Surfactants are typically made from petroleum-based feedstock or palm oil — using processes that produce greenhouse gases, involve the use of toxic chemicals, and generate hazardous byproducts. Massachusetts-based biotech company Modular Genetics, Inc. has engineered Bacillus subtilis strains to convert cellulosic sugar into a surfactant consisting of a fatty acid linked to an amino acid. Its approach uses no oil of any sort or toxic chemicals, and the surfactants do not generate hazardous byproducts.
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