Company History

In 2007, Glycos Biotechnologies, Inc. was founded to commercialize metabolic engineering and process engineering innovations originating from its groundbreaking research directing glycerin to ethanol by fermentation. Pioneered by Professor Ramon Gonzalez at Rice University, that research quickly established glycerin as a platform starting material for the conversion to other higher-value molecules, e.g. alcohols and acids. Crude glycerin was seen as a first, big source of carbon immediately amenable to the products envisioned. Since then, GlycosBio scientists have developed biocatalytic production systems for many of these chemicals from starting materials other than glycerin. Diversifying feedstocks further expands the classes of chemicals that can be produced and improves the effective conversion yield of the bioreaction.

GlycosBio has also attracted the attention of some of the most prominent international biofuel and chemical companies. Some of those companies have provided support to R&D efforts and grant award proposals for non-dilutive research funding.

Being headquartered in the heart of the energy industry – Houston, Texas – may seem somewhat ironic as hydrocarbon feedstocks and petrochemical infrastructure are what GlycosBio seeks to supplant. However, Houston’s abundant engineering resources and process industry provide distinct advantages to building the bio-based energy economy.