Ljubljana, 22 November (STA) - Protein Evolution, a US company that develops innovative plastic recycling solutions, has announced a partnership with Slovenian biotech company Acies Bio to develop and scale up the production of plastic-eating enzymes.
Acies Bio, which specialises in microbial R&D and biomanufacturing, will use SmartRoute, an advanced microbial platform for efficient protein production, to develop and scale up the production of plastic-eating enzymes discovered by Protein Evolution, the Slovenian company said.
This will enable Protein Evolution, based in New Haven, Connecticut, to take its Biopure technology from lab scale to full-scale production, and provide an efficient and low-carbon solution to address the global plastic waste crisis, it added.
Protein Evolution chief technology officer Jay Konieczka said that the partnership with Acies Bio is a key moment on the path of taking enzymatic plastic recycling to the commercial level.
Acies Bio CEO Štefan Fujs added that the company is "committed to developing sustainable solutions in precision fermentation" and that the partnership enables it to use the SmartRoute platform to solve a major global environmental challenge.
A demonstration facility for the Biopure technology is expected to become operational in 2025, followed by a planned increase to full-scale production. The partnership is a major step in the vision of both companies for developing sustainable methods of plastic recycling, Acies Bio said.
The announcement comes less than two months after Acies Bio concluded a partnership with the German chemical producer BASF to further develop a platform for fermentation technology from methanol for the production of fatty alcohols, which are used in the production of home and personal care products.
