Genomatica Makes Methyl Ethyl Ketone from Microbes Ingesting Sugar
California licensor of technology thinks solvent MEK could get to market in 2010, reviving now-closed ethanol plants and serving global markets.
San Diego-based Genomatica said today it has developed a second chemical using a microbes instead of petroleum.
CEO Christopher Gann told the Cleantech Group that the company engineered a way to produce methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) from microbes ingesting sugar. The MEK can be made in the same fermentation facilities as ethanol plants, providing a use for shuttered or underused plants and removing the capital cost to build dedicated facilities
MEK is an industrial solvent used in paints, coatings or varnishes, especially for the furniture-making industry, that is typically made with petroleum. About half the market goes to about a dozen large buyers and is distributed by railcar, while the rest is typically produced in plants and put into drums.
The worldwide market for MEK is 3 billion dry pounds, or about $2 billion. In the U.S., the market is just 400 million pounds—making the global markets a focus for Genomatica.
More from here
San Diego-based Genomatica said today it has developed a second chemical using a microbes instead of petroleum.
CEO Christopher Gann told the Cleantech Group that the company engineered a way to produce methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) from microbes ingesting sugar. The MEK can be made in the same fermentation facilities as ethanol plants, providing a use for shuttered or underused plants and removing the capital cost to build dedicated facilities
MEK is an industrial solvent used in paints, coatings or varnishes, especially for the furniture-making industry, that is typically made with petroleum. About half the market goes to about a dozen large buyers and is distributed by railcar, while the rest is typically produced in plants and put into drums.
The worldwide market for MEK is 3 billion dry pounds, or about $2 billion. In the U.S., the market is just 400 million pounds—making the global markets a focus for Genomatica.
More from here
PermaLink - Genomatica Makes Methyl Ethyl Ketone from Microbes Ingesting Sugar
