Harnessing Biology, and Avoiding Oil, for Chemical Goods

THE next time you stop at a gas station, wincing at the $3.50-a-gallon price and bemoaning society


In recent years, this unsettling fact has motivated academic researchers and corporations to find ways to make bulk chemicals from renewable sources like corn and switchgrass. The effort to tap biomass for chemicals runs parallel to the higher-stakes research aimed at developing biofuels. Researchers hope that the two will come together soon to help replace petroleum refineries with biorefineries.