Biotechnology: Responding to the Fine Chemical Market Challenge

摘要

The broad range of definitions and products which are increasingly encompassed by the term 'Fine chemicals', is perhaps only matched by the even broader use of the term 'Biotechnology'. To avoid the inevitable pitfalls for anyone trying to define specific boundaries, this paper will simply offer a personal view of the key recent and likely future biotechnology developments that relate to chemicals production. It will thus: ⅰ) map out and illustrate the range of applications of biological methods to the manufacture of chemicals, ⅱ) seek to identify the key strenghts and weaknesses of biotechnology in this type of use and ⅲ) consider how the technology might evolve further to meet the future market challenges in particular: 1. the need for fasterprocess development and scale-up, 2. the continued drive for more cost-effective production methods, 3. the rise in biopharmaceuticals, 4. the emergence of gene and DNA medicines.