Abstract: An agrochemical formulation comprising adjuvants selected from diketopiperazines and an agrochemical active. A concentrate is also provided suitable for forming the formulation. The diketopiperazines provide adjuvancy in the concentrate and agrochemical formulations. There is also provided a method of making the formulation, and use of said diketopiperazines as adjuvants in agrochemical formulations is also provided. A method of forming the diketopiperazines is also described. The diketopiperazines may be used in a formulation for treating vegetation to control pests, or in a seed coating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dispersants comprising a polyester derived from a plurality of poly(carbonylalkyleneoxy) chains (and optionally a fatty acid) and an amine, wherein said dispersants have an acid value of less than 15 mgKOH/g. The dispersants as described herein provide desirable viscosity profiles when in use. More especially some embodiments provide improved compatibility with certain solvents in dispersions, and/or are particularly suitable for use in battery systems.

Abstract: The present invention relates to filamentous, i.e. thread-like nanoparticles comprising sterol and a component derived from Quillaja saponaria Molina selected from quillaja acid and quillaja saponin. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of said thread-like nanoparticles in vaccines and drug delivery or adsorption systems systems, methods for their production and uses thereof, such as for use as a vaccine adjuvant and in cancer therapy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a combination of a sophorolipid surfactant and an zwitterionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of betaines and hydroxysultaines in a composition to improve the mildness to skin of the composition by reducing the amount of zein protein solubilised by the composition, measured as described herein, wherein the composition comprises an anionic surfactant. The invention also relates to a method of reducing the amount of zein protein solubilised by a composition comprising an anionic surfactant, the method comprising the steps of: a) including a sophorolipid surfactant in the composition; and b) including a zwitterionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of betaines and hydroxysultaines in the composition; wherein the amount of zein protein solubilised by the composition is reduced by at least 20 wt %, measured as described herein.

Abstract: The present invention provides the use of a separation process to obtain a product composition comprising at least one sophorolipid, wherein the product composition achieves a negative result under the h-CLAT assay according to OECD 442E, wherein the separation process comprises removing a protein component from a starting composition comprising said glycolipid to obtain said product composition, wherein said starting composition achieves a positive result under the h-CLAT assay. The invention further provides a process for obtaining a product composition comprising at least one glycolipid, a product composition obtainable from the process and a personal care formulation or home care formulation comprising the product composition.

Abstract: A novel agrochemical formulation comprising adjuvants selected from phenylspirodrimanes and derivatives thereof, and an agrochemical active, A concentrate is also provided suitable for forming the formulation. The phenylspirodrimanes provide adjuvancy in the concentrate and agrochemical formulations. There is also provided a method of making the formulation, and use of said phenylspirodrimanes as adjuvants in agrochemical formulations is also provided. A method of obtaining the diketopiperazines from culturing of Stachybotrys chartarum, strain RKDO1264 is also described. The extracted phenylspirodrimanes may be used in a formulation for treating vegetation to control pests, or seed coating. Alternatively the strain RKDO1264 itself may be used in a seed coating or in a formulation for treating vegetation to control pests.

Abstract: A novel suspension type water medium agrochemical formulation comprising adjuvants selected from a copolymer dispersant comprising a copolymer of acrylic acid, hydrophobic monomer, alkylacrylate of a monoalkyl polyethylene glycol, and optionally strong acid derivatives of (meth)acrylic acid; non-ionic graft copolymer of acrylic ester and oxyalkylene; and having hydrophobic solid agrochemical active dispersed in aid water medium. A concentrate is also provided suitable for forming the formulation. The combination of copolymers provide dispersancy for the hydrophobic solid agrochemical active in the water medium of the suspension concentrate. There is also provided the use of said copolymers as dispersants for hydrophobic solid agrochemical active in agrochemical formulations, and a method of treating vegetation to control pests by applying the formulation or diluted concentrate form of the formulation to vegetation or the immediate environment.

Abstract: A method for processing images of seeds, the method comprising: inputting a seed image comprising at least a portion of a seed to a trained neural network to generate a value associated with the coverage of a coating on the seed; the trained neural network having been trained to generate a value associated with the coverage of coating on the seed using a plurality of training images each comprising at least a portion of a training seed, and wherein each training image is labelled with a value associated with the coverage of a coating on the training seed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel hair treatment materials, and in particular materials for shaping hair and/or strengthening the hair. Also described are the use of these compounds in hair care formulations for shaping, straightening, strengthening or treating the hair, and the use of the compounds for hair straightening and/or hair strengthening.

Abstract: The present invention relates to filamentous, i.e. thread-like nanoparticles comprising sterol and a component derived from Quillaja saponaria Molina selected from quillaja acid and quillaja saponin. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of said thread-like nanoparticles in vaccines and drug delivery or adsorption systems systems, methods for their production and uses thereof, such as for use as a vaccine adjuvant and in cancer therapy.

Abstract: A novel agrochemical formulation comprising adjuvants selected from diketopiperazines and an agrochemical active. A concentrate is also provided suitable for forming the formulation. The diketopiperazine provide adjuvancy in the concentrate and agrochemical formulations. There is also provided a method of making the formulation, and use of said diketopiperazines as adjuvants in agrochemical formulations is also provided. A method of obtaining the diketopiperazines from culturing of Metarhizium carneum, strain RKD0578 is also described. The extracted diketopiperazines may be used in a formulation for treating vegetation to control pests, or seed coating. Alternatively the strain RKD0578 itself may be used in a seed coating or in a formulation for treating vegetation to control pests.

Abstract: An enzymatic process for the preparation of C16 alkyl polyglycosides and/or C18 alkyl polyglycosides by reacting C16 alkyl glycoside and/or C18 alkyl glycoside with a glycosyl donor containing monosaccharide residues to form an alkyl polyglycoside intermediate which can be fractionated to form an alkyl polyglycoside product, wherein the mole-average degree of polymerization mean DP) of the glycoside chains is greater than or equal to 3.0 units and the molar concentration of alkyl triglycoside (DP3) is greater than alkyl monoglycoside (DPI). The C16/C18 alkyl polyglycoside product is particularly useful in health care formulations, especially in combination with and/or as a solubilizer for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Abstract: Surfactants based on a newly discovered class of compounds include a hydrophobic lipid oligomer covalently linked to a peptide or peptide-like chain and a carbohydrate moiety, and a serine-leucinol dipeptide linked to the lipid oligomer. Such surfactants can be used to create an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion by mixing together a polar component; a non-polar component; and the surfactant. Biosurfactants of the newly discovered class can be made by isolating and culturing a microorganism which produces the biosurfactant, and then isolating the biosurfactant from the culture. A microorganism can be engineered to produce biosurfactant of this newly discovered class by expressing a set of heterologous genes involved in the biosynthesis of the biosurfactant in the microorganism.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of C4 to C24 alkyl polyglycosides by the use of an enzyme to react C4 to C24 alkyl glycoside with a glycosyl donor containing monosaccharide residues, wherein the C4 to C24 alkyl polyglycosides have a mole-average degree of polymerization (mean DP) of the glycoside chains of greater than 1.5 units. The C4 to C24 alkyl polyglycosides are particularly useful in personal care formulations.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition comprising a) a phase change material; b) 1 to 10 wt % of a silica gelling additive; and c) a styrene co-polymer gelling additive; wherein the composition is in the form of a gel and wherein the weight ratio of b) silica gelling additive to c) styrene co-polymer gelling additive in the composition is in the range from 0.6 to 5:1. The invention also provides a method of making the composition and an article and a product comprising the composition. Finally, the invention provides the use of a combination of a silica gelling additive and a styrene co-polymer gelling additive to make a gel composition comprising a phase change material with one or more improved properties.

Abstract: A novel agrochemical formulation comprising adjuvants selected from ilicicolins and lamellicolic anhydrides and an agrochemical active is described. A concentrate is also provided suitable for forming the formulation. The ilicicolins and lamellicolic anhydrides provide adjuvancy in the concentrate and agrochemical formulation. Use of said ilicicolins and lamellicolic anhydrides as adjuvants in agrochemical formulations is also provided. There is also provided a method of making the formulation, and for treating soil with the formulations. A method of obtaining the ilicicolins and lamellicolic anhydrides from culturing of Cosmospora sp., strain RKD01747 is also described.

Abstract: A plant treatment composition comprising: an aqueous phase comprising a plant nutrient; and an organic phase comprising a substituted urea or substituted thiourea compound, dissolved in an organic solvent; and an emulsifier; wherein the composition is in the form of an emulsion having droplets of the organic phase dispersed in the aqueous phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition comprising a blend of: a) a first component which is partially hydrolysed protein obtained from a potato protein source; and b) a second component which is partially hydrolysed protein obtained from a non-potato vegetable protein source; wherein the weight ratio of first component:second component in the blend is in the range 0.5:1 to 2:1. The invention also provides a personal care formulation comprising such a composition and a personal care ingredient, wherein the personal care formulation is for topical application to skin or hair. The invention further provides a method of treating hair using a composition and the use of a composition for the treatment of hair.

Abstract: Surfactants based on a newly discovered class of compounds include a hydrophobic lipid oligomer covalently linked to a peptide or peptide-like chain and a carbohydrate moiety, and a serine-leucinol dipeptide linked to the lipid oligomer. Such surfactants can be used to create an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion by mixing together a polar component; a non-polar component; and the surfactant. Biosurfactants of the newly discovered class can be made by isolating and culturing a microorganism which produces the biosurfactant, and then isolating the biosurfactant from the culture. A microorganism can be engineered to produce biosurfactant of this newly discovered class by expressing a set of heterologous genes involved in the biosynthesis of the biosurfactant in the microorganism.

Abstract: A seed coating composition for coating plant seeds. The coating composition comprises a polymeric binder and/or resin, and a hydrolysed protein. The seed coating composition optionally comprises an agrochemical active and/or nutrient, and the composition is used to improve the seed's physical qualities, especially the seed's ability to resist drought or poor water conditions and/or high salinity conditions. There is also provided a method of making the formulations, and for treating seeds or bulbs with seed coating formulation.