Chemicals from biotechnology: molecular plant genetics will challenge the chemical and the fermentation industry
Industrial biotechnology has evolved as a significant manufacturing tool for products like fuel-grade ethanol, organic acids and bulk amino acids, but most items are still speciality products for food and pharmaceutical applications. Current development projects within the chemical industry, including lactic acid and 1,3-propanediol based polymers and plastics, indicate that new biotechnological processes and products may soon approach the market place, clearly targeted at the leading petrochemical bulk outlets. This is flanked by a strategic shift by the major chemical companies in to "life sciences"-pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and the seed business as well as biotech fine chemicals. The recent tremendous achievements in molecular plant genetics and transgenic crop breeding will boost agrobiotechnology, agriculture and renewable raw materials as compelling projects for chemistry and biotechnology. New plant-based production routes may challenge established chemical and biochemical domains, but at the same time open new horizons to valuable feedstocks, intermediates and end-products.
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Biotechnology based chemicals are manufactured by applying several techniques such as fermentation. Biotechnology based chemicals contains lactic acid, citric acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, lysine, glutamic acid and threonine. Biotechnology based chemicals are used in various industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, animal feed and consumer goods among others. Currently, more than 13.3 million farmers are exploiting biotechnology-based chemicals to enhance the crops yield, to protect crops from insects, and to decrease the harmful impact on environment.
Pharmaceutical industry is the major end user industry that highly consumes biotechnology based chemicals. The rising demand for natural medicines when compared to synthetic chemicals is anticipated to amplify the overall demand for biotechnology based chemicals. Also, rising awareness of the various side effects associated with the chemical drugs is projected to augment the biotechnology based chemicals market. The animal feed industry is another major consumers of biotechnology based chemicals. The escalating demand for lysine in animal feed is considered to boost the demand for biotechnology chemicals.
Leading Companies:
- ADM
- AGAE Technologies, LLC
- BASF SE
- BioAmber Inc.
- Cargill, Incorporated
- DSM
- Futerro SA
- GFBiochemicals Ltd
- Toray Industries Inc
- Vertec BioSolvents