Amyris and Kuraray have entered into an agreement to develop new polymers from Biofene.
The partnership enables Kuraray to use Biofene as an alternative to the petroleum-derived feedstock such as isoprene and butadiene for the manufacture of high-performing polymers. Biofene is a renewable hydrocarbon building material produced with Amyris’s technology.
Once the technical polymer development program is completed, both the companies will sign a supply agreement. The deal will allow Kuraray to exclusively use Biofene for manufacturing and commercializing new classes of high-performing polymers.
John Melo, Amyris’ CEO, quoted that partnership with Kuraray will help to bring high-performance and sustainable solutions to the polymers market using flexible building blocks. Kuraray’s Director and Senior Executive Officer, Yasuhiro Yamamoto also stated that they are pleased to partner with Amyris to develop Biofene-based polymer products. The company believes that the innovative Biofene polymer products will play a major role in its growth strategy.
Amyris is one of the leading renewable products companies that provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-sourced products. The company employs its industrial synthetic biology solution to change plant sugars into different hydrocarbon molecules for use in various products. Kuraray is a developer of high-performance materials, fibers and textiles, resins, chemicals, medical products and others.