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Industrial biotechnology is a new and emerging technology area for the state of Missouri. It is increasingly impacting the chemical sector, enabling both the conversion of renewable resources, such as sugars or vegetable oils, and the more efficient conversion of conventional raw materials using biotechnological processes (including biocatalysis) into a wide variety of chemical substances, many of which can not be made directly by synthetic routes. These include fine and bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, bio-colorants, solvents, bio-plastics, vitamins, food additives, bio-pesticides and liquid bio-fuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-diesel.
As a term, it can also be used to describe the creation of products developed for industrial use by processing natural inputs.
Leading Missouri companies involved in industrial biotechnology include:
- Sigma-Aldrich
St. Louis, MO
Sigma-Aldrich develops, manufactures and distributes biochemicals, organic chemicals, chromatography products and diagnostic reagents. Sigma-Aldrich researchers won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry and the firm recently doubled its R&D expenditure.
- Abengoa
St. Louis, MO
Abengoa is a technological company that applies innovative solutions for
sustainable development in the infrastructures, environment and energy sectors. It
is present in over 70 countries where it operates through its five Business Units:
Solar, Bioenergy, Environmental Services, Information Technology, and Industrial
Engineering and Construction.
- Monsanto
St. Louis, MO
Monsanto is the world's premier agricultural life sciences company and continues to develop Missouri's growth with collaborations and new start-ups, such as soil erosion specialists, Innovium.
Existing and developing biodiesel and ethanol plants in Missouri include:
Biodiesel Plants:
- Mid-America Biofuels, LLC: 30 million gallons per year
- Missouri Bio-Products: 2 million gallons per year
- Eight additional plants in the planning phase
Ethanol Plants:
- Northeast Missouri Grain Processors: 48 million gallons per year
- Golden Triangle Energy Group: 20 million gallons per year
- Mid-Missouri Energy: 50 million gallons per year
- Missouri Ethanol, LLC: 45 million gallons per year
- Seven additional plants in the planning phase
First-stage Processing: Plant-made Pharmaceutical Production
Recognizing the challenges of producing plant-made pharmaceuticals in the traditional agricultural production channels, Missouri formed the only statewide network of agricultural producers and farmers proficient in the critical tracking and tracing of these highly-specialized biotech goods: Missouri Food and Fiber (MOF2)
Second-stage Processing: Specific Ingredient Production
Revolutionary Ingredient Technologies (RevingTech) specializes in a trade-secret all-mechanical process for delivering such highly-refined specialty ingredients from whole IP grains.
Third-stage Processing: Functional Food Production
Soy Labs is a Missouri company capable of further processing specialty ingredients into functional foods, including nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals.
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New Institute for Renewable Fuels
In February 2007, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced the creation of a new $25 million research Institute for Renewable Fuels. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a pre-eminent not-for-profit research institute with a global vision to improve the human condition. Research at the Danforth Center enhances the nutritional content of plants to improve human health, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, and provide the scientific ideas and technologies that will contribute to the economic growth of the St. Louis region and of the State of Missouri.
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