Track 3 Session Details

Today, advances in biocatalysis, synthetic biology, sustainable chemistry, and AI-enabled discovery are enabling a new generation of high-performance bio-based specialty chemicals for personal care, cosmetics, nutrition, and other specialty markets where sustainability and product performance are equally important. This panel will explore how biotechnology is transforming the development and commercialization of renewable specialty ingredients. Panelists will discuss emerging technologies for producing novel functional molecules, strategies for improving ingredient performance through biobased innovation, and the challenges of scaling manufacturing while meeting regulatory, quality, and customer requirements. The discussion will also examine how partnerships across startups, established consumer product companies, contract manufacturers, and brand owners are accelerating commercialization. Although a primary focus will be on personal care and cosmetic applications, many of the lessons discussed—including market adoption, formulation, supply chain development, and commercialization of renewable specialty chemicals—are broadly applicable to adjacent industries such as nutrition, specialty chemicals, and biomaterials. The program will focus on practical insights into the technical, commercial, and regulatory pathways that are enabling biobased ingredients to move from the laboratory into mainstream consumer products and learn where the next generation of innovation is likely to emerge.  

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Bio-based/renewable chemical FDCA, and efforts to replace PET with PEF - Ken Barrett, Chief Business Officer, Arzeda

 

The 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), is the key monomer for poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF), is currently produced from high purity fructose, roughly three times more expensive than glucose. Arzeda, in partnership with BP, has developed a novel route that converts glucose directly to FDCA, removing this cost barrier and opening a path to cost-competitive bio-based aromatics. Glucose is first fermented to gluconic acid, then enzymatically converted to 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFA), and finally oxidized to FDCA using established chemical processes. This hybrid approach captures near-term value with proven unit operations, while a fully synthetic-biology, single-organism route remains a longer-term goal. The process has been demonstrated and is now moving into an optimization phase. Techno-economic modeling indicates FDCA costs below $10/kg, even at demonstration scale of 5kT/yr, and ultimately being cost-competitive with petroleum-based aromatics at commercial scale. The resulting monomer enables PEF, which outperforms PET on several fronts: roughly 10x better oxygen barrier and higher tensile strength, along with the ability to be entirely bio-based, whereas PET's renewable content is limited to its monoethylene glycol component. Although PEF is not inherently biodegradable, it is compatible with existing PET mechanical recycling streams, easing its introduction into current packaging infrastructure. Arzeda is now engaging partners across the value chain to finalize process development and drive towards commercialization. Together, these advances outline a practical, scalable path for bio-based specialty chemicals to move beyond fuels and into high-value, high-performance chemicals and consumer products.

 

Programming microbial control: bacteriocins for robust, antibiotic-free biobased biomanufacturing - Guy Helin, CEO, Syngulon

Industrial fermentation underpins production of biofuels, renewable chemicals, enzymes, recombinant proteins, and other biobased products, yet it faces two persistent causes of performance loss: contamination and genetic instability within production populations. Conventional control often relies on antibiotics or broad-spectrum antimicrobial chemicals, conflicting with the transition toward cleaner, safer, and more resource-efficient biomanufacturing.

Syngulon develops original genetic technologies based on bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides naturally produced by bacteria, that can be integrated into engineered microbial systems to address both challenges. First, adding bacteriocins or programming the production microorganisms to secrete the bacteriocins that selectively suppress contaminants in the fermentation environment. Such microbial control reduces contamination-related losses and preserves the conversion of renewable feedstocks toward target products. The screening of bacteriocins can be done via the in-house PARAGEN collection (>500 bacteriocins).

Second, bacteriocin–immunity systems can replace antibiotic-resistance markers for plasmid selection in bioproduction. The producing cells continuously generate the selective pressure required to maintain the production population, thereby acting as a self-supporting “peer-policing” system throughout the entire process. Cells that retain the plasmid remain protected by the encoded immunity mechanism, whereas plasmid-free cells become susceptible to the bacteriocin produced within the culture. This technology has already been validated. In March 2026, Syngulon announced a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Elanco Animal Health.

Together, these approaches position bacteriocins as modular synthetic-biology tools for resilient, antibiotic-free biomanufacturing. By reducing reliance on conventional antimicrobials, limiting genetic drift, and improving fermentation consistency, they can support greener supply chains for biofuels, renewable chemicals, proteins, and other biobased products. 

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Biobased Testing via ASTM D6866 Supports the Biobased Manufacturing Industry by Validating Biobased Products and Ingredients - Benjamin Kling, Policy Research Associate, SGS

Manufacturing industry professionals increasingly shift from the use of petrochemical-derived materials due to environmental concerns and governmental regulations. Product development and compliance with regulations requires a reliable third-party analysis to differentiate between the biobased and petrochemical-derived components in these products. ASTM D6866 biobased testing via Carbon-14 analysis validates the percentage of biobased content in a product. Analysis is performed using an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) instrument. Results demonstrate the percentage of carbon in a sample sourced from biomass versus the percentage that is petrochemical-sourced. Manufacturers and distributors rely on biobased testing to receive precise results regarding the percentage of biobased carbon in their products during R&D phases of product development and to validate biobased claims. Biobased testing also allows industry professionals to visibly display the use of biobased ingredients through certifications and eco-labels, several of which require biobased testing via standards including ASTM D6866, ISO 16620-2 and EN 16640 for biobased content. For example, the PoUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred® Program requires validation via biobased testing using ASTM D6866. ASTM D6866 is also required by national plastic and petrochemical regulations, including Renewable Chemical Acts in five US states, Chile’s Law 21368 limiting single-use plastics, and Belize’s Pollution from Plastic Regulation. Carbon-14 testing is also used to report biobased content to leading industry certifications around the world including, SGS Green Mark certification, UL 9798, TUV OK Biobased, DIN Certco Biobased and many others.