James Winterburn

Professor James Winterburn serves as Professor of Biochemical Engineering at the University of Manchester's Department of Chemical Engineering within the School of Engineering. He joined as a Lecturer in 2013, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2018, to Reader in 2021, and achieved Professorship in 2025. Currently, he serves as the Academic Lead for Business Engagement and Innovation for the School of Engineering, establishing and nurturing industry-academia collaborations while actively accepting PhD students.

His educational background includes a PhD in biosurfactant production and separation from The University of Manchester (2011), supervised by Dr. Peter Martin and funded by EPSRC and Unilever, followed by an EPSRC Doctoral Prize. He graduated with a 1st Class MEng in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford in 2007.

Professor Winterburn's research focuses on industrial biotechnology, fermentation processes, and the efficient production and separation of bio-based products, with recognized strengths in biosurfactant and biopolymer production. His work encompasses biomass feedstock pretreatment, fermentation process engineering, downstream separations, analytics, engineering biology approaches, and end-use applications. He aims to engineer novel, robust fermentation and separation processes that valorize by-products and side streams, contributing significantly to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable production.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on sophorolipid and rhamnolipid biosurfactant production, with research spanning from laboratory-scale development to commercial implementation. His work demonstrates consistent innovation in integrated separation technologies, particularly gravity-based and foam fractionation methods that dramatically improve production efficiency while reducing environmental impact compared to conventional petrochemical processes.

• BBSRC Innovator of the Year - Early Career Impact Winner (2018)
• Chemical Business Association- Distributor / Manufacturer Member of the Year Award (2023)
• Holiferm wins the Innovation Award at the Chemicals Northwest Awards 2022
• UK bioeconomy celebrated at BBIA's Demeter Awards (2024)

Professor Winterburn has supervised 19 students and secured substantial research funding from EPSRC, BBSRC, Innovate UK, and industry partners. His projects include 'Enabling the bioeconomy with a platform production and integrated separation technology' and 'HiProSoph - High productivity sophorolipid manufacturing for rapid market expansion.' He serves as Associate Editor for the Biochemical Engineering Journal and previously chaired the Biochemical Engineering Special Interest Group at the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

The Winterburn Research Group operates in close collaboration with Holiferm Limited, the spinout company he co-founded in 2018 that has successfully commercialized biosurfactant production technology. Holiferm now manufactures sophorolipid biosurfactants at ktonne scale from their commercial demonstration plant capable of producing 1,100 tonnes annually. The group maintains strong industry partnerships with companies including BASF and Sasol Chemicals, with research supported by both academic funding bodies and commercial collaborations.