Can biotechnology move us toward a sustainable society?

A case study of biodegradable polymer production from agricultural feedstocks casts doubt on the premise that alternative biological processes always offer environmental benefits over conventional manufacturing processes.

[1]  Gael D. Ulrich,et al.  A Guide to Chemical Engineering Process Design and Economics , 1984 .

[2]  Martin B. Hocking,et al.  Relative merits of polystyrene foam and paper in hot drink cups: Implications for packaging , 1991 .

[3]  R. Pool.  In Search of the Plastic Potato: Scientists in the emerging field of biopolymer engineering are aiming to produce bacteria and, eventually, food crops that are genetically tailored to yield a whole new breed of plastics. , 1989, Science.

[4]  Sang Yup Lee,et al.  Effect of fermentation performance on the economics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production byAlcaligenes latus , 1998 .

[5]  M. Hocking,et al.  Paper Versus Polystyrene: A Complex Choice , 1991, Science.

[6]  S. Lee.  E. coli moves into the plastic age , 1997, Nature Biotechnology.

[7]  John F. Kennedy,et al.  Biochemical engineering and biotechnology handbook, 2nd edition: Edited by B. Atkinson and F. Mavituna, Macmillan Publishers, UK, 1991. xxix + 1271 pp. Price £75-00. ISBN 0-333-42403-1 , 1993 .

[8]  Sang Yup Lee,et al.  Plastic bacteria? Progress and prospects for polyhydroxyalkanoate production in bacteria , 1996 .

[9]  M. Hocking.  Handbook of chemical technology and pollution control , 1998 .

[10]  James A. Duffield,et al.  Estimating the net energy balance of corn ethanol. Agricultural economic report , 1995 .

[11]  Michael Heylin.  R&D execs find ACS useful , 1989 .

[12]  R. Riley.  New directions for agriculture and agricultural research : edited by Kenneth A. Dahlberg Rowan and Allanheld, Totwa, NJ, USA, 1986 , 1988 .

[13]  O. Peoples,et al.  Biodegradable plastics from plants , 1996 .

[14]  Ferda Mavituna,et al.  Biochemical engineering and biotechnology handbook , 1982 .

[15]  Anton P. J. Middelberg,et al.  Industrial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates using Escherichia coli: An economic analysis , 1998 .