90 • Impacts of Applied Genetics— Micro-Organisms, Plants, and Animals 
Figure 25.— Diagram of Alternative Routes to Organic Chemicals 
®C followed by number Indicates length of carbon chain. 
SOURCE: G. E. Tong, "Industrial Chemicals From Fermentation Enzymes," Microb. Techno!., vol. 1, 1979, pp. 173-179. 
Characteristics of biological 
production technologies 
The major advantages of using commercial 
fermentation include the use of renewable re- 
sources, the need for less extreme conditions 
during conversion, the use of one-step produc- 
tion processes, and a reduction in pollution. A 
micro-organism might he constructed, for ex- 
ample, to transform the cellulose in wood di- 
rectly into ethanol.* (App. I-D, a case study of 
the impact of genetics on ethanol production, 
elaborates these points.) 
RENEWABLE RESOURCES 
Green plants use the energy captured from 
sunlight to transform carbon dioxide from the 
*A retiiie.st for approval ol suoli an aocompILshnient liv rONA 
tcchni(|ue.s was siihmittecl to llie Heoomliinanl ONA Achisorv 
Committee at the Sept. 25, 1980 meeting. 
atmosphere into carbohydrates, some of \\ hi('h 
are used for their own energy ikmhIs. Tlu' rest 
are accumulated in starches, cellulose', lignins, 
and other materials called the biomass, which is 
the foundation of all renewable resources. 
The technologies of genetic (’iiginee'i ing could 
help ease the chemical industry's dependence' 
on petroleum-based products by making the' use' 
of renewable resources attractive'. .\ll mie re)- 
organisms can metaheilize e'arhohyelrate's anel 
convert them to various end proelucts. Ivxte'n- 
sive research and devele)pment (H&.D) has 
already been conducted on thei pe)ssihility ol 
using genetically engineei'ed strains te> ceiine'i t 
cellulose, the major carbohydrate' in plants, te> 
commercial products. I he basic huileiing hleie k 
of cellulose— glucose— can he re'aelily use*d as .1 
raw material for fermentatiein. 
