R&D
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Ajinomoto launches Innovation Alliance Program
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Ajinomoto has long been in the fermentation business, and a leader in amino acids, therefore it makes sense for the company to expand in other areas aside from pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and food ingredients. Ajinomoto said it is searching for open innovation opportunities with researchers and research institutions in the area of fermentation, bio-based materials (Biotechnology,…
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Dutch Consortium invests towards sustainable chemistry
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AkzoNobel, BASF, Shell, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Top Sector Chemistry, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Utrecht University, the Eindhoven University of Technology and Groningen University, have formed a consortium, known as the Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium (ARC CBBC), which has announced plans to establish a national research center focused on…
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Avantium, Mitsui in FDCA supply deal
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Avantium recently announced a signed agreement with Mitsui & Co. where Mitsui has been granted a right to purchase a sizeable volume of FDCA (2,5 furandicarboxylic acid) from Avantium’s planned commercial facility. Capacity, location and time lines are going to be announced in Q1 2016. Avantium is said to be in the preparation stage of the…
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Bio-butadiene R&D steps up
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I am about to fly to Caserta, Italy, to visit GF Biochemicals’ new levulinic acid plant, which started production in July. I will blog more about my trip later this week and will also tweet while at the site (hopefully my wifi is working). By the way, GF Biochemicals recently bagged the John Sime award…
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Introducing: PLA-based biaxially oriented film
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In PLA news, BI-AX International, a packaging film and sheet specialist, has launched an entirely new line of its Evlon biaxially oriented sheet products developed in collaboration with NatureWorks. This new biobased sheet made from Ingeo biopolymer reportedly provides a competitive alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC ) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), credit, key and gift cards as well…
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EPA Calls for the 21st Presidential Green Chemistry Award Nominations
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting entries for nominations for its 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a process or product that better protects public health and the environment. Since the start of the program, EPA has received more than 1,500 nominations and presented awards for 104…
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North Face develops coat from biotech silk
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Coming from the recent SynBioBeta conference, I may not be able to understand some of the technicalities of gene modification but I do understand the potential economics on some of these technologies being churned out of the lab. One of them is biotech spider silk that the blog mentioned in September, where California-based Bolt Threads…
