Phytonix Corporation (“Phytonix” or “Px”) is an industrial biotechnology company producing sustainable chemicals directly from carbon dioxide. Our patented process employs cyanobacteria, which are the same organisms responsible for creating a breathable atmosphere on Earth and that contributed greatly to the genesis of our miraculous blue planet. Phytonix’s objective is to be the global leader in bio-safe, direct solar chemicals and fuel production utilizing carbon dioxide as the sole feedstock and energy from the Sun. Phytonix and its partners utilize a collaborative and distributed business model with a capital-light strategy, based upon circular economy principles, to produce a variety of renewable chemicals and biofuel from carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water via patented photobiological and genomics technology.
Through its patented technology, the company will initially produce biobutanol and biopentanol, valuable industrial chemicals and potential “drop-in” fuels to replace gasoline. The first product in our pipeline, n-butanol, can be used for a broad array of fuels and chemicals – including jet fuels, bio-based plastics, and synthetic rubber. Unblended butanol and pentanol biofuels can be used in gasoline-powered engines with little or no engine modifications. These chemicals can also be used to enhance fuel blends with ethanol. Phytonix’s n-butanol production process is a replacement for the fossil-based, carbon-intensive process currently used by the worlds largest chemical companies. Our process eliminates one ton of carbon dioxide via bioconversion for every 125 gallons of n-butanol produced. Phytonix seeks to eliminate the need for biomass, such as food or other crops, in both biochemical and biofuel production. Phytonix believes that some emerging biochemical and biofuel production technologies, such as fermentation, pyrolysis, and others, face limited market adoption due to cost and biomass yield limitations and positive carbon footprints.
Phytonix has developed engineered cyanobacterial species that secrete n-butanol in a significantly carbon-negative, photosynthetic process. The company estimates that the production cost of its biobutanol will be US$1.35 per gallon.
Phytonix has a dual target market: the $10 billion global n-butanol and n-pentanol industrial chemical market, and ultimately the $140 billion fuel additive and $900 billion global motor gasoline market. The global n-butanol chemical market is growing at approximately 14% CAGR, with demand exceeding supply in many areas including Asia. Approximately 340 billion gallons of motor gasoline are consumed annually with the November 2014 wholesale price at $2.64 per gallon.