Introduction to Biotech Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Business by Florentina Matei & Daniela Zirra

Author:Florentina Matei & Daniela Zirra
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030221416
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Men have already benefited from biotechnology for a long time, but with the progress of new technologies and a much deeper understanding of cellular metabolism and material sciences, many new opportunities have been identified and others continue to emerge. Moreover, a very interesting aspect associated with industrial biotechnology is the reduced consumption of energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production, thanks to the reuse of biomasses of various origins (Singh 2014). The bio-waste from the agri-food industry, for instance, has a high potential to such an extent that the EU has set itself the goal to derive the production of 2% of renewable energy from this source. The theme of the reuse of waste and by-products is central to those industrial sectors that traditionally use biological resources as their main source of supply (forest sector, starches, sugar, biofuels/bio-energy, biotechnology) and in others for which biomass is among the raw materials used (chemical, plastic, and consumer goods) (Le imprese di biotecnologie in Italia. Facts and Figures, 2018).

For example, residual biomass deriving from agriculture and forestry is used to produce biofuels, one of the most promising and profitable applications of industrial biotechnology. This, in fact, not only guarantees the reuse of waste but also the abatement of emissions into the atmosphere. The European RED directive has required that 10% of the energy used in transport will come by 2020 from biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen produced from renewable sources (Bianchi 2013).

Industrial biotechnology promotes a virtuous circle between research, technological development, and new applications that will enable the implementation of a sustainable development model. In fact, this model aims at creating bio-renewable resources, in order to reduce CO2 emissions and conserve fossil resources; using processes based on bioconversions, thus featuring low environmental and economic impact and being more selective; and generating bio-based products. To date, there are many applications of industrial biotechnology that find fertile ground in the food, pharmaceutical, textile, biofuels, and bioplastics industries and in the conservation and restoration of archaeological and cultural heritage. In the pharmaceutical industry, industrial biotechnology has enormous potential, as many of its products do not require the long overhaul times that pharmaceutical products must undergo, thus creating a faster and easier way into their market. Today, new industrial processes can be taken from laboratory study to commercial application in two to 5 years, compared to a decade needed for drugs. The application of biotechnology to industrial processes is not only to transform the way to synthetize products but also to provide us with new products that could not even be imagined a few years ago. Since industrial biotechnology is a new-born area, its benefits are not yet well known or understood by industry, policy makers, or consumers.

Overall, industrial biotechnology involves the microbial production of enzymes, which are specialized proteins. These enzymes have evolved in nature to be super-performing biocatalysts that facilitate and accelerate complex biochemical reactions. They were also used in the prevention of pollution, as is the case with phosphate water pollution in the 1970s caused by the use of phosphates in laundry detergents.

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