White biotechnology is an emerging field within modern biotechnology that uses living cells like moulds, yeasts or bacteria, as well as enzymes to produce goods and services. Living cells can be used as they are or improved to work as 'cell factories' to produce enzymes for industry.
White biotechnology (WB), which is also referred to as industrial biotechnology has given a greener alternative to the classical methods like chemical-physical and mechanical processes of synthesising certain industrial products. These include microbial strains and bio catalysts.
White biotechnology can be differentiated from pharmaceutical (Red) biotechnology or agricultural (Green) biotechnology. Red biotechnology is confined to the healthcare sector, whereas green biotechnology is applied to the agro-food sector. White biotechnology is mainly based on fermentation technology and biocatalysts. In a contained environment, genetically modified or non-genetically modified microorganisms (e.g. yeast, fungi and bacteria) or cell lines from animal or human origin, are cultivated in closed bioreactors to produce a variety of goods. Likewise enzymes, which are derived from these (micro) organisms, are applied to catalyse a conversion in order to generate the desired products.
The use of white biotechnology was started pre 1988, when transgenic Escherichia coli were already being used to produce human insulin in large scale fermentation tanks. In 1988, the first rationally designed enzyme, used in detergents to break down fat, was introduced. White biotechnology basically is the application of nature's tools for the production of bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels. The main advantage of using these methods is that the industrial wastes becomes easy to manage and is not harmful to the environment.
White biotechnology is different from conventional biotechnology which is being used in India to produce ethanol/sugars and other pharmaceutical/ayurvedic products. In case of white biotechnology there is a human intervention to modify organisms/enzymes to optimise the processes and yield net profit.
The parameters which might differ in the case of white biotechnology in comparison to conventional biotechnology could be the volume of fermentation, pH of the process, temperature required/tolerated by the microbes, nutrient requirements of the microbes and time required to produce and process the final product.
Applications & benefits
● The chemical industry uses biocatalysts to produce novel compounds, reduce waste of by-products and improve chemical purity.
● The plastics industry decreases the use of petroleum for plastic production by making "green plastics" from renewable crops such as corn or soybeans
● The food industry improves baking processes, fermentation-derived preservatives and analysis techniques for food safety.
● The livestock industry adds enzymes to increase nutrient uptake and decrease phosphate by-products
● The energy industry uses enzymes to manufacture cleaner bio-fuels from agricultural wastes.
Enzymes in WB
Microbes/animal/plant cells and isolated enzymes which are free or immobilised can be used in white biotechnology. Enzymes are better used in comparison to cells. As an alternative to some chemical processes to make products, enzymes offer a biological route and often cleaner solution for industry. Eco-efficient, enzymes consume less water, raw materials and energy. Environmental impact is minimised, while better products are offered at lower cost.
There are over 3,000 enzymes of which only 150 to 170 are used commercially. Therefore, a huge research potential is waiting to be exploited. Other challenges include the optimisation of methods and the enzymes involved.
Economic benefits
McKinsey report estimates that biotechnology could be applied in the production of 10 to 20 per cent of all chemicals sold by 2010, starting from the current level of about 5 per cent. Whilst different chemical markets introduce and use biotechnology at different rates, the study indicates that the greatest impact of industrial biotechnology will be on the fine chemical segment, where up to 60 per cent of products may use biotechnology by 2010. The report estimates that between € 11 and € 22 billion additional added value could be created by the chemical industry alone in 2010 through cost reduction and the introduction of novel products.
Government funding
Keeping in view the importance of biotechnology, several government funding agencies offer research grants and fellowships through soft loans or equity. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and University Grants Commission (UGC) are actively involved in the field. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) also offer funding programmes like Technology Development Board (TDB), Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), Home Grown Technologies (HGT), Programme aimed at Technological Self Reliance (PATSER), Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP), Research and Development by Industry (RDI), and Scheme to Enhance the Efficacy of Transfer of Technology (SEETOT).
Indian scenario
There are around 50 R&D labs in the public sector providing high quality R&D and over 20 conducting research in specific areas of biotechnology including white biotechnology in India. There are companies and world-renowned research institutions like Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Jawahar Lal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, National Facility for Macromolecular Crystallography, BARC Mumbai, National Facility for High Field NMR, TIFR Mumbai, Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, National Brain Research Centre New Delhi, which provide high-quality R&D services worldwide.
WB - Major events & milestones for India
● Praj Industries inks pact with ICRISAT to enhance the commercialisation of sweet sorghum for bioethanol production globally
● PepsiCo sets up Carrageenan Biopolymer production unit in India
● Novozymes acquires Biocon's Enzymes Business
● Riddhi Siddhi acquires Bio-Polymers Manufacturing Facility from Hindustan Lever
● Labland Biotech reproduces Jatropha to generate biodiesel
Global scenario
Countries participating in industrial biotechnology development include US, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
The US 2020 vision is structured around a coherent strategy aimed at becoming less energy dependent. Leading companies operating in industrial biotechnology are DSM, Cargill Dow, Dupont, BASF, Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark), Monsanto (St Louis, MO, USA), AstraZeneca (London, UK) Dupont (Wilmington, DE, USA), Cargill Dow (Minnetonka, MN, USA for clothing and packaging) Genencor (Palo Alto, CA, USA) and Maxygen (Redwood City, CA, USA for bioethnol).
Greater research into the field of white biotechnology has given the necessary boost to industrial output and enhanced financial gains. However, industrial biotechnology cannot achieve its full potential without a coordinated effort from stakeholders like fine chemicals, pharmaceutics, textile and leather, paper and pulp industry, recycling industry, besides academia and public institutions. As a first step, a dialogue amongst stakeholders needs to be started to share the information as well as to discuss the opportunities related to this technology.
Rachana, Asst. Prof. SPTM, SVKM's NMIMS University and Gaurav Pathak, Research Scholar, at SPTM, SVKM's NMIMS University, Mumbai Courtesy: Pharma Times