BIOBASED CHEMICALS
‣ L-alanine
The DMC technology has been deployed to produce a broad diversity of chemistries . For each target molecule , the approach is to design a highly efficient metabolic production pathway and to reduce the rest of the extraneous metabolism . The result is a full commercial-scale performance at a cost and a timeline 50 times better than the current state of the art . DMC ’ s lead product is the amino acid L-alanine , which has existing applications in human nutrition , as a chemical intermediate and as a pharmaceutical precursor . The most notable use is as the critical raw material to produce a biobased and biodegradable water softener for laundry and dish detergents , replacing the previous petroleum-based water softeners .
Recently , DMC announced a successful , full commercial-scale demonstration of its process at EW Biotech in Leuna , Germany . From the fermentation broth , more than 6,000 kg of L-alanine were purified . Through a manufacturing agreement with Conagen , L-alanine is now available globally at commercial scale . Alongside L-alanine , the DMC team is working on a pipeline of in-demand molecules that includes , for example , the branched-chain amino acids valine , isoleucine and leucine , with market applications in animal feed , human nutrition and pharmaceutical intermediates . Another large market opportunity is sweeteners . The lead product in this family is xylitol . The current production route for xylitol is by chemical synthesis , e . g . through acid hydrolysis and hydrogenation of xylose , and it is primarily produced in Asia today . DMC ’ s fermentation process for xylitol enables a dramatic cost reduction and supports regional manufacturing that improves supply chain security . Producing chemicals using the DMC technology is more sustainable . It uses inexpensive and readily available agricultural feedstock such as dextrose instead of fossil fuels . Fermentation is also extremely efficient , uses only biodegradable catalysts . It can be scaled and tailored to local needs , as well as to fit into local agricultural supply chains . To illustrate : DMC ’ s L-alanine , produced through natural fermentation , results in over 90 % reduction in CO 2 emissions relative to the incumbent production route that starts from the petrochemical intermediate maleic acid .
Lipscomb - DMC reduces costs by standardising the approach
Delivering on the promise
DMC ’ s technology sets a new industry standard for scale-up and production of biobased products . It delivers an economically viable approach for a more sustainable and circular future .
Given the urgent need for cost-competitive , sustainable manufacturing technologies , aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic , there is a clear need to rebuild our economies more sustainably and with a more local supply chain . DMC is addressing these global challenges by enabling the commercial manufacture of bio-based products that are economically attractive , have a lower environmental impact and support local economies with a distributed manufacturing model . •
Matt Lipscomb
CEO
62 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981