Biocatalysis

DSM and French starch producer Roquette announced they will jointly commercialize an innovative fermentation process to produce succinic acid. The process will be piloted at the Roquette site in Lestrem, France by the end of this year (2009), with full commercialization seen by 2011-2012. If successful, this will be a major step for White Biotechnology,replacing a petrochemical-based process with a greener, fermentation process. Read the new story here.

A patent application EP2002009 A2 from Rice University (Houston, TX USA)  has recently been published disclosing an anaerobic fermentation of glycerol using an engineered E. coli. The value added products include ethanol (?), formate, succinate, and 1,2-propanediol. SInce there is a glut of glycerol now due to its production as a byproduct of biodiesel, expect a lot of ideas on things that can be produced from glycerol.