Agrivida is developing varieties of switchgrass, sugarcane, sorghum, corn, and other energy crops for the production of environmentally friendly chemicals, fuels, and bioproducts. By enabling the production of cheap sugars from this non-food, cellulosic biomass, Agrivida's energy crops and processing technology can reduce costs by over 30% for these industrial biotechnology products.

The problem

In the U.S., ethanol and other bioproducts are made almost exclusively from corn grain. Manufacturers would prefer to use lower cost feedstocks, such as abundant cellulosic biomass. Unfortunately, the processing costs for these raw materials are prohibitive due largely to today's pretreatment and enzyme costs.

The solution

Agrivida's energy crops and process technology allow the non-food, cellulosic biomass to be converted into chemicals, fuels, and bioproducts. Agrivida varieties produce inactive enzymes within the plant cell wall. After harvest, the enzymes are activated on demand to degrade the cellulose into sugars for downstream production at costs comparable to $50/bbl petroleum.

The result

Because Agrivida's energy crop varieties produce their own enzymes, the cellulosic biomass can be broken down with less severe pretreatments and without addition of exogenous enzymes. The end result: a significant reduction in the cost of chemicals, fuels, and bioproducts. By using domestic, non-food biomass, Agrivida's products can replace petroleum utilization, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance the rural economy.