CSIRO & GRDC JV for producing new chemicals from grain crops

18 Jun '05

3 min read

Australia's commonwealth scientific & industrial research organization CSIRO & graingrowers research organization GRDC has entered into agreement to develop new chemicals for crops.

More plastics, paints and even nylons could be made from chemicals produced in plants, an environmentally friendly replacement for non-renewable and increasingly costly petrochemicals currently used for the job.

Last night CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) launched the first phase of their joint Crop Biofactories Initiative which will initially invest $13 million over 4 years to further explore the potential of plants to make compounds for a variety of industrial uses.

“The chemical industry worldwide is undergoing a major shift from using petroleum based petrochemicals as raw materials to biological based raw materials,” says Mr Vince Logan, GRDC.

“The Crop Biofactories Initiative will look at a range of industrially useful compounds found in nature and try to make plants produce high yields of them at relatively low-cost to replace traditional petrochemicals.”

Moving away from petrochemicals to biological sources of raw materials frees up petroleum for other uses, reduces dependence on it and is a positive move towards a cleaner greener future for Australia.

Importantly Mr Logan adds that the plant 'biofactories' research is part of GRDC's long term strategy to help provide Australian grain growers with an alternative, high volume and higher value market for grain.

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