SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project is aimed at demonstrating that acyl glycinate surfactant can be produced by a novel bacterial fermentation route. The objective of this project is to construct a bacterial strain that produces acyl glycinate, and to provide a sample of that surfactant for commercial evaluation. A successful outcome will demonstrate that acyl glycine can be produced by fermentation. Surfactants are the bubbly components of cleaning products that give them their cleansing power. Surfactants are currently manufactured from petroleum or from seed oils, such as palm oil. The use of those raw materials increases greenhouse gas pollution and also leads to deforestation of rainforests. Retailers are demanding greener products, and regulatory agencies are demanding new minimally toxic chemicals. The demand for greener chemicals creates an opportunity to replace current surfactants with greener alternatives. The broader/commercial impact of the proposed innovation would be commercialization of the acyl glycinate surfactant. Additional benefits to society are that chemicals produced using this technology will be manufactured using domestically grown renewable raw materials, which do not compete with food sources. Furthermore, the energy required to produce these chemicals is low since the fermentation reaction is performed near ambient temperature. The chemicals are inherently safer than traditional chemicals because toxic solvents are not used, and the surfactants are biodegradable and do not contribute to increased greenhouse gas accumulation. Successful completion of the project will generate significant new scientific and technical information on new routes to making such surfactants

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is aimed at optimizing production of a bio-surfactant in preparation for commercial launch of the product. During Phase I, the company developed an engineered microorganism that synthesizes the surfactant, and a key customer confirmed the identity and purity of a sample of the surfactant. During Phase II, synthetic biology methods will be used to increase the efficiency of the microorganism producing the surfactant. In addition, multiple samples of purified surfactant will be shipped to customers for evaluation. Customer feedback will identify any product features that require modification and will result in development of a detailed product specification, which will include metrics such as: purity, color, acceptable variation in composition and molecular weight, etc. The objectives of this Phase II project are to optimize surfactant characteristics and microbial production efficiency so that the surfactant can be profitably manufactured and sold for use in consumer products formulations.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it should enable the company to demonstrate that synthetic biology methods can be used to increase the efficiency of production of a bio-surfactant so the surfactant can be sold as a commercial product. Progress toward that goal should enable the company to attract a partner, for example a large chemical company, who will agree to collaborate on commercialization of the bio-surfactant. If the bio-surfactant can be made and sold profitably, the company will be positioned to fund future research and development aimed at commercial launch of additional bio-surfactants. Benefits to society are that chemicals produced using this technology will be manufactured using domestically grown renewable raw materials, which do not compete with food. Furthermore, the energy required to produce these chemicals is low since the fermentation reaction is performed near ambient temperature. The chemicals are inherently safer than traditional chemicals because toxic solvents are not used, and the surfactants are biodegradable and do not contribute to increased greenhouse gas accumulation. These bio-surfactants will initially be used in personal care products, such as body washes and shampoos. However, the surfactant market is large and diverse, creating an opportunity for use of bio-surfactants in products as varied as laundry detergent, paints and coatings, and floatation-agents used in the mining industry to purify valuable minerals.