 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
Key to the success of the bioplastics industry has been the development of new catalysts, which allow the formation of building block monomers and their subsequent polymerization to be carried out with high selectivity and efficiency.
Metabolix' use of patented tools of modern biotechnology now make it possible to precisely incorporate nature's catalysts — enzymes — into microbial and plant bio-factories, to produce a broad, versatile family of useful polymers — called Mirel (chemically related to polyesters). Mirel is based on the use of sustainable raw materials, ultimately carbon dioxide and water, transformed by the sun's energy through the process of photosynthesis.
The discovery that certain soil microbes evolved with the ability to store energy in the form of polymers, which accumulate as discrete, inert granules inside the cells showed that nature had provided the means to produce potentially useful plastics. Metabolix is a leader in this field of biobased, sustainable and biodegradable polymers, which they have branded Mirel.
Learn more about the history of Mirel here.
