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ethertiobutylether (ETBE) — a mixture of isobuthylene, a by-product of the
oil industry, and ethanol — before being mixed with petrol. Bioethanol, bio-
diesel, and biobutanol can provide alternatives to fossil fuels in transportation
sector, particularly for internal combustion engines, and potentially could help
car manufactures meet their commitment on reducing CO
2
emissions that are
used to produce ethanol as a substitute for gasoline. Another established sector
is the production of fine chemicals, such as amino acids, lipids, organic acids,
vitamins, etc.
In the chemical industry, an important step in increasing the share of bio-
based chemicals is the creation of biotechnological platform intermediates
based on the use of renewable carbon sources. In this way, renewable feed-
stocks can be transformed into a similar set of end-products (organic chemi-
cals) which are produced today from fossil fuel. Bio-based products already
existing on the market include biopolymer fibers used both in construction and
in household applications, biogradable plastics, some antibiotics, vitamins,
amino acids and other fine chemicals.
‘White’ biotechnology, or industrial and environmental biotechnology,
may now only seem to occupy a small niche. Some analysts are currently com-
paring the current status of biotechnology to that of chemistry in the 1870s,
when chemists were applying their new knowledge to a limited range of ap-
plication. However, because of its enormous promise and potential, it may
become as ubiquitous as the chemical industry today.
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