The 40 Hottest Technologies of 2018 – as voting gets underway, the nominees in depth
Genomatica’s Brontide butylene glycol
What does it do, how does it work, who is it aimed at?
Brontide is a naturally-sourced and sustainably-produced butylene glycol. Brontide enables cosmetic and personal care manufacturers to replace petroleum-based glycols with a natural alternative for applications such as skin care, sun care and extract stabilization. Genomatica’s process starts from renewable sugars and ferments them using a proprietary microorganism. The process avoids the carcinogenic intermediate of acetaldehyde and has half the global warming potential of conventional production techniques.
Brontide s advantages are highly attractive to the fast-growing demand for more natural, sustainable ingredients in personal care and cosmetics and facilitate ready use by formulators in the many products that need moisture retention or where used as a carrier for plant extracts.
Competitively, what gives this technology an edge?
Genomatica has successfully scaled production to 85,000 liter fermentors, and has already shipped many tons of Brontide. they expect to produce a thousand tons by the end of 2018. Genomatica has leveraged its experience in developing cost-effective processes and scaleup (e.g. with bio-based BDO, as shown by Novamont’s 30kta plant in Italy) to have a similarly cost-competitive process for BG. In addition, Genomatica has designed its process to only produce the R isomer of BG, which has potential applications in nutraceuticals. These haven’t been feasible with conventional BG because of the very high cost to make a pure R form.
What stage of development is this technology at right now?
Genomatica has already shipped many tons of Brontide; and expects to produce a thousand tons by the end of 2018. they have established distribution and marketing partnerships worldwide.
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