In the face of continuing and significant challenges and uncertainties, Metabolix, Inc has announced that it is exploring ‘strategic alternatives’ for its specialty biopolymers business and for its Yield10 crop science program. The company cited outside strategic interest in its biopolymers business as well as a challenging financing environment as key considerations leading to this development.
According to the statement released by the Metabolix, strategic alternatives may include selling the company’s specialty biopolymers business to a third party with strategic interest in acquiring the business, and either refocusing the Company’s resources on development and commercialization of its Yield10 Bioscience program, a program targeted at breakthrough technology for improved crop yield, or simply jettisoning the Yield10 business as well.
Release Date: 06/06/2016
About Biopolymer:
Biopolymers are polymers produced by living organisms; in other words, they are polymeric biomolecules. Since they are polymers, biopolymers contain monomeric units that are covalently bonded to form larger structures. There are three main classes of biopolymers, classified according to the monomeric units used and the structure of the biopolymer formed: polynucleotides (RNA and DNA), which are long polymers composed of 13 or more nucleotide monomers; polypeptides, which are short polymers of amino acids; and polysaccharides, which are often linear bonded polymeric carbohydrate structures.
Substance composed of one type of biomacromolecules.
Note 1: Modified from the definition given in ref. in order
to avoid confusion between polymer and macromolecule in
the fields of proteins, polysaccharides, polynucleotides, and bacterial
aliphatic polyesters.
Note 2: The use of the term “biomacromolecule” is recommended
when molecular characteristics are considered.
Cellulose is the most common organic compound and biopolymer on Earth. About 33 percent of all plant matter is cellulose. The cellulose content of cotton is 90 percent, for wood is 50 percent.
