Pilot plant developed to produce isobutene from sugar

In Germany, a pilot plant developed by researchers Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes will obtain isobutene from sugar instead of oil for the first time. And in order not to threaten food supplies, in the long term the sugar should come from wood or straw and not from sugar beet.

The basis of this was provided by staff at the company Global Bioenergies: They introduced the unique metabolic conversion of sugar to isobutene into a microorganism: If sugar is added to this microorganism, it “digests” it – and out comes gaseous isobutene.