SCOTTISH biotech business, Scot Bio, has announced that two former executive directors of Robert Wiseman Dairies plc have been appointed to its board – with a remit to oversee the commercialisation of a process extracting natural food colouring from algae.

Martyn Mulcahy and David Dobbins held positions of group operations director and group commercial director on the main board of the stock market listed dairy business before its sale to Müller. Both Mr Mulcahy and Mr Dobbins are also early stage investors in Scot Bio along with Robert Wiseman, the former chief executive of Robert Wiseman Dairies plc.

Chairman of Scot Bio, Tom Craig, said “The new appointments to the board bring unrivalled skills and experience in building businesses in the food sector. Scot Bio is at an extremely exciting stage with patented IP, significant new investment and an exceptional team of scientists behind it. With the guidance of our outstanding board we are looking confidently to the future.”

Natural blues and greens are produced using phycocyanin, an algae derived pigment which received international regulatory approval in 2013. Phycocyanin rich algae is traditionally grown in pond systems, which are seasonal and subject to environmental contamination but Scot Bio, through academic collaborations with Newcastle University and The University of Edinburgh, has developed systems that are modular and scalable and capable of meeting the demand from global food manufacturers.

Mr Mulcahy said: “It's exciting to be part of this outstanding team, building this truly innovative business that is Scot Bio. Upscaling the business quickly is a key task and my experience gained in developing Robert Wiseman Dairies into a market leader, will help the team to make this happen.”