The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on October 7, 2024, that researchers at its Agile BioFoundry (ABF) and Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU) successfully scaled up a biobased process that converts ethanol into “a valuable precursor for consumer products, such as paints, coatings, and diapers.” The researchers worked with industry partner Industrial Microbes to develop the process. Although acrylic acid is typically sourced from petroleum, Industrial Microbes is developing a sustainable, biobased process to produce it. According to BETO, the company “sought the expertise and equipment available at the ABF and ABPDU to help them scale up their process.” The scaled-up process produces poly(3-hydroxypropionate) (P3HP), a precursor to acrylic acid, widely used across the consumer product industry.
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