Conference-goers discuss the unique combination of bio-inspired properties of Hyaline electronic films at a digital display conference
A biomanufacturing approach to speciality chemicals
We are unlocking biology as both a chemical design tool and a means of production , says Professor John Warner , Distinguished Research Fellow for Sustainability & Green Chemistry at Zymergen
Speciality chemical makers face many challenges , including consumer demand for rapid product innovation , regulatory pressures , great shifts in technology and supply chains , and — perhaps most importantly — the drive toward greener , more sustainable products and processes . As a synthetic organic and polymer chemist , I have spent my professional career designing and synthesising molecules to meet various unmet needs in the market . I take a certain amount of pride in my ability — and success rate — in meeting these challenges with laboratory-scale solutions . Over the years , I have found an interesting relationship : the more complex and innovative the design is , the more difficult the scale-up is . For example , I can design a complicated molecule with multiple functional groups that I can use to fine-tune the properties of a molecule . I can then demonstrate that it achieves an excellent performance in the tasks that I have designed for it . These dream molecules are publication-worthy at the bench scale . But when it comes to producing them cost-effectively at commercial scale , the dream solution often becomes a nightmare .
32 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981