Ecovia Renewables expands its production capacity of biopolymers

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Type of post: NEWS.

Ecovia Renewables Inc. is a Michigan-based biotechnology company focused on the research and development of high-performing biopolymers. It was founded in 2014 to commercialize the pioneering research on microbial ecosystems of Dr. Xiaoxia “Nina” Lin and Dr. Jeremy Minty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The first proof-of-concept demonstration of the Ecovia platform involved one-step production of isobutanol from lignocellulose. Since then, its mission has evolved to deploy their expertise to enable efficient, cost-effective routes for producing a variety of biobased ingredients and materials.

The company has just announced progress on the construction of its in-house pilot plant located at their R&D facility. With 40% more surface dedicated to process scale-up, the fermentation and downstream capabilities have been increased. Currently, the samples of biopolymers are sold out. The new capacity will allow a new wider sample launching later this year. Demonstrating Ecovia’s bioprocess platform at pilot scale will be an important milestone for the company, representing a key step in de-risking the technology and preparing for commercial production.
Press release: “Ecovia Expands Fermentation Capacity For Production Of Biobased Ingredients & Materials”, 29/4/2019.

In addition to the extension Ecovia’s sampling program, this scale-up infrastructure supports the advancements of the Ecovia’s multi-year joint development agreement (JDA) with Seppic Inc. (subsidiary of Air Liquide). Announced in April 2018, the partnership between both companies focuses on the development of topical cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredients.

Figure 1. AzuraGel™ (taken from Ecovia website)

Ecovia Biopolymers

Ecovia Biopolymers are created from a proprietary fermentation process. The final goal is to create ingredients and materials that exceed the performance of the current generation of biodegradable starch-based absorbents and offer a viable alternative to widely used petrochemical-based polyacrylate- and polyacrylamide-based materials.

AzuraGel™ Biopolymers (crosslinked polymers based on D,L-γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid) absorb up to 300x their weight in water. They show improved absorption under load (AUL) over starch-based biopolymers and are 100% non-toxic, biobased and biodegradable.
Applications:
- Personal care: superabsorbent fillers for hygiene products; moisturizers and thickeners for natural skin care.
- Agriculture and horticulture: soil amendments for water retention; tackifiers for revegetation and erosion control.

AzuraBase™ Biopolymers (linear polymers based on D,L-γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid) are being developed as alternatives to hydrocolloids and biobased intermediates. The resulting grades enable a wide range of product applications, especially as thickening ingredients.

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