Renewable Chemicals & Biobased Materials

Oils produced by algae hold the potential for replacing fossil resources in many products. In fact, according to recent research, much of the petroleum and coal we drill for and use today was originally produced thousands of years ago by a species of green algae.

Biorefining isn’t just for bio-ethanol. Biorefining can produce polyester, nylon, and amino acids just to name a few. In fact, one feedstock may produce many different products.

Biobased products can supplement or replace a wide variety of petroleum-based products, and the United States has a substantial potential competitive advantage in their manufacture.

The Environmental Protection Agency this month issued final rules for the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. The biofuels industry now must step up production to meet the aggressive targets for producing cellulosic biofuels in the coming years.

This video provides a basic overview of biotechnology and its many applications in our daily lives.

With these benefits increasing demand for industrial biotechnology products and processes, this study uses patent data, survey results, and technology and firm level data from emerging sectors of industrial biotechnology to paint a detailed picture of innovation in the field.