Steven E.F. Brown
April 4, 2014
San Francisco Business Times
Tired of buying your trans-ß-farnesene the old-fashioned way? I know you are!
The medieval days of driving down to your local specialty chemicals or synthetic biology outlet, haggling over prices with some guy in a cheap suit, and lugging those heavy 55-gallon drums of it back to your factory or laboratory are over, thanks to Emeryville’s Amyris Inc.
Now, if you need trans-ß-farnesene for use, say, in resins, adhesives, emulsifiers, or foams, coatings and sealants, or perhaps to make cosmetics or fragrances (it ain’t just for biofuel, folks), you can buy it online.
Not yet at Amazon.com Inc., though, where a search for “farnesene” brings up the Hop Variety Handbook and other home brewing titles and a slew of books on aromatherapy.
Visit Amyris’ farnesene.net web site for all your trans-ß-farnesne needs. Just $595 per kilogram, although the company (NASDAQ: AMRS), led by CEO John Melo, warns that is “special introductory pricing.”
The company hopes that by offering its farnesene to a wider audience, it will encourage its use throughout many industries. Amyris itself is using farnesene in tires, base oils and renewable fuels.
Steven E. F. Brown 