Microbial Products: Technologies, Applications and Global Markets

Countries covered: Global An overview of the microbial products market, including a general description of commercial microbes that are bought and sold on the market or used to produce products. Analysis of global market trends, with data from 2010, estimates for 2011, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2016. Descriptions of microbe properties, such as acidity, temperature and oxygen availability; and microbe types, such as bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and algae. A breakdown of end-use applications, such as agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and environment. Discussion of regional regulations in the U.S., European Union, Japan, and other countries Comprehensive company profiles and patent analyses.

Additional Information

INTRODUCTION

STUDY BACKGROUND

A microbe is a minute living organism, such as a bacterium, yeast, or fungus. The first commercial applications of microbes date back to around 1750 BC, when the ancient Sumerians used yeast to brew beer. Microbes were used for centuries to produce bread, wine, vinegar, and other common products, without anyone knowing the scientific basis for the production.

The systematic study of microbes began in the 17th century with the work of scientists like Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke. However, the discipline known today as microbiology was not established until the late 19th century, through the work of pioneers like Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Martinus Beijerinck, and Sergei Winogradsky.

The technology related to microbial production of metabolites such as ethanol, lactic acid, butanol, riboflavin, etc., and enzymes such as protease, amylase, and invertase were developed as early as the first few decades of the 20th century. Large-scale production of the antibiotic penicillin from Penicillium fungi was perfected during World War II and the microbial production of other antibiotics, amino acids, nucleotides, enzymes, etc., soon followed.

Today, genetically engineered microbes are used for the commercial production of non-microbial products such as insulin, interferon, human growth hormone, and viral vaccines. Microbes are also used to produce energy (e.g., biodiesel and bioethanol) and clean up environmental pollutants such as sewage and oil spills. As the active ingredient in biofertilizers and biopesticides, microbes contribute to increasing agricultural productivity, and microbes form the basis of cost-effective methods of mining and metallurgy

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Yet all this seems to be only the beginning: The commercial possibilities of microbes are seemingly endless. However, intuition alone tells us that not all of these technological possibilities are likely to become commercial reality. The goal of this report is to survey microbial applications in a wide range of fields, identify the applications that appear to have significant commercial potential in the near- to mid-term, and develop quantitative estimates of their current and/or future sales.

This report’s specific objectives support this broad goal. These objectives include identifying microbial technologies and applications that have the greatest commercial potential in the 2010 to 2016 time frame, identifying market drivers, evaluating obstacles to their successful commercialization, and projecting future sales of each application.

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