278 • Impacts of Applied Genetics— Micro-Organisms, Plants, and Animals 
Table l-B-5.— Food Products 
Product category 
End use 
Amino acids 
Glutamate 
Cysteine 
Aspartate 
. . Food enrichment agent, 
flavoring agent 
. . Food enrichment agent, 
manufacturing processes 
. . Flavoring agent 
Vitamins 
Vitamin C 
Vitamin D 
. . Food additive, food 
enrichment agent 
. . Food enrichment agent 
Aromatics 
Benzoic acid 
. . Food preservative 
Aliphatics 
Propionic acid 
. . Food preservative 
Short peptides 
Aspartame 
. . Artificial sweetener 
Enzymes 
Rennin 
Amyloglucosidase . . . 
a-amylase 
Glucose isomerase. . . 
Manufacturing processes 
. . Manufacturing processes 
. . Food enrichment agent, 
manufacturing processes 
. . Manufacturing processes: 
sweetener 
Nucleotides 
5’-IMPa 
5’-GMPb 
. . Flavoring agent 
. . Flavoring agent 
®5'-inosinic acid. 
^5’-guanylic acid. 
SOURCE; Cenex Corp. 
all the R&D starting from the current knowledge 
base necessary to demonstrate that the desired com- 
pounds can he biologically produced first in the 
laboratory and then in the pilot plant at commercial- 
ly desirable yields and reaction efficiencies. The 
timetable does not consider delays caused by con- 
struction of new facilities nor delays required to 
obtain Ciovernment regulatory approval of new 
products. 
It should be noted that in the technical data charts, 
when glucose is listed as an alternate precursor by 
fermentation, other carbohydrates, e.g., cellulose 
and cornstarch, could be used. Moreover, if glucose 
were the precursor of choice, the actual feedstock 
would probably he a commodity like molasses as op- 
posed to pure glucose. 
Summary 
Over 100 compounds representing 17 different 
product categories that span the five industries 
under evaluation are represented in table l-B-10. The 
current market value of all these products exceeds 
$27 billion. One particular compound, methane, ac- 
counts for over $12 billion. The even-numbered 
Table l-B-G.— Agricultural Products 
Product category 
End use 
Amino acids 
Lysine 
Feed additive 
Methionine 
Feed additive 
Threonine 
Feed additive 
Tryptophan 
Feed additive 
Vitamins 
Nicotinic acid 
Feed additive 
Riboflavin (B 2 ) 
, Feed additive 
Vitamin C 
Feed additive 
Aliphatics 
Sorbic acid 
Feed preservative 
Antibiotics 
Penicillins 
, Feed additive, prophylactic 
Erythromycins 
. Feed additive, prophylactic 
Peptide hormones 
Bovine growth hormone 
, Growth promoter 
Porcine growth hormone 
. Growth promoter 
Ovine growth hormone 
, Growth promoter 
Viral antigens 
Foot-and-mouth disease virus 
. Vaccine 
Rous sarcoma virus 
. Vaccine 
Avian leukemia virus 
. Vaccine 
Avian myeloblastosis virus. . . 
. Vaccine 
Enzymes 
Papain 
. Feed additive 
Glucose oxidase 
. Feed preservative 
Pesticides 
Microbial 
. Insecticide 
Aromatic 
. Insecticide 
Inorganics 
Ammonia 
. Fertilizer 
SOURCE: Genex Corp. 
tables from l-B-12 lo I-B-;12 |)rojecI that within 20 
years all th(^s(! |)ioducts could Ix' manulactured 
using geiK'tically engineered microbial strains on a 
more econotnical basis than using today s coinen- 
tional technologi(?s. In many cas(‘s, the time i ('(|uired 
to apply genetically engineered strains in eommerci.il 
fermentations could he reduced loas little .is ,'i \ e.irs 
The impact of geiK'tic engineering on selected 
markets is shown in table l-M-.kt. Only five |)roduct 
categories are (xmsiden’d here, and in one. .imino 
acids, only a lew of the compounds com|irising it .ire 
evaluated. The products represented in the In e i .ite 
gories currently ha\ (> a total market \ aloe exc eeding 
$800 million, llowexcr, within 20 \ears this m.ii ki't 
value could rise to oxer $."> billion tin 1!)80 doll.irsi 
due largely to the application of gi-netic engineering 
In a number of cases, the desired products would 
most likely not he av ailable in signilic .ml <|u.mlilies it 
not for the application of genetic engineering lech 
nology. 
