 Thanks to ‘designer enzymes’, we now have a whole new range of applications from the textile, animal feed to alcohol industry. Traditionally enzymes have been used to ferment but now the useof designer enzymes extends from fabric to detergents to animal feed. The art of making beer, wine, cheese and bread is thousands of years old and each of these fermentation processes harnessed the catalytic process of enzymatic activities. Today, thanks to ‘designer enzymes’, we now have a whole new range of applications for the textile and garment industry to animal feed to alcohol production. As the number of applications grow, there are numerous new enzymes being produced to cater to this growing need. Enzymes are proteins consisting of long chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. Extracted from living organisms, these catalytic agents, help speed up chemical processes just by their presence in a reaction. Their catalytic activity was exploited long before they were recognized as enzymes. Because a particular enzyme catalyses a particular set of chemicals, the catalyzed reaction will generate only one product. Another virtue is enzymes require mild temperatures and operate in acqueous solutions, which not only is cheaper than organic solvents, but is also safer to the environment. Food and beverage applications dominate the enzyme market, accounting for nearly half of the worldwide industrial applications of enzymes. Lesser applications are baked goods, fruit and vegetable processing, protein processing and vegetable oil extraction. Carbohydrases and proteases are the principal enzyme types serving these applications. Detergents are the next most significant market outlet for industrial enzymes. But right now, enzymes are being talked about for their enormous contribution to the textile and garment industry. Biocon India is the undisputed market leader for industrial enzymes. The company’s enzyme clientele spans a diverse and continually growing spectrum of industry segments, from brewing, food & beverages, animal feed and starch processing to textiles, paper & pulp, detergents, leather and healthcare. Biocon India’s forte has been in creating niche markets through innovative enzymes and enzyme applications. Satish Sharma, deputy manager, marketing, at Biocon India says, “The textile industry has been quick to adopt new enzymes as a tool for supporting new fashions as well as improving the basic textile manu-facturing process. Keeping the trends of the fashion industry in mind, at Biocon we have developed a complete portfolio of enzymes that will help the fashion industry achieve consistent and predictable finishes despite varying fabrics, processes and products”. “We have a wide range of products, which are used in desizing, bio-scouring, bio-polishing, bio-washing, peroxide killers, silk degumming, etc.” According to the US-based Business Communications Company Inc study, the worldwide total for industrial applications of enzymes was valued at $1.5 billion in 1997 and is projected to rise beyond $1.8 billion by 2003 with an average annual growth rate of 4.0 per cent. Food and animal feed applications continue to dominate the industrial enzymes market on a worldwide basis. The food and animal feed applications segment has increased from $705 million in 1997 to $833.1 million in 2002, an AAGR (annual aggregate growth rate) of 3.5 per cent. While the food market for enzymes is relatively mature, BCC points out that opportunities exist for new and improved enzymes in niche uses. Moreover, the animal feed sector has considerable room for growth. Enzymes for laundry detergents dominate this sector, followed by enzymes for dishwashing detergents. BCC projects that this segment will rise from $475.2 million in 1998 to $600.9 million in 2003. Textile enzymes are the third most significant segment of this market. The major enzymes in this category are enzymes for processing cotton and cellulosic textiles, followed by enzymes for processing leather and fur. Enzymes for silk and wool are minor. This segment is projected to increase at a growth rate of 2 per cent into 2003. A new era of advances in enzyme technology is now emerging. Genetic engineering is being applied, not only to source valued enzymes but to suit requirements. Researchers are applying molecular evolution to stretch and alter enzyme specificities. The prospects for this industry look bright, with increased market penetration expected in several existing applications, as new applications under exploration come to fruitation. Issue BG25 April03 \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
his contact information is in page 67) "
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