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Etit D, Meramo S, Ögmundarson Ó, Jensen MK, Sukumara S. Can biotechnology lead the way toward a sustainable pharmaceutical industry? Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103100. [PMID: 38471403 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The impact-intensive and rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry must ensure its sustainability. This study reveals that environmental sustainability assessments have been conducted for only around 0.2% of pharmaceuticals, environmental impacts have significant variations among the assessed products, and different impact categories have not been consistently studied. Highly varied impacts require assessing more products to understand the industry's sustainability status. Reporting all impact categories will be crucial, especially when comparing production technologies. Biological production of (semi)synthetic pharmaceuticals could reduce their environmental costs, though the high impacts of biologically produced monoclonal antibodies should also be optimized. Considering the sustainability potential of biopharmaceuticals from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, collaboratively guiding their immense market growth would lead to the industry's sustainability transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Etit
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Samir Meramo
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ólafur Ögmundarson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Nýi Garður, Sæmundargata 2, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sumesh Sukumara
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Bidart GN, Teze D, Jansen CU, Pasutto E, Putkaradze N, Sesay AM, Fredslund F, Lo Leggio L, Ögmundarson O, Sukumara S, Qvortrup K, Welner DH. Chemoenzymatic indican for light-driven denim dyeing. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1489. [PMID: 38413572 PMCID: PMC10899603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45749-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Blue denim, a billion-dollar industry, is currently dyed with indigo in an unsustainable process requiring harsh reducing and alkaline chemicals. Forming indigo directly in the yarn through indican (indoxyl-β-glucoside) is a promising alternative route with mild conditions. Indican eliminates the requirement for reducing agent while still ending as indigo, the only known molecule yielding the unique hue of blue denim. However, a bulk source of indican is missing. Here, we employ enzyme and process engineering guided by techno-economic analyses to develop an economically viable drop-in indican synthesis technology. Rational engineering of PtUGT1, a glycosyltransferase from the indigo plant, alleviated the severe substrate inactivation observed with the wildtype enzyme at the titers needed for bulk production. We further describe a mild, light-driven dyeing process. Finally, we conduct techno-economic, social sustainability, and comparative life-cycle assessments. These indicate that the presented technologies have the potential to significantly reduce environmental impacts from blue denim dyeing with only a modest cost increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Nahuel Bidart
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David Teze
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Uldahl Jansen
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 206, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Eleonora Pasutto
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Natalia Putkaradze
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna-Mamusu Sesay
- Lab for Sustainability and Design, Designskolen Kolding, Ågade 10, DK-6000, Kolding, Denmark
| | - Folmer Fredslund
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Leila Lo Leggio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Olafur Ögmundarson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Aragata 14, 102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Sumesh Sukumara
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katrine Qvortrup
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 206, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Ditte Hededam Welner
- Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Meramo S, Pasutto E, Sukumara S. Automating relative and absolute environmental sustainability assessments of bio-based products. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 394:130196. [PMID: 38086461 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Awareness of long-term environmental challenges has motivated society toward a more sustainable future. Biotechnology is expected to contribute to the transition towards sustainability. Automation can play an important role in this transition, enabling faster decision-making at early stages. Therefore, an automated relative and absolute environmental sustainability assessment is presented to boost innovation in biotechnology. The automated calculation methodology uses computer-aided tools (dedicated software and Python codes) for the fast quantification of the environmental sustainability performance of bio-based products including scenario and uncertainty analysis. Two case studies (i) succinic acid (SA) and (ii) poly-lactic acid (PLA) are evaluated to test the capabilities of the automated assessment. The results show a carbon footprint and land use of 5.46 kg CO2 eq and 1.26 m2a crop eq for SA and 3.82 kg CO2 eq and 0.74 m2a crop eq for PLA. Transgression of planetary boundaries was found in both SA and PLA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Meramo
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Eleonora Pasutto
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sumesh Sukumara
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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