創(chuàng)新企業(yè)之星

OPX生物技術(shù)公司

公司收入：不詳

公司總部：科羅拉多州博爾德

所屬行業(yè)：可再生化學(xué)品

成立時(shí)間：2007年

員工人數(shù)：47人

????大部分人把大腸桿菌當(dāng)作是致病細(xì)菌，但是OPX公司的視角卻與眾不同?？偛课挥诓柕碌倪@家生物技術(shù)公司把經(jīng)過(guò)基因方法改造的大腸桿菌與玉米和甘蔗進(jìn)行混合，生產(chǎn)一系列的農(nóng)作物化工產(chǎn)品，替代成本高昂的石油化工產(chǎn)品。該公司的首個(gè)產(chǎn)品是生物丙烯酸——石油丙烯酸的替代品——廣泛應(yīng)用于油漆、粘合劑和尿片生產(chǎn)。最近，OPX公司獲得了3，650萬(wàn)美元的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資，并宣布與陶氏化學(xué)公司（Dow Chemical）建立了合作伙伴關(guān)系。它計(jì)劃在2014年建成首個(gè)規(guī)?；S。CEO查斯?艾格特稱，丙烯酸的全球產(chǎn)值為80億美元，年增長(zhǎng)率為3%至4%。他說(shuō)：“我們的目標(biāo)是成為世界可再生化工產(chǎn)品行業(yè)的領(lǐng)袖，并涉足多個(gè)領(lǐng)域。”即便如此，在這個(gè)熱門領(lǐng)域，該公司面臨著來(lái)自生物基化學(xué)公司Genomatica和BioAmber公司的激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。

????——理查德?麥吉爾?墨菲

OPX Biotechnology

Revenue: Not available

Headquarters: Boulder, Colo.

Industry: Renewable chemicals

Founded: 2007

Employees: 47

????Most people think of e-coli as a yucky bacteria that can make you sick, but that's not how OPX sees it. The Boulder-based biotech blends genetically engineered e-coli with corn or sugarcane to produce a range of plant-based chemicals that replace more expensive petroleum-based compounds. The company's first commercial product is bioacrylic, a sub for petroleum-based acrylic acid, a common ingredient in paints, adhesives, and diapers. OPX recently raised $36.5 million in venture capital and recently announced a partnership with Dow Chemical. It plans to open its first industrial-scale plant in 2014. According to CEO Chas Eggert, the global market for acrylic acid is about $8 billion, growing at an annual rate of 3% to 4%. "We want to be the world leader in renewable chemicals, with a broad portfolio," he says. Even so, the company operates in a crowded field with tough competition from Genomatica and BioAmber.

????--R.M.M.