What is white biotechnology

When industry and nature thrive together…

White Biotechnology is an emerging field within modern biotechnology that serves industry. It uses living cells like moulds, yeasts or bacteria, as well as enzymes to produce goods and services.

Living cells can be used as they are or improved to work as "cell factories" to produce enzymes for industry.

Living cells can also be used to make antibiotics, vitamins, vaccines and proteins for medical use.

Eco-efficient enzymes…

Enzymes are a part of life and present in all living beings. Whenever a substance is transformed into another, nature uses enzymes to speed up the process.

As an alternative to some chemical processes to make products, enzymes offer a biological route and often cleaner solution for industry.

Eco-efficient, enzymes consume less water, raw materials and energy. Environmental impact is minimized while better products are offered at lower cost.

For example, using enzymes in washing powder allows difficult stains to be removed at lower temperatures, saving on the use of energy and reducing the impact on the environment.

Biological versus traditional processing

Benign biomass …

Substances made from renewable raw materials - or biomass - are another example of white biotech.

Biomass like starch, cellulose, vegetable oils and agricultural waste are used to produce chemicals, bio-degradable plastics, pesticides, new fibers and biofuels among other things. The processes manufacturing them all use enzymes.

Ethanol, for example, a renewable fuel made out of biomass, has great potential to replace fossil fuels. This will have a neutral impact on greenhouse gas emissions, and can contribute to reducing global warming.

White Biotech benefits …

White Biotech can help to ensure that the future of coming generations is not compromised by today’s environmental problems.

It can realize substantial gains for both environment, consumers and industry.

White Biotech can:
• Reduce pollution and waste
• Decrease the use of energy, raw materials and water
• Lead to better quality food products
• Create new materials and biofuels from waste
• Provide an alternative to some chemical processes.

Examples of white biotechnology in action

• An animal friendly alternative for cheese makers (pdf)
• Enzymes sweet enzymes (pdf)
• Biological vitamin B2 production (pdf)
• Sustainable biofuels (pdf)
• Cleaner detergents (pdf)
• Naturally cleaner cotton (pdf)
• Stonewashing without stones (pdf)
• Biologically better bread (pdf)

For more information on white biotech ....

• White biotechnology studies, facts and figures
• Industrial Biotech