Genomatica: Microbe-Made-Chemicals Could Save Empty Ethanol Plants

GreenTechMedia.com
by: Jeff St. John
February 25, 2009

Genetic engineering startup Genomatica says it's devised a way to get microbes to make methyl ethyl ketone, a solvent with a $2 billion market – and the company says it can use shuttered ethanol plants to make the stuff.

Genomatica has come up with a new microbe that can turn sugar into an industrial solvent with a $2 billion worldwide market – and it believes idled ethanol plants will be perfect places to do it.

The San Diego-based company announced Wednesday that it has genetically engineered microbes to digest sugar and excrete methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK, a solvent with uses including plastics and textiles manufacturing and as an ingredient in paint remover, lacquer and varnishes.

Read the full story