London BioScience Innovation Centre
2 Royal College Street, London NW1 0NH
Cellulose as a pharmaceutical feedstock
Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. Our novel enzyme cascades and integrated fermentation platforms convert agricultural waste streams into pharmaceutical-grade starting materials and API intermediates with stereochemical precision.
Core PlatformGlucose liberated from cellulose via engineered cellulase cascades enters purpose-designed fermentation pathways. Our microbial hosts convert these sugars into high-value pharmaceutical precursors with stereochemical control rivalling classical synthetic chemistry.
Key targets include chiral amino acids, hydroxylated organic acids, and nitrogen-containing heterocycles serving as building blocks for active pharmaceutical ingredients. The process integrates seamlessly with existing pharmaceutical supply chains.
| Molecule | Feedstock | Enzyme / pathway | Pharma application | Stereo-purity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-Lactic acid | Cellulose → glucose | Lactate dehydrogenase | Chiral auxiliary, PLA precursor | ≥99% ee |
| Glucuronic acid | Cellulose hydrolysate | Glucose oxidase cascade | Glycosaminoglycan synthesis | ✓ |
| Itaconic acid | Glucose (cellulose-derived) | cis-Aconitate decarboxylase | Polymer & drug intermediate | — |
| 3-HPA | Glycerol / glucose | Aldehyde dehydrogenase | Biopolyester monomer | ✓ |
| 2,3-Butanediol | Cellulose sugars | Acetoin reductase | Chiral diol building block | ≥95% ee |
We supply custom KSMs and intermediates at research and scale-up quantities.