Company initiatives
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INVISTA to soon sell bio-based LYCRA® fiber
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INVISTA, owner of the LYCRA® brand, introduces the only commercial offering of a bio-derived spandex available globally and for use in a wide variety of apparel fabrics and garments. Spandex is also known as elastane in Europe and other parts of the world. Approximately 70% by weight of the new LYCRA® bio-derived spandex fiber comes…
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Green chemicals investment roundup
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While investment money being bestowed this year is not as big as those seen in 2008-2010, this is definitely better than nothing, and there seems to be more hope of investors opening up their wallets again. Last month saw a lot of successful financing announcements. Segetis was able to get $21.2 million in funding from…
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Proterro reaches sugar-making milestones
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Proterro said it has reached its Q1 sugar-production pilot milestones in four months of continuous operation at its pilot plant in Orlando, Florida, and reported that it has consistently saw no contamination effect on productivity. In February, Proterro announced that the USPTO had issued a notice of allowance for a patent protecting the novel photobioreactor,…
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Brazilian Industrial Biotech Association (ABBI) launched
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Companies that include Amyris, BASF, BioChemtex, BP, Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira, Dow Chemical, DSM, DuPont, GranBio, Novozymes, Raizen and Rhodia have joined forces to form the Brazilian Industrial Biotechnology Association (Associação Brasileira de Biotecnologia Industrial or ABBI) with a primary objective of fostering a dialogue within Brazilian society about the advancements of industrial biotechnology in…
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Sime Darby invests in Verdezyne
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During President Obama’s trip to Malaysia this weekend, the country’s conglomerate giant, Sime Darby Berhad, announced that it will take a 30% stake, valued at $30 million, in San Diego-based renewable chemical company, Verdezyne. Sime Darby Renewables, a new unit under Sime Darby Plantation, will spearhead this initiative essentially focusing on converting traditional and…
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Verdezyne Reaches Key Production Milestone
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Verdezyne, Inc., a privately-held industrial biotechnology company focused on producing renewable chemicals, announced that it has produced more than one metric ton of bio-based dodecanedioic acid (DDDA) using its proprietary yeast platform and downstream process. The Michigan Biotechnology Institute (MBI) and the Michigan State University (MSU) Bioeconomy Institute (BEI) worked with Verdezyne to run the…
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Gevo reports cash concern in 10-K
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As the blog reported before, 2014 seems to be the year for industry restructuring with LS9 being acquired by Renewable Energy Group; Cereplast filing for bankruptcy and Codexis changing its business strategy and focus. Bio-isobutanol producer, Gevo, is currently in the cross-hair unless the company comes up with more cash this year. Gevo recently warned on…
