Synthetic biology companies diversify product line

Nature : Rather than try to compete with the giant petrochemical companies by producing alternative fuels, some synthetic biology firms have branched out to also produce specialist chemicals used in a number of products, such as cat food, face cream, and tires. Such bio-derived products make up just 1–2% of the overall chemicals market, but that could amount to about $1 billion next year. A California-based company, Amyris, for example, is working with French tire manufacturer Michelin to produce isoprene, the chemical building block used to make synthetic rubber. Another California-based company, Solazyme, is working with UK-based Unilever, which owns the Dove and Vaseline brands, to make cosmetic ingredients. Conventional chemical companies such as Dow and DuPont have become interested because bio-derived versions of their products can be marketed as “green” and because the cost of oil is rising.