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What is Bioisoprene and why should you master it? A look at Genencor and GlycosBio
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admin | May 4, 2010 When we say bioisoprene, think synthetic rubber but only f or a start. T hink platf orm f or renewable diesel, jet f uel, renewable gasoline, and synthetic adhesives. It replaces f ossil-based oils, can make money now, and can be made f rom oilseed wastes in a world gone mad in the search f or cheap sugars. Its evoking attention and investment that most f uel-developers and some Hollywood celebrities could use. Enter another rock star of the bio-based world. 800,000 tons of isoprene were used in 2008, about 60 percent f or tires, and 30 percent to adhesives and the remainder f or medical or personal care products. It takes about seven gallons of crude oil to make a gallon of f ossil-based isoprene, and with price volatility on the rise and f uture production of the speciality chemical by the oil industry always a now you see it, now you dont proposition, Goodyear partnered with Genencor back in 2008.

A p ro to typ e tire p ro d uc e d b y G e ne nc o r and G o o d ye ar fro m Bio Is o p re ne

T heir goal: an R&D partnership that would result in a low-cost, biomass-based bio-isoprene that would provide a strategic raw material f or synthetic polyisoprene runner, stabilize costs, decrease dependence on f ossil oils and natural rubber sourcing, and improve the environmental f ootprint of the tire business. T hey believe that they have cracked it. Rich LaDuca of Genecor began to hit the road with a stop at World Biof uels Markets in mid-March his presentation is here and a series of articles began appearing in Green Car Congress, TechNews Daily, Technology Review, and Green Blorgeabout the bioisoprene project. At the same time, grumbling was heard elsewhere in Silicon Valley, along the lines of theyve made, what, one tire? in most cases, f rom investors in algae or other technology platf orms that have made, what, one gallon. Rule #1 f or parsing out trash talk in Silicon Valley: people trash investments they looked at closely, and passed on. T hey trash it because they cant f igure out why someone else is paying attention to it. Usually that means that someone else is betting on a new technology, a new piece of IP that has f loated up f rom the lab. Bioisoprene, while not a smack-down, no brainer to make, is not the subject of Nobelesque research ef f orts. Making it at suitable purity, at an af f ordable cost and at scale now thats the trick. Genencor think they have solved the puzzle by extracting bioisoprene in the gas-phase, which gives them the purity they want, combined with af f ordability. Over a three-year period, the reported Danisco-Genencor investment has been pegged at $50 million, with an unreported cost-share f rom Goodyear, with an additional investment

expected f or the pilot plant. Here are the highlights: Technology. Genencor has modif ied e.coli to produce an isoprene synthase enzyme, and f erments bioisoprene f rom a variety of biomass f eedstocks. By harvesting in the gas-pahse, Genencor believes it has addressed the problem of acquiring purity at low cost. How do they do it, specifically? E.coli naturally spits out some isoprene, just not enough and not nearly as quickly as needed the metabolic pathways are too complex. In this case, Genencor has optimized the process by which carbohydrates are stripped of oxygens, leading to a 3,3-dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (a/k/a/ DMAPP). T hence, the enzyme isoprene synthase catalyzes the production of BioIsoprene. Because isoprene is a gas at low temperatures, it bubbles out of the f ermentation chamber and is recoverable without the use of costly separation techniques. T imeline. Genencor commenced its collaborative partnership with Goodyear in 2008. T he pilot plant is expected later this year, with a BioIsoprene manuf acturing plant expected by 2012 and polymerization of bioisoprene into synthetic runner and other elastomers by 2013, with commecial sales also commencing that sale year. Pricing.High purity BioIsoprene is expected to price at $1600-$2300 per ton, with a global market estimated at up to $2 billion. T hats in the $5.80-$8.40 per gallon equivalent range, in terms of the dollar yield compared to converting biomass to renewable f uels. So, the ef f ort yields 2.5-3.5 times the margins expected in the f uel markets, though the market is smaller and price stability as supply ramps up is always a challenge. T he Neat bonus for biofuels.Isoprene is a f ive-carbon molecule that can be paired. Put two together, and thats a molecule the can replace gasoline. T hree, and you have a potential replacement f or diesel, or renewable jet f uel. Other markets. Diapers, f eminine hygiene products, surgical gloves and other rubber-based products, which use block copolymers such as styrene-isoprene-styrene. More here in a 2009 Genencor presentation. T he 2010 World Biof uels Markets presentation is here. More on Genencor. In a closely related development in every sense except the geography, GlycosBio announced the companys international expansion into Malaysia, with the announcement of a deal to between GlycosBio and Malaysian Bio-XCell, a government-supported industrial ecosystem f ocused on the advancement of biotechnology in Malaysia, to collaborate on construction of GlycosBios biochemical plant and biotechnology research and development f acility within the Bio-XCell industrial park in Malaysia. GlycosBio eventually intends to build a pilot plant and a commercial scale f acility at BioXCell, which is the hub of a 50-year project to transf orm the southern development corridor at Southern Industrial and Logistics Cluster (SiLC) in Nusajaya, Johor, is being developed on a 60:40 joint-venture basis between Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp) and UEM Land, on the southernmost tip of the Malaysian peninsula, and just across the strait f rom Singapore. Its a transf ormative investment in inf rastructure housing, a marina, as well as the siting pads f or industrial biotech. Singapore has f ocused on development of its medical biotech escort, while the Malaytsians have targeted industrial biotech. T he key here: most industrial biotech f irms work with molasses and low-cost sugars, while Malaysia is f ull of oil palms, and is optimally suited to work with companies that can use palm oil waste streams. Glycos has engineered e.coli to convert glycerine or low-grade f ree f atty acids into acetone,

technical-grade ethanol and bioisoprene. Ah, another isoprene venture. Here are the key highlights: T imeline:Construction of the plant will begin in Q3 2010 with an expected completion date in early 2012. In addition to the partnership with Bio-XCell, GlycosBio will also be working closely with the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, the national agency set up by the Malaysian government f or the development of biotechnology in Malaysia. Financials: 45-55 percent gross margins f rom plant operations. T he Malaysian project is f ully f unded, with GlycosBios partners proceeding on a build/lease-back basis. Next for GlycosBio: Brazil, said GlycosBio CEO Rich Cilento. 90 percent of the activity is international, which makes sense when you consider that developing countries are growing at 6-7 percent while the US is growing at around 3 percent, if that. We have an elegant solution f or a 100 Mgy ethanol plant in terms of optimizing the value of the materials in the dried distillers grains, but well get to that. Why Malaysia: Its the worlds hub f or rubber-based products, including 60 percent of surgincal gloves, which can be made f rom bioisoprene. What this means: Glycos launched its pilot plant in Hempstead, Texas last November, with a capacity of 150,000 liters. T his makes the company, Cilento remarked. Absolutely, this is in the top 3 among he companys achievements. Other products down the line.T he resulting specialty chemicalscan be used as building blocks f or a wide range of applications including biodegradable and non-degradable plastics, as well as f or surf actants and f uels, according to the company, Cilento told Biomass Magazine last year. More on GlycosBio

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