Industrial Biotech
metabolic engineering | synthetic biology | food, waste, chemical processing
Where Industrial Biotech Matters
The number of industrial applications of biotechnologies has grown rapidly in recent years, and now includes process areas such as:
Food fermentation
Modern alcohol, cheese and bread production are highly controlled processes, often using enzymes produced on an industrial scale, and microorganisms genetically engineered to optimise their performance.
Waste processing
Microorganisms and their products can be used to break down environmental contaminants, including petroleum products, poisonous metals or other harmful chemicals. Microbial communities are also often used in water treatment facilities.
Chemical manufacturing
By selective breeding or direct genetic modification, it is possible to optimise the performance of a microorganism’s enzymes. A vast array of products can now be made using biotechnology, including fuels, industrial chemicals (both fine and intermediate), drugs and vitamins.
Future gazing
Biomanufacturing
Recent breakthroughs for industrial biotech have related to the emergence of synthetic biology technologies such as DNA synthesis and genome editing – all of which pave the way for flexible, distributed biomanufacturing.
Business leaders
Some of the businesses linked to industrial biotechnology in the region include:
Sector Landscape
Through these links below you can access content relating to this sub-sector, including a sector intelligence report and an online business map.
