Something engineered and produced in the United States, not petroleum based, that uses our own raw materials.
Genomatica, is a start-up that that enables the production of sustainable chemicals through a BioProcess Engineering Platform to transform low cost feedstocks into high-value chemicals. The company invents replacement chemicals for commonly used industrial chemicals now produced with petroleum.
Sustainable Chemicals are those designed and manufactured using efficient, effective, safe and more environmentally benign raw materials and processes according to their website.
On Thursday, the company announced that they have bioengineered a microbe that ingests sugar and water and produces MEK without the toxic byproducts and environmental risks that come from making petroleum-based industrial chemicals. The invention can be harnessed using plants that currently produce corn based ethanol.
MEK is used in large volumes in the production of plastics and textiles, like vinyl films and as a cleaning agent. it is also used in the manufacture of paraffin wax, paint remover, and glues.
cnn.com
