CONAGEN, SUMITOMO CHEMICAL PARTNER TO DEVELOP RENEWABLE CARBON MATERIALS

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Conagen and Sumitomo Chemical, Japan's leading chemical company, have announced to jointly develop p-hydroxystyrene (HS) and its polymer, poly p-hydroxystyrene (PHS), using a combination of biosynthesis, chemosynthesis and polymerisation.

In a statement, Conagen, the bioplatform innovator and biomanufacturer said the monomer and the polymer are 100 per cent renewable carbon, marking a new era of sustainable production.

Conagen Vice President of chemical applications, J. McNamara said the partnership represented a significant step forward in pursuing green chemicals for sustainable material production.

“Our commitment is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential of combining our technologies with synthetic and polymer chemistries to create innovative, sustainable solutions that can significantly reduce petroleum-based products in the environment,” added McNamara.

Efforts to reduce reliance on petroleum and transition towards renewable and sustainable alternatives have gained momentum in recent years and the partnership is in the lead position of active global initiatives to reduce petroleum-based products' consumption and environmental impact.

This partnership represents a significant milestone in developing sustainable materials, and this approach to PHS production is expected to reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional chemical synthesis methods.

The Conagen-Sumitomo partnership leverages Conagen's expertise in microbial strain design and development with Sumitomo Chemical's proficiency in chemical production and commercialisation.

The collaboration aims to create a platform that enables the production of sustainable chemicals to replace petrochemicals in an extended range of many applications.

-- BERNAMA