Solugen
can work more sustainably . “ Recently , I was in Washington DC at the GC3 for the Department of Energy roundtable and I learned that there are loads of groups working on this initiative , which is so encouraging .”
Life ’ s building blocks
The success of Solugen ’ s bioforge factories now serve as a model to be duplicated in other areas . “ We are honing in on a location that will have a 25KTA plan . The rationale is not to scale globally , but rather to grow slowly . We have a pipeline of 42 different molecules that are at various stages of research and development , and our ultimate goal is to take the whole molecule pipeline and launch it on a bioforge asset .”
This means that Solugen ’ s plans to innovate the business further will also allow it to continue to develop . “ One of our most exciting outcomes is the completion of two different projects we ’ re working on . One of them consists of converting recycled cardboard pulp into feedstock , meaning small cellulose fibers can be turned into glucose . The main feedstock we use at the moment is corn-based so that will be a great diversification . At the same time , we are also working to convert waste cardboard pulp into nylon through the entire value chain where we want to hit a number of transformation steps .”
In five years ’ time , Sean is keen to see Solugen ’ s core asset base expand . “ We have been commercializing drop-in chemistries so that in five years , our project to convert cardboard to nylon , for example , will be a helpful practice across the world . This is what we want to see : sustainability in the chemicals industry , where you ’ re least likely to see it ,” says Sean .
The climate crisis seems to be the most insurmountable challenge humanity has faced to date , and from what Sean has shared , tackling it means starting with the invisible building blocks of life . Solugen has established a product development process to help meet the growing demand for sustainable , nontoxic ingredients . With the help of scientists like Sean and Gaurab , this application is accessible across a wide range of industries , and serves as a reminder of how powerful the right molecule and the right method can be . ■
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