BIOCIDES use levels of many remaining actives , the need for new microbial control products has never been greater .
At the same time , industry recognises its critical responsibility to ensure product quality , protect consumers from contamination , and protect supply chains from waste and product recalls due to spoilage . 1 - 2 This results in a strong riskavoidance driver to maintain effective microbial control .
Whilst regulatory pressures can be a driver for innovation , they rarely create added value in the market and , thus , are not an accelerator of innovation as such . However , when they are combined with consumer , societal and environmental forces to create value-added market drivers , they can truly accelerate innovation . 3 - 5
Awareness of harmful and infectious microbes has been on the rise for the past 15 years and exploded in the COVID era . 6 Greater population density , an interconnected world and a changing climate not only provide transmission vectors for invasive species and the spread of disease , but also lead to evolutionary pressure , resulting in emerging pathogens and an expanded range for difficult-totreat microbes in new regions .
Consumers are increasingly demanding more responsible solutions and are now willing to pay more for products delivering
Effective microbial control is essential in paints and coatings
sustainability benefits . In cosmetics and personal care , naturally based solutions are becoming a requirement , with home care and other markets to follow .
Consumer opinions on the ethics of animal testing and concerns about the relevance of traditional animal models have paved the way for a paradigm shift in the approach to evaluating product safety . Consumer and institutional demand for hygiene is on the rise , while demand for a wide variety of product formats – biodegradable wipes , residual performance , alternative packaging and reusable systems , dilutable concentrates and readyto-make – are adding value and driving innovation .
Lastly , the recently intensified focus on GHG emissions , including the emergence of economic drivers for carbon reduction , accentuates the value creation of sustainable preservation solutions for vital infrastructure and the world .
Accelerators of innovation
In addition to all this , we are also entering a period of rapid advances in technology – a new scientific revolution – enabling the acceleration of innovation in microbial control . Advances in the fields of biology , chemistry , toxicology and computer science are being employed in combination to deliver ‘ smart innovation ’ to solve the toughest preservation challenges .
In the biological sciences , advances in molecular biology and synthetic biology are enabling the biological manufacture of complex molecules previously only available in low levels from natural and sometimes unsustainable sources , while also opening new toolboxes for innovation in preservation science across many applications .
Advances in sequencing technology , both in cost and throughput , enable these tools to be applied to the complex space of biocides . Together with metagenomics and a deeper understanding of microbiomes , previous ‘ scorched earth ’ strategies to microbial control are being challenged as the role of beneficial microbes in certain applications comes into focus .
Recent advances in these fields are expected to transform microbial control to one where consortia of beneficial microbes can be specifically applied to limit the growth of the undesirable organisms that cause effects ranging from corrosion to biofouling , rot , surface defacement and harm to people ’ s health and well-being . These novel approaches pave the way to a bright future for sustainable preservation .
In the chemical sciences , advances in surface chemistry , particle science and controlled release technologies , enable formulators to use traditionally reactive or leachable active ingredients across broader applications with reduced environmental impact , enhanced sustainability and increased performance . Similarly , multifunctional additives with preservative enhancing properties are enabling formulators to meet preservation challenges with lower levels of traditional actives without making sacrifices to the shelf-life of the product .
In the toxicological sciences , new approach methodologies ( NAMs ) are being developed that minimise
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