_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
chemicals that pollute water streams. In products like bread, juice, wine, beer, cheese, and meat, we offer biological solutions that enhance taste, texture, and longevity without relying on synthetic chemicals,” he adds.
At the heart of Novonesis lies the philosophy of using nature to solve human problems. Tue explains how this approach influences the company’ s product development.“ This is probably the coolest aspect of our story. In a single spoonful of soil from the ground, there are millions if not billions of different microbes. Each of these microbes produces thousands of small molecules, including enzymes and proteins. In that teaspoon-sized sample, there are probably millions and millions of enzymes, each uniquely designed by nature to address a very specific natural problem. For example, when a leaf falls from a tree, it becomes coated in millions of microbes and enzymes. These organisms convert the leaf into nutrients for the soil, forming a circular system created by nature. By studying the billions of enzymes and microbes that nature has already invented, we aim to understand how we can use these biological processes to the benefit of society. We then mimic these processes, scaling each biosolution and bring them into an industrial context for companies to replace traditional chemistry. In essence, we send scientists into nature to try and understand how and why certain biological processes have evolved. By leveraging this understanding, we can apply these natural solutions in an industrial context to offer sustainable alternatives that align with the principles of nature.”
Following this principle, Novonesis has developed groundbreaking technology that plays a vital role in the transition to ethanol as a sustainable fuel source.“ Ethanol is our largest business in the US, where our process involves converting corn into ethanol. This
▶ Tue Micheelsen, President of Novonesis’ North America division