WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Modular Genetics, Inc. (Modular) is a sustainable chemistry company utilizing advanced technology in synthetic biology to produce specialty chemicals that are cost competitive, provide superior performance and are environmentally friendly.
Surfactants are the chemicals that give bubbly products such as shampoos their cleaning power. Traditionally, surfactants have been manufactured using chemical methods that rely on petroleum or palm oil, with serious negative environmental impacts. Modular has developed “green” technologies that use a biobased approach to produce surfactants without using oil--no petroleum and no palm oil. Modular is honored to report that the surfactants it produces using this technology have been awarded important certifications from both the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and the Go Palm Oil Free organization (“GPOF” http://www.gopalmoilfree.org/) attesting Modular’s achievement of sustainability goals. Specifically, Modular’s AminoSurf-ETM surfactants have earned both the USDA 100% BioPreferred® certification and the GPOF Palm Oil Free certification, and are the only surfactants that have been awarded both certifications. Modular is proud of these achievements, and of their confirmation of the promise of the biobased products industry which, according to Brent Erikson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental Section, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) “contributes over $369 billion to the U.S. economy and has an impact that will grow as companies continue to innovate”. The BioPreferred program in particular was created “to spur economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm commodities” (https://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/faces/pages/AboutBioPreferred.xhtml) and Congress needs to re-authorize the 2018 Farm Bill with robust funding, so American companies, like Modular Genetics, will produce their innovative products domestically.” Modular is excited to have been recognized by this important program. Similarly, Modular appreciates the recognition provided by the GPOF Palm Oil Free certification. According to Elisa Brongers of GPOF, “About 15% of the palm oil produced today is used to manufacture surfactants. Consumers need to understand that it is possible to manufacture these products without using palm oil, and they need a simple means of confirming that the products they consume were not derived from palm oil. This is why we created the Palm Oil Free certification.” Modular Genetics, Inc. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation SBIR program (Award Number 1353912) and the MassVentures START program.
