BioTork is a

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...

company founded in 2008 that specializes in the optimization of

industrial fermentation Industrial fermentation is the intentional use of fermentation in manufacturing products useful to humans. In addition to the mass production of fermented foods and drinks, industrial fermentation has widespread applications in chemical industry ...

processes. BioTork provides robust

microorganisms A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...

that are able to convert low-value, raw carbon sources such as agroindustrial by-products and waste into high-value chemical commodities (e.g.

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...

and feed). These biochemical commodities such as

omega-3 oil Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...

, lipids, fuels, enzymes, plastics and other compounds are derived from renewable

feedstock A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...

using a continuous culture technology.

Technology

BioTork has an exclusive license with Evolugate, a technology provider specializing in

adaptive evolution In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

technology that is a continuous culture apparatus which selects the fittest genetic variants from a certain population under controlled environmental conditions. After multiple stages of natural selection, the microorganisms acquire enhanced capabilities that were not present in the original strain. These new capabilities include a faster growth rate, the ability to grow at non-optimal temperatures, resistance to inhibitors or growth under nutrient limiting conditions

Non-GMO

The microorganisms that are evolved with Evolugate's technology are done so through

natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charle ...

, and therefore are enhanced without genetically modifying their composition. This allows for the microorganism to exist without being labelled as a GMO, and therefore circumvents issues related to food and feed

regulations Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. For ...

Versatile Feedstock

The technology that BioTork uses through Evolugate is able to convert unrefined, raw

into several high quality resources, as mentioned before including omega-3 fatty acids and renewable chemicals. Raw carbon sources are generally renewable, often coming from biodiesel production or leftover agricultural waste. Therefore, the end-product that BioTork is left with is sustainable and inexpensive, in addition to non-GMO.

Hawaii Zero Waste Program

BioTork is currently in collaboration with the

US Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

and Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (USDA-PBARC). This collaboration is related to recent legislation passed in Hawaii to promote

upcycling Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value ...

of raw materials, or agricultural waste, as part of the

Zero Waste Zero waste is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal of this movement is to avoid sending trash to landfills, incinerators, or the ocean. Curren ...

initiative. The State of Hawaii has dedicated special purpose

revenue bonds A revenue bond is a special type of municipal bond distinguished by its guarantee of repayment solely from revenues generated by a specified revenue-generating entity associated with the purpose of the bonds, rather than from a tax. Unlike general ...

of up to $50,000,000 that will be used towards

the unmarketable papayas from the state and convert them into omega-3 fatty acids that can then be refined into

commercial fish feed Manufactured feeds are an important part of modern commercial aquaculture, providing the balanced nutrition needed by farmed fish. The feeds, in the form of granules or pellets, provide the nutrition in a stable and concentrated form, enabling t ...

Collaboration with BASF

BASF BASF Societas Europaea, SE () is a German multinational corporation, multinational chemical company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The ...

, The Chemical Company, and BioTork currently have a

bioplastic Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. Some bioplastics are obtained by processing directly from natural ...

s development deal to industrially produce

biopolymers Biopolymers are natural polymers produced by the cells of living organisms. Like other polymers, biopolymers consist of monomeric units that are covalently bonded in chains to form larger molecules. There are three main classes of biopolymers, cl ...

and green-based chemicals. The main objective of this collaboration is to improve biochemical production processes through strain development. The financial details of this collaboration and

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

have not been disclosed at this time.

References

{{reflist Biotechnology companies of the United States Biotechnology companies established in 2008 2008 establishments in Florida