 used to synthesize nylon from petroleum, but now, we have discovered how to produce 1,3 propanediol using genetically enhanced microbes. These new fibers are softer, more elastic, and more durable, and also offer permanent resistance to stains and UV rays.
How would you feel if you knew your car tires were made from sugar? That’s one of the key ingredients in BioIsoprene, a new form of synthetic rubber that is produced when genetically engineered microorganisms ferment sugars from renewable sources. Given their high purity, low cost, and low environmental impact, these sugars are a much more beneficial base for synthetic rubber than the conventional main ingredient: petroleum.
Thanks to industrial biotech, synthetic rubber isn’t the only place where sugar is standing in for petroleum products. Traditionally, natural gas liquids have been used to synthesize polyethylene—better known to us as the base material for a host of plastic film products, including disposable plastic shopping bags. However, these liquids are being replaced in industrial biotech processes by ethanol, which is generated from the fermentation of sugar and converted to a polyethylene through heat processing and mixing. This brings the double benefit of reducing the use of fossil fuels, and producing bioplastic products that can be fully biodegradable.