Aug 29 2007
The American Chemical Society (ACS) presented the research teams involved in the development of Bio-PDO™ with the prestigious 2007 Heroes of Chemistry award this week at the 234th ACS National Meeting in Boston, Mass. Bio-PDO™ is a new 100 percent renewable ingredient - the first of its kind in the world - now commercially produced in Loudon, Tenn., by the DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products joint venture.
The Heroes of Chemistry Awards highlight the vital role of industrial chemical scientists and their companies in improving human welfare through successful commercial innovations and products. Recipients are selected based on the technical merit of the chemical innovation, including talent and foresight demonstrated by the nominees, the commercial impact of the products on the marketplace, and the benefits to mankind through the products' performance.
Biochemist Charlie Nakamura and process engineer Cathy Babowicz received the award on behalf of DuPont, while Dennis Adkesson of Tate & Lyle and Gregg Whited of Genencor International represented their companies. The scientists were part of a development team that included about 40 DuPont, Tate & Lyle and Genencor scientists, engineers and market development specialists who developed the technology, engineering and market plans for Bio-PDO™.
"This was our first test of the new tools biology has to offer, and for seven years our team dreamed of the day when we would see our petri dishes scaled up to nine-story tall fermenters," Charlie said. "I am proud and honored to receive this recognition on behalf of a team of researchers that believed that biology can do certain things chemistry can't, and have now proved it to the world."
"The Bio-PDO™ project has given me the chance to work on a new and unique technology that is on the cutting edge of producing renewable products," Cathy said. "We are combining DuPont's traditional excellence in chemistry and engineering with innovative biological processes. The result is a facility in Tennessee that is unique in many ways and is the product of a team with truly diverse backgrounds. This new process puts us on the front lines of the sustainability revolution that will forever change the way we design our products and facilities."