Wondering where microbes and enzymes really work in industry? You will find industrial biotechnology examples from detergent enzymes to bio-based plastic ingredients, and they show white biotechnology already making chemicals, fuels and materials.
This page is part of the wider topic of sustainable manufacturing, where biological routes offer one way to cut reliance on petroleum.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated capacity for chemical intermediates and polymers (excluding fuels and enzymes) | Around 1.6m t/year |
| Forecast change in industrial biotech capacity over the next 10 years | Triple |
| Turnover of “modern industrial biotech” firms in the UK (2023 report) | £4.7bn |
| Capacity of a plant making 1,3-propanediol from sugar | Around 77,000 t/year |
| Start of commercially viable scale for fumaric acid | 10,000-20,000 t/year |
| World production volume of aniline | 6m t/year |
These figures come from a 2024 Chemistry & Industry report. Estimates and forecasts can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What white biotechnology means
Industrial biotechnology describes the complete industrial process that uses biobased raw materials to produce chemicals, fuels and products, mainly with biotechnological methods, according to Lund University’s biobased industry research centre.
It is often called white biotechnology to separate it from red biotechnology. The Lund centre places white biotechnology in the chemical and process industry, and red biotechnology solely in the pharmaceutical industry.
Inside a plant, the biology is only part of the picture:
- Enzymatic catalysis and microbial catalysis are both used, often in combination.
- Non-biological steps are usually added to complete the process from raw material to end product.
- Membrane filtration is one common example, used to separate fluids from the cells, proteins and other biomass involved.
The living part is typically a microbe such as bacteria, yeast or fungi. The Chemistry & Industry report linked above describes biotechnology as using these organisms to produce chemicals, materials and even energy. The original organism is often modified to make a specific end-product or to raise its yield.
Everyday industrial biotechnology examples
Enzymes are the familiar starting point. The Chemistry & Industry report linked above calls products such as engineered enzymes for detergents already well-established.
A university biotechnology course chapter on white biotechnology tags its applications page with a useful list of topics:
- Industrial enzymes
- Biofuels
- Bioplastics
- Bioremediation
- Waste management
- Oil-eating bacteria
That list is a good map of the field. It runs from products you buy to tools for cleaning up pollution, and it is described on the LibreTexts applications page.
Fuels belong here too. The Lund centre lists chemicals, fuels and products together as the outputs of industrial biotechnology.
Engineered microbes that make chemicals
The newer examples change what the microbe does. The Chemistry & Industry report says LanzaTech has engineered bacteria to metabolise greenhouse gases and convert them into ethanol and other important chemicals more efficiently.
The report quotes a technology analyst on the logic: many organisms naturally make things we need, so they can be engineered to do it better. Part of that tweaking is to increase the yield of the wanted molecule and suppress unwanted byproducts.
A clear industrial case is 1,3-propanediol (PDO), used to make a specialist plastic called PTT. It can be produced from sugar using engineered E. coli, and DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts operates a plant using this method with a capacity of around 77,000 t/year, as of the 2024 report.
For a different microbial application, you can read about alternative proteins for animal feed.
Examples still moving toward industry
Some of the most interesting industrial biotechnology examples are not yet commercial. FUMBIO is a German collaborative project that aims to ferment fumaric acid from sugar and carbon dioxide using a modified bacterium found in the stomachs of cows.
Fumaric acid is made industrially from fossil resources today, according to the same report. The bacterium, Basfia succiniciproducens, was isolated in 2008, and the project is working at lab scale to develop a strain that makes less succinic acid and more fumaric acid.
A BASF researcher quoted in the report says theoretical estimates suggest the carbon footprint of this fumaric acid could be as low as zero. Estimates like that are a starting point, which is why the carbon footprint of bio-based products needs careful accounting.
A second case is aniline, a precursor for methylene di-isocyanate (MDI), used in products such as insulating foam. Covestro has devised a process to make aniline from plant biomass instead of petroleum and has set up a pilot plant at its Leverkusen facility. The company produces around 1m t/year of aniline in the conventional way, from a crude oil derivative.
Why scale-up is the hard part
A process that works in a flask is not a process that works in a factory. The report names several reasons why scaling up is difficult:
- Many processes that work in the lab cannot be transferred to industrial scale.
- Moving from batch to continuous production may not be possible.
- Multiple downstream processes add time, complexity and cost.
- Petroleum-based molecules have strong supply chains and economies of scale.
One analyst in the report says the biotechnology space is littered with failures and bankruptcies, and that the lab-to-industry move is a main reason. Timelines are long: the BASF researcher says projects of this type usually take eight to 10 years to become fully industrialised.
Even so, IDTechEx forecasts that industrial biotech capacity will triple over the next 10 years, from the estimated 1.6m t/year for chemical intermediates and polymers. The same report says modern industrial biotech firms had a UK turnover of £4.7bn in a 2023 report from the Institute for Manufacturing.
Frequently asked questions
What is white biotechnology?
Show answer
It is another name for industrial biotechnology, the use of biobased raw materials and mainly biotechnological methods to make chemicals, fuels and products. It sits in the chemical and process industry, according to Lund University’s biobased industry research centre.
Which industrial biotechnology examples are already in use?
Show answer
Engineered enzymes for detergents are described as well-established in the Chemistry & Industry report. The same report describes a PDO plant using engineered E. coli and LanzaTech’s engineered bacteria that turn greenhouse gases into ethanol.
Is a bio-based route always lower in carbon?
Show answer
Not automatically. The report presents lower carbon emissions as a driver and potential, and the fumaric acid figure is a theoretical estimate rather than a measured result.
How long does it take to bring a bio-based chemical to market?
Show answer
Longer than many expect. A BASF researcher quoted in the 2024 report says projects of this type usually take eight to 10 years until they are fully industrialised.
