Genomatica Forms Council to Guide Industrial Expansion

Bruce V. Bigelow12/23/08

San Diego’s Genomatica is forming an engineering advisory council to help the company as it moves to expand to large-scale chemical production. Privately-held Genomatica has shown it can use genetically modified bacteria to make 1,4-butanediol, or BDO, a basic polymer used to make everything from skateboard wheels to spandex clothing. Genomatica named Page Shirtum, a former research fellow at Dow Chemical; Frank Bates of the University of Minnesota; and Matt Tirrell of UC Santa Barbara.

Bruce V. Bigelow is the editor of Xconomy San Diego. You can e-mail him at bbigelow@xconomy.com or call (619) 669-8788