Our Team

Sonalika is Research Partner at RSSL, driving innovation in the food sector through building and nurturing strategic R&D collaborations and leveraging government funding.

Together with an MSci Chemistry from Imperial College London and chartership from the Royal Society of Chemistry, she brings 8+ years of analytical science experience and a passion for building impactful partnerships. As NFX UK Project Lead, she is committed to fostering effective collaboration across the Novel Foods ecosystem, to advance regulatory science and position UK as a global leader within the sector. 

Daniela Moura O. Beltrame is Regulatory Affairs & Innovation Lead at The Supplant Company.

Daniela holds an MSc and a PhD in Nutrition, with over 15 years of experience in Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. She supports companies in navigating complex requirements for Novel Foods, Food Supplements, Health Claims, GRAS status, and food labelling. Her earlier work includes leading food composition and sustainable development projects for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Brazil and the Caribbean, collaborating with stakeholders across diverse organisations and regions.

Dr Colin Chappell is Head of Manufacturing at The Supplant Company, managing production of Supplant’s high-fibre, sugar-replacer, reduced calorie ingredients, for various food applications. 

A chemist by training, he has worked in and around the Food & Beverage Industry across diverse fields and roles for several decades, including R&D of ingredients in novel food, industrial, and medical applications, as well as food & beverage flavours. His experience includes R&D, business development, process development, laboratory management, IP management, and investment. 

Rachel is a CIM-qualified Marketing Manager, she leads RSSL’s communications and marketing strategy.  

Her expertise in brand strategy was pivotal in the successful rebrand of RSSL. She has also led the development of the NFX UK brand and website. Rachel’s expertise is in B2B marketing, brand development, digital marketing, budget planning, content creation, and project leadership. Her strategic vision and hands-on experience enable businesses to navigate the marketing landscape and achieve sustainable growth. 

Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Bioengineering at Imperial College London and the Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and the Microbial Food Hub. He is an expert in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, leading one of the largest precision fermentation labs in Europe.

His research focuses on developing microbial systems to produce valuable compounds, such as food ingredients, from renewable sources, driving innovation in sustainable bioproduction and biotechnology.

Daniele holds a DPhil in Chemistry from Oxford University.

He has a dynamic career, launching new products and processes across the fine chemical and energy sectors. In his 8.5 years at RSSL, Daniele’s scientific expertise has enhanced the understanding of food ingredients and processes. He plays a crucial role in evaluating the regulatory and technical feasibility of novel technologies, advising clients on the scientific requirements for novel food dossiers, and ultimately, bridging the gap between innovation and regulatory compliance.

John Murphy is the Alternative Proteins Regulation and Scale Up Manager at the Imperial Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. He brings expertise in understanding the key bottlenecks the industry faces and has a broad background spanning engineering, synthetic biology, policy, and consultancy.

His previous experience includes leading efforts at the Alternative Proteins Association, one of the largest associations of its kind, focusing on Novel Food regulatory reform and supporting the UK developing industry.

Alexander is the manager of scientific intangible assets at Supplant.

He has a background in synthetic chemistry. He leads responsibility for strategy and maintenance of a 100+ application-strong patent portfolio, using AI tools and database-design to facilitate delivery. Connected on first-name terms with leading IP law firms around the world

Professor Karen Polizzi is a leading figure in synthetic biology and bioprocessing at Imperial College London, where she is a Professor of Biotechnology within the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on engineering mammalian and yeast cells for bioproduction.

Professor Polizzi’s interdisciplinary approach integrates molecular biology, cell engineering, and bioprocess optimization to address key challenges in the production of proteins and vaccines.  She is Vice Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and co-Director of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre.

Dr Tom Simmons is a Founder of The Supplant Company, a spin-out company from the University of Cambridge that develops gut-healthy plant-based ingredient for sugar reduction and fiber fortification.

A sugar and fiber biochemist by training, Tom was formerly a Borysiewycz Biomedical Fellow and a Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellow at Cambridge. He is the author of 13 academic articles and 19 patents in the field.

Jane’s career started as a food technologist undertaking product development.  This built her expertise on ingredients, food processing and general food industry challenges.  Moving into Commercial, her technical knowledge helped ensure technical solutions provided met the industry needs.  She led the launch of RSSL’s regulatory services to the novel foods sector, understanding the challenges that this sector face in getting products approved and is now involved in seeking funding opportunities to accelerate the industry’s innovation. 

Jane’s knowledge of the novel foods sector and her industry network will be essential to ensure the success of NFX UK.