280 • Impacts of Applied Genetics— Micro-Organisms, Plants, and Animais 
Table l-B-11.— Amino Acids: Market Information 
Current market data 
Market 
volume Bulk cost Market value 
Compound 1,0001b $/lb ($ millions) 
Arginine 900 12.73 11.46 
Aspartate 3,000 2.86 8.6 
Cysteine 600 22.75 13.6 
Glutamate 600,000 1.80 1,080.0 
Lysine 129,000 2.10 258.0 
Methionine 210,000 1.40 294.0 
Phenylalanine.... 300 38.18 11.46 
Threonine 300 58.18 16.2 
Tryptophan 225 43.18 9.71 
SOURCE: Compiled by Genex Corp. from data in references 1,2, and 3. 
Table l-B-12.— Amino Acids: Technical Information 
Compound 
Typical synthetic 
process 
Typical precursor 
Is precursor 
renewable/non- 
renewable 
limited 
Alternate 
precursor by 
fermentation 
Time to implement 
commercial fermentation by 
genetically engineered 
strain 
Arginine 
fermentation 
glucose 
and NH4^ 
renewable 
— 
5 yrs. 
Aspartate 
fermentation 
fumaric acid 
and ammonia 
limited 
— 
5yrs. 
Cysteine 
extraction 
protein 
hydrolysis 
renewable 
— 
5 yrs. 
Glutamate 
fermentation 
glucose 
and NH/ 
renewable 
— 
5 yrs. 
Lysine 
fermentation 
glucose 
and NH/ 
renewable 
— 
5 yrs. 
Methionine 
chemical 
/3-methylmercapto 
propionaldehyde 
nonrenewable 
glucose 
and NH4^ 
10 yrs. 
Phenylalanine. . . 
chemical 
a-acetamino- 
cinnamic acid 
limited 
glucose 
and NH."’ 
5 yrs. 
5 yrs. 
Threonine 
fermentation 
glucose 
and NH/ 
renewable 
— 
5 yrs. 
Tryptophan 
chemical 
a-ketoglutaric 
phenylhydrazone 
nonrenewable 
glucose 
and NH/” 
5 yrs. 
^Ammonium ion. 
SOURCE: Compiled by Genex Corp. from data in references 2, 3, 4, and 5. 
Table l-B-13.— Vitamins: Market Information 
Current market data 
Market 
volume Bulk cost Market value 
Compound 1,000 lb $/lb ($ millions) 
Nicotinic acid. .. . 1,400 1.82 2.5 
Riboflavin (Bj). .. . 22 15.40 0.34 
Vitamin Bi 2 22 6,991.60 153.8 
Vitamin C 90,000 4.50 405.0 
Vitamin D 12 42.50 0.51 
Vitamin E 3,641 29.00 105.6 
SOURCE: Compiled by Genex Corp. from data in references 1,6,7, 8. and 9. 
