker we can act,” said Dr Kirsty Sands, a scientific lead at the institute.“There is no way to solve a problem if you don’t have actionable data,” said Professor Tim Walsh, IOI Director of Biology. “It is crucial to understand how antibiotics are being used around the world to understand the full scale.” Nationally, that very detailed genomic data will help influence health policies and responses to health emergencies. Globally, it can provide early warnings of emerging threats and help identify long-term trends. This global data informs the work of scientists at the institute to design new antibiotics and trial new combinations of antibiotics to try to outsmart those superbugs. “Research in the 20th century discovered easy-to-use antibiotics of enormous value, but that doesn’t mean that there are not more to be found,” said Professor Chris Schofield, IOI Director of Chemistry. Scientists have found meropenem’s effectiveness can be restored by combining it with another antibiotic and an inhibitor to stop the bacteria breaking down the antibiotic before it has time to work. Professor Schofield has also been leading a team undertaking ground-breaking synthetic organic chemistry, creating novel compounds they hope to progress through to early-stage clinical trials. Early in vivo work is very encouraging. “This sort of early pre-clinical work is vital if we are to discover a successor to the dwindling stable of effective antibiotics,” said Mr Sweetnam. Finding new antibiotics is a long, arduous and expensive journey. It can cost up to $1 billion and take up to 10 years to complete all the safety trials before coming to the market. With no guaranteed revenue stream at the end of the process, it is perhaps no surprise that almost all the big pharmaceutical companies have ditched this vital area of research in favour of other more lucrative areas, such as lifestyle drugs to tackle, for example, obesity. And therein lies the problem. There is simply no financial incentive to work on antibiotics. “You may have a very effective antibiotic, but you don’t actually want it to be used extensively because then the resistance will inevitably arise,” said Dr Farley. He said AMR, which killed 1.27 million people in 2019, which is more than HIV or malaria, was a complex issue, akin to the challenge of climate change. “It’s only by working with industry and government and policy makers that we can tackle this together,” he said. INEOS is working alongside the IOI team to bring its business acumen and experience to this huge challenge. “Receiving such an unprecedentedly large gift was wonderful, but, in my opinion, the help and guidance from INEOS in this advisory role is what makes this all the more special,” said Mr Sweetnam. In September, leaders from government, industry, financial institutions and scientific organisations will meet in New York to discuss the looming threat AMR poses to global health and food security. “This presents a timely opportunity for global leaders to unite to overcome one of the biggest health challenges facing our society today,” said Mr Sweetnam.

0 min read

Six Rivers

New runway is built to help scouts patrol and protect one of the most important wetlands on Earth. FROM the air, it may get lost in the vast landscape. But from the ground, building a runway in one of the remotest parts of Africa is not only a significant achievement, but also hugely important. For it will mean light aircraft can regularly patrol the Usangu wetlands – the source of the Great Ruaha River and a haven for many species of wildlife. “This will be an absolute game-changer for the protection of the wetland,” said Brandon Kemp, CEO of Six Rivers Africa. “Usangu is a sensitive area and needs as much help as it can get.” The Ihefu swamp lies at the heart of the wetlands in Usangu, a vast, unspoilt wilderness in southern Tanzania. It is home to elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, wild dogs and tiger fish – and the only way into the park used to be on foot. In 2019, a road was carved through the dense miombo woodland; now there’s the airstrip at Ikoga. At the opening of the new 1.4km runway, Glenn Turner, Chairman of Six Rivers Africa, thanked the Tanzanian government and the people of Tanzania for trusting the INEOS-backed, not-for-profit organisation to invest in projects that will help to protect some of Africa’s great wild places. “Together we can make them better,” he said. It took six months to build the new runway and adjoining protection base where locals will be trained to carry out research and anti-poaching patrols. The 16 ‘scouts’ will also live there. Although it is currently being used by the Tanzanian National Park Authority and the Six Rivers team, it is hoped that one day the runway will help to make it easier for tourists wanting to reach this remote corner of Africa. The runway was built with funds provided by INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who founded Six Rivers Africa amid concerns about the decimation of the African savanna. He has spent a lot of time in Africa and believes developing sustainable tourism in southern Tanzania will not only increase awareness of the region’s beauty and importance, but also create lasting jobs for local people. “When a local community benefits from high-quality employment from tourism, poaching flips to protection to preserve those jobs,” he said. For the past nine years Six Rivers Africa has been working closely with Asilia Africa, one of the country’s leading safari companies. The latest camp to open was in Usangu, where tourists have helped to carry out research and track the wildlife. The camp’s other purpose was to help discourage poaching. And it seems to be working. “Since it opened, instances of illegal poaching have fallen dramatically,” said Glenn. “There are now herds of hundreds of buffalo and sable, as well as scores of elephant with calves, returning to these iconic wetlands.”But that’s not all. Prides of lions have also moved into the wetlands, as have leopards and hyenas. Chris Fallows, a professional wildlife photographer, spent some time at the Usangu Expedition Camp late last year and was amazed at what had been achieved by the team. “Everyone involved in the project has been astounded that change has taken place so quickly, and the overriding feeling is that the recovery potential is immense,” he said. 

6 min read

In their element

A FORMER science teacher is on a mission to get every schoolkid in America running The Daily Mile. Bill Russell, who is programme manager of the INEOS-backed Daily Mile USA, believes it is the best way to improve fitness and creates healthier and happier children. “If teachers and kids feel better physically, they are going to perform better mentally,” he said. “We are going to have better teachers and better learners.” But he says there is an even more important reason why everyone should take a 15-minute break from the classroom. “At its core, it is about people,” he said. “It’s about creating magical moments that allow people to get to know each other better and build trust.” The Daily Mile USA was launched in 2019. Since then the team has been building bridges – and trust – with schools through attending conferences or online teacher forums. And more than 4,000 schools in the USA have adopted the simple initiative through that approach. But for the very first time, an INEOS business in the USA has done its own legwork and established The Daily Mile at schools on its own doorstep. “They have done such a wonderful job in not only improving the relationship between the kids and teachers, but also between INEOS and the local community,” said Kathryn Shuler, Director of the INEOS ICAN Foundation. She said chemical companies were generally viewed with suspicion in America, but INEOS Nitriles had not only managed to change the public’s perception about how it operates, but it had also shown its own employees that it genuinely cared about the community. “It has really helped to get our name in the community in a positive way, which also helps with recruitment and retention when people know who we are and what we’re doing,” said HR manager Sara Bassett. Every school in the Shawnee district in Lima, Ohio, now takes part in The Daily Mile – and every year the four schools use it as a way to bring the community together, with an end-of-year Connection Celebration for teachers, students, members of the school board, parents, INEOS volunteers, the local police, fire department, and National Guard. This year INEOS Nitriles donated funds to help build a new Daily Mile track, which will be open to all outside school hours. Elmwood Primary was the first of the four schools in the Shawnee district to introduce The Daily Mile. Teacher Heather Davis-Kohli’s dad, who recently retired from INEOS Nitriles, told her about it after he learned of her early morning running club for her ‘hyperactive’ students. “Some of my students just couldn’t sit very long, which was a sign they weren’t getting enough physical activity, so I thought I would try something new,” she said. “And those early morning runs worked. When they came back in after a run, they were different kids.” But she was limited in the number of children she could accept, and she thought the teachers would benefit from movement, too.Having heard about The Daily Mile, she spoke to both Bill and Sara, who helped to get her headteacher on board. “Once we had that connection with Heather, it snowballed from her little running club into the entire school doing The Daily Mile in just a few months,” said Sara. Other INEOS sites in the US are now keen to replicate what INEOS Nitriles has achieved. Sara’s advice? Find someone in school with a passion for health, well-being, fitness or running. “If you do that, their passion will drive the programme,” she said. The Daily Mile is helping teachers too HARD-WORKED teachers in America are also rediscovering their love of life in the classroom thanks to The Daily Mile. Many have reported feeling energised and better equipped to teach since signing up to the simple initiative that was founded in the UK in 2012 to help children get fitter. “The Daily Mile has helped me both mentally and physically,” said Rhonda Conrad-Jaufre, a teacher at St Michael Special School in New Orleans. “I feel great. It has given me a lot more energy and I have been sleeping a lot better.” A recent survey of teachers in America found many were considering quitting the profession due to difficulties coping with job-related stress. The Rand State of the American Teacher survey blamed student behaviour, low salaries and administrative work that needs to be done outside school. But The Daily Mile has given some an outlet for that stress – and the much-needed break in the school day that they need. “Teachers feel a lot of pressure today,” said Leigh Daily, Principal at Elmwood Primary School in Lima, Ohio. “But they know that this is the time of their day when they don’t need to talk about data or their lesson plans and they can just go out and get to know and enjoy their kids.” Bill Russell worked as a teacher, coach and school administrator for many years. He saw many of his colleagues succumb to stress. “The great teachers are leaving and that worries me because the lines to replace those great teachers are not very long,” he said. “Sometimes there is no line at all. “But when we don’t have great teachers in front of students, those students suffer.” Although, he still considers himself to be a teacher, he is now programme manager for The Daily Mile USA – and wants every school in America to adopt it for everyone’s benefit. “People in education need this right now,” he said. “That’s a little bit of a refresh, a little bit of a boost, and a little bit of energy.”

3 min read