SBIR Phase I: Innovative Modified Microbial Surfactants: Biobased Solutions for Industrial and Environmental Applications

这个小企业创新研究一期项目将采用“绿色化学原理”，通过对天然皂素进行简单和可扩展的改性，开发改性皂素表面活性剂分子。天然SLs将通过酵母念珠菌发酵生产。SL修改策略将侧重于简单、绿色和最小化制造成本的方法。此外，MSLs还包括满足特定应用需求的方法，例如设计用于溢油清理和生物乳化剂/分散剂的MSLs。建议的方法是鉴定具有吸引人的硬表面清洁，脱脂，油相乳化，发泡，分散，去污剂和抗菌污垢剂的性能的化合物。初步结果表明，通过开发具有适当结构特征的msl，产品的性能大大提高，具有重要的商业应用价值。i期研究计划的成功完成将导致MSLs结构-性能关系的详细调查，以确定具有卓越功能性能的化合物，用于商业应用，这将进一步吸引战略工业合作伙伴。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力解决了绿色表面活性剂产品的市场需求，通过简单的化学修饰设计了一个msl库，以微调自然分子的性能。目的是创建SL衍生的生物表面活性剂分子，具有精细的表面活性剂特性，适用于特定应用。此外，所开发的表面活性剂分子将是生态友好的，可生物降解的，并且由80- 100%的易再生碳组成。SyntheZyme MSL表面活性剂将为正在进行的绿色化学革命做出贡献。引入市场的msl有望取代石油衍生的化学表面活性剂，其中许多是通过苛刻的化学过程生产的。SyntheZyme的msl对于在环境系统中处理或使用表面活性剂以及涉及人类接触的应用尤为重要。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase-I project will address the development of modified sophorolipid (MSL) surfactant molecules by simple and scalable modification of natural SLs adopting "green chemistry principles". Natural SLs will be produced through fermentation with yeast Candida bombicola. Strategies for SL modification will focus on methods that are simple, green, and minimize manufacturing cost. Furthermore, MSLs also include approaches to meet specific application needs, for example, designing MSLs for oil spill cleanup and bioemulsifiers/dispersants. Proposed approach is to identify compounds with attractive properties for hard surface cleaning, degreasing, and oil phase emulsification, foaming, dispersion, detergency and antimicrobial fouling agents. Preliminary results show that by developing MSLs with the appropriate structural features the performance of products is greatly enhanced for commercially important surfactant applications. Successful completion of the proposed Phase-I research program will result in a detailed investigation of structure-property relationships for MSLs to determine compounds with superior functional performancefor commercial applications that will further engage strategic industrial partners. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project address the market pull for green surfactant products by designing a library of MSLs by simple chemical modification to fine tune performance of nature's molecules. The aim is to create SL derived biosurfactant molecules with fine tuned surfactant properties for specific applications. Furthermore, the surfactant molecules developed will be eco-friendly, biodegradable, and composed of 80-to-100% readily renewable carbon. SyntheZyme MSL surfactants will contribute to the on-going green chemistry revolution. MSLs introduced into the market are expected to replace petroleum-derived chemical surfactants many of which are produced by harsh chemical processes. SyntheZyme's MSLs will be particularly important for applications where surfactants are disposed or used within environmental systems as well as for uses involving human contact.