SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - Researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea and Hanwha Solutions have developed a bio-platform capable of mass-producing sustainable raw materials for plastics and textiles using waste resources. The newly secured technology aims to replace petroleum-derived naphtha, KAIST said Tuesday.
The technology uses waste glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, as a primary raw material. The joint research team engineered a microorganism to efficiently produce 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), a core material used in plastics and cosmetics, while optimizing the overall fermentation process.
The researchers maintained high productivity in a 300-liter pilot plant, demonstrating that laboratory-scale results can be replicated in large industrial settings. The team also implemented an antibiotic-free process and utilized computer simulations to design the metabolic pathway of the microorganism, lowering production costs and mitigating environmental regulatory risks.
The development comes amid rising prices and supply instability for naphtha, an essential component in the petrochemical industry. It is the result of a decade-long collaboration between the university and the chemical company aimed at securing supply chain stability. The findings were published on May 12, 2026, in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering and will be featured as the cover article.
"This research is significant in that it confirmed the possibility of replacing existing petrochemical processes by utilizing bio-based raw materials," Kim Jung-dae, head of Hanwha Solutions Future Technology Research Center, said. "We expect it to serve as an important foundation for sustainable chemical material production and industrial application in the future."
"This research is a case showing that microorganism-based chemical production can be sufficiently expanded beyond the laboratory to an actual industrial scale," Lee Sang-yup, distinguished professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at KAIST, said. "It will contribute to producing various chemical materials in a more environmentally friendly manner in the future."
(Reference Information)
Journal/Source: Nature Chemical Engineering
Title: High-titer, antibiotic-free, pilot-scale production of 1,3-propanediol by engineered Corynebacterium
Link/DOI: https://bit.ly/4nI5kYu
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