12 ways biotechnology makes the world more sustainable

As climate change looms over us all, many industries are turning to biotechnology for solutions to make all aspects of our lives more sustainable for the environment.  

Biotechnology is uniquely positioned to replace polluting materials and chemical processes with more sustainable, biological alternatives. This scientific field draws from millions of years of evolution in which living beings have specialized in producing and recycling all kinds of compounds and materials. These biological processes can be used to efficiently break down waste and produce materials with lower pollution, water, land, and energy use than traditional methods.

The number of applications where biotechnology could make a difference towards sustainability is virtually unlimited. Here are 12 of the areas where biotech is already making an impact. 

Biofertilizers

Chemical crop fertilizers are responsible for environmental pollution all around the world. A more sustainable alternative would be to replace them with biofertilizers, which are substances that contain living microorganisms that, when applied to the soil or surfaces of plants, can aid growth by increasing the supply of primary nutrients to the plant. 

Biofertilizers are essentially created as the end product of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, whereby organic matter, such as animal or food waste, is broken down to produce biogas and biofertilizer. The biofertilizer produced then undergoes pasteurization to ensure that any pathogens are destroyed and it is stored in large lagoons ready to be applied on farmland. This sustainable biotechnology application can ultimately replace the use of fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers and ensures a complete loop of carbon and energy capture.

That is the goal of companies such as Kapsera, Biomax Technologies, and Legume Technology. In fact, Legume Technology was awarded a grant last year from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to boost African agriculture. Furthermore, even chemical giant Bayer has entered this area through a joint venture with U.S.-based startup Ginkgo Bioworks, with the goal of engineering microorganisms to fix nitrogen for crops such as soy and peas, replacing chemical nitrogen fertilizers. 

Biofuels

In recent years, biofuels, which are derived from organic sources such as biomass and organic waste, have become an increasingly common alternative. They are generally seen as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum and other fossil fuels, particularly given rising petroleum prices and increased concern over the significant contributions made by fossil fuels to global warming. However, it’s worth noting that biofuels made from plants have also caused concern, as these crops compete for agricultural land, which can contribute to deforestation and rising food prices. 

Therefore, moving away from the problems that plant-based biofuels can cause, several companies are harnessing the natural ability of some microorganisms to break down agricultural or forestry waste to produce fuels. This is one of the goals of the French biotechnology company Global Bioenergies, which is working with Audi to produce gasoline from sustainable sources such as wheat straw and wood chips. The Swiss firm Clariant is also developing methods to turn agricultural waste into biodiesel in collaboration with ExxonMobil. 

Other companies such as AlgaEnergy and HutanBio are working on creating fuels from algae that are produced using carbon dioxide emissions. Last year, HutanBio made progress in this area by securing a £2.25 million ($2.79 million) investment from Clean Growth Fund to accelerate the commercial use of its HBx bio-fuel oil to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Biopesticides 

Current methods to get rid of dangerous pathogens use harsh chemicals that can pollute the environment and be toxic for humans, as well as other forms of life. Biotechnology could offer eco-friendly alternatives called biopesticides, which are derived from natural materials like animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. 

A company called Amoeba is working in this area and aims to use Willaertia magna amoeba to protect crops from fungal infections such as rust disease. Amoeba expects to receive the final assessment report on its active substance from the European Food Safety Environment (EFSA) in the coming weeks, which will pave the way for the use of its solution, called AXPERA, in Europe by the end of 2025. Furthermore, the company expects to receive U.S. approval in mid-2025 – although approval for the active substance in AXPERA was already granted in 2022. Amoeba recently partnered with Koppert, a market leader in biological crop protection, to plan the introduction of AXPERA to the market. 

Meanwhile, the company Biotalys engineers proteins inspired by llama antibodies, known as “agrobodies”, to target specific pathogens without harming other species. The technology has drawn investor interest, as the company raised a €45 million ($54.9 million) series C round for its antibodies in 2020. 

Bioplastics

Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental issues we are currently facing. The waste from petrochemical plastic production plants, as well as the tonnes of non-biodegradable plastic that is thrown away daily, are huge problems for the environment. However, new products made from renewable biomass sources, known as bioplastics, could be the solution to this problem. 

Avantium is a frontrunner in this space, developing methods to produce 100% recyclable bioplastics from agricultural and forestry waste. The company has worked with big brands such as Coca-Cola and Danone to produce sustainable bottles and yogurt cups, and recently launched its product Releaf, a plant-based and recyclable polymer polyethylene furanoate (PEF). The hope here is that Releaf can help transform the plastics industry, providing sustainable and superior solutions for bottles, packaging, and textiles.

The company Carbios is also creating bioplastics through the use of microbial enzymes to break down and recycle commonly used plastics. 

Carbon capture 

Carbon dioxide is the primary culprit responsible for global warming. Therefore, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is key to averting the impending climate crisis. This is where carbon capture and storage comes into play, as it can be a vital tool to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with techniques ranging from capturing carbon dioxide before it is released at power stations and storing it deep underground, to using trees or machines to suck the gas directly out of the air. Biotechnology can help to make this process more affordable and sustainable.

As an example, Novonesis, previously known as Novozymes, is working on a technique to improve carbon capture, called enzymatic carbon capture. This replaces chemicals in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) with biodegradable enzymes, capturing millions of carbon dioxide molecules every second and turning them into carbonate. Like conventional CCUS, the enzymatic process can capture more than 90% of carbon dioxide emissions from flue gas, but enzymatic CCUS is more affordable, sustainable and convenient for many factories.

LanzaTech is another biotech working on carbon capture technology. The company described the way its technology works as “like retrofitting a brewery onto an emissions source like a steel mill or a landfill site, but instead of using sugars and yeast to make beer, emissions are converted by bacteria into fuels and chemicals.” The company recently announced plans to develop a commercial-scale carbon capture and utilization (CCU) facility at Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. The plant will produce ethanol and is expected to begin operations in 2028. 

Clothing

Fast fashion is a big sustainability issue, and biotechnology could put a stop to its environmental impact by replacing polluting chemical processes and making textile waste recyclable and biodegradable. Enzymes are already used routinely to wash and bleach clothing and to prevent wool from shrinking. New technologies could allow us to go further by using microbes to produce textiles. 

That is the case of AMSilk in Germany, which uses bacterial fermentation to produce spider silk fibers. Among the many applications of this material, the company is working with Adidas to make a biodegradable running shoe that does not leave waste behind. Last year, AMSilk also announced a partnership with the Danish bioproduction leader 21st.BIO to accelerate the production of advanced bioproduced spider silk proteins to meet the growing demand for sustainable material solutions.

Also in Germany, the startup Algalife is using algae to produce textile fibers from just sunlight and water. Biotechnology companies like Pili and Colorifix are also looking into using microbes to produce sustainable textile dyes that can replace the harsh chemicals used today.

Construction materials

The production of many construction materials, such as concrete, can require toxic chemicals and large volumes of energy and water. The process also generates high levels of carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Several biotechnology companies are looking at how living beings could help us make the building industry more sustainable. 

Working in this space, a startup called Biohm is looking into using mycelium fungus and food waste to produce construction materials from organic waste, and a company called Green Basilisk is seeking to increase the lifespan of concrete by embedding it with bacteria that repair the material when it suffers damage. Meanwhile, Biomason uses similar microbes to create cement tiles with a low-carbon footprint.

Cosmetics

Many natural cosmetics contain active ingredients sourced from plants. However, for some of these ingredients, the amount obtained from a plant can be quite small compared to the amount of land, water, and energy that are needed to produce it. 

Companies such as Bioeffect and Biossance are looking at producing these compounds more sustainably through microbial fermentation. Using this fermentation technology, the biotech company Deinove is then able to produce the anti-aging compound phytoene in its pure form, with the goal of using it as an ingredient for skincare products. The firm also does research into new cosmetic ingredients by studying bacteria that are able to live in the extreme conditions of hot water springs. 

Cultivated meat

The meat industry is a huge polluter. Biotechnology could significantly reduce the use of land, water, and energy by growing meat without the animal, directly from a small sample of muscle and fat cells. This approach would also reduce the use of antibiotics in meat production as it can be created in sterile lab conditions. 

The cultivated meat industry has been gaining momentum in the last few years. In 2020, Singapore became the first country to approve the commercialization of a cultivated meat product, developed by Eat Just. That year, companies developing meat alternatives tripled their funding. Among them are Mosa Meat, making beef burgers, Higher Steaks, growing pork, Super Meat, working on poultry, and lab-grown fish companies Wanda Fish, BlueNalu, and BluuSeafood.

Plus, there are many others working on replacing animal products, including steaks, sausages, foie gras, egg whites, and even dairy.

Enzymatic detergents

Stronger and more sustainable detergents are one of the earliest applications of industrial biotechnology. Back in the 1960s, Danish biotech giant Novozymes (now called Novonesis) started selling the first enzymatic detergents. They consist of specialized enzymes obtained from microorganisms that are able to break down molecules behind difficult stains, such as blood and fat. And unlike chemical alternatives, enzymatic detergents are biodegradable.

Over time, new generations of enzymatic detergents have become more and more effective. A key advantage is that they can work at lower temperatures, therefore reducing the amount of energy spent on washing clothes. In addition, enzymatic detergents can be used to clean medical equipment more thoroughly and efficiently than common cleaning solutions.

Flavorings

Most flavorings were traditionally extracted from plants. Today, however, many of them are produced through petrochemical processes. Biotechnology could provide an environmentally friendly alternative that does not require as much land and resources as traditional methods.

For example, traditionally, 160,000 oranges are needed to produce just a liter of the orange flavoring molecule valencene. Instead, bacteria or yeast can be engineered to produce these molecules in industrial vats, reliably producing large volumes of virtually any flavoring. A leader in this field is Evolva, which produces the natural sweetener stevia, as well as orange, vanilla, and grapefruit flavors. Other companies producing flavorings through biotechnological methods include Phytowelt and Isobionics. 

Genetically modified crops 

Genetically modified (GM) crops are becoming an essential solution to help farmers around the world grow food more sustainably. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), GM seeds are used to plant over 90% of all maize (corn), cotton, and soy grown in the U.S. The production of GM crops involves new DNA being transferred into plant cells and, usually, the cells are then grown in tissue culture where they develop into plants. The seeds produced by these plants will then inherit the new DNA.  

The environmental benefits here include disease- and drought-resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources, such as water and fertilizer, increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, and reduced need for pesticides.
Biotech giant Bayer is one of the leading companies working in this field with its genetically modified biotech seed Intacta2 Xtend. In October 2024, the company said that it forecasts that some 30% of Brazil’s soybean area will be sowed with its seed in the 2024/25 season, doubling the share from the previous crop.

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