Ecovia Renewables expands its production capacity of biopolymers
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.
