Abstract
Enzyme companies have thrived in recent years by replacing synthetic chemicals in applications such as laundry detergents, animal feed, and textile manufacturing. Now, however, makers of enzymes are getting a taste of their own medicine. Sales of α-amylase to the corn ethanol industry are threatened by a new kind of corn genetically engineered to contain the enzyme. The corn, called Enogen, was developed by the agriculture giant Syngenta. Ethanol producers traditionally buy α-amylase to break down cornstarch into sugar, which is then fermented into ethanol. Now, instead, they can buy enzyme-containing corn from farmers by paying them a 40-cent-per-bushel premium. Introduced in 2011, Enogen was slow to catch on. But today, Syngenta says, some 20 ethanol plants across the U.S. are running on it. In a new report, the investment firm Jefferies estimates that more than 10% of U.S. ethanol plants have adopted Enogen and that another 15–20% of them
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have