Biotechnology is storming the heights of petrochemistry

Abstract

This brief review deals with the most important recent achievements of industrial biotechnology in its competition with petrochemistry: creation of the bioethanol industry; discovery of the fermentation of CO-containing gases, a new way of converting biomass into chemicals; carrying out the fermentation of С₅ and С₆ carbohydrates at similar rates; development of new methods of producing divinyl, isoprene, nylon, butanol, higher straight-chain alcohols, isopropanol, isobutanol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, and succinic acid; progress in the culturing and processing of microalgae, an important source of glycerol and higher carboxylic acids.