date:Dec 27, 2012
The humble soybean could become an inexpensive new source of a widely used chemical for plastics, textiles, drugs, solvents and as a food additive.
Succinic acid, traditionally drawn from petroleum, is one focus of research by Rice chemists George Bennett and Ka-Yiu San. In 2004, the Department of Energy named succinic acid one of 12 platform chemicals that could be produced from sugars by biological means and turned into high-value materials.
Several years ago, Rice patented a process by B