White biotechnology refers to the use of biological systems for the industrial production of bio-based products, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower the carbon footprint of materials. IDTechEx's report, "White Biotechnology 2025-2035: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets, Players", explores the applications of white biotechnology, including bioplastics, and the integration of machine learning to engineer new enzymes and proteins.
Input feedstocks and biotransformation
Cell factories such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi are employed for the industrial production of value-added products with commercial and sustainability potential. These include fuels, plastics, textiles, additives, and specialty chemicals. IDTechEx forecasts that the market for biomanufactured chemicals will grow at a CAGR of 11.1% over the next decade, highlighting the strong growth potential of the sector.
The input feedstocks used to create biobased chemicals fall into three major categories: sugars, gases, and lignocellulosic materials such as pulp, bagasse, and organic residues. These are converted into target molecules through fermentation, where microorganisms metabolize the inputs. Cell-free systems, based on isolated enzymes or biosynthetic pathways, provide an alternative approach. They offer improved reaction rates, greater control, and enhanced scalability for certain applications. Products enabled by white biotechnology include organic acids, diols, alcohols, diamines, and hydrocarbons, as outlined in IDTechEx's report.
Polylactic acid and other molecules produced by white biotechnology
Lactic acid is among the most established biomanufactured products and is produced at high volumes, although long-chain diacids and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) also show strong growth potential. Itaconic acid and 1,3-propanediol (PDO) are also gaining attention. Succinic acid, which can be produced either biotechnologically or via petrochemical routes, has recently seen capacity expansions due to renewed production activity. Other notable biomanufactured materials include spider silk, which has received considerable investment but remains limited in capacity, and mycelium, which is being scaled aggressively by emerging players.
Policy plays a major role in shaping downstream demand. For instance, regulatory shifts in China restricting petrochemical-based plastics in specific single-use applications created a market opportunity for biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). This has driven significant increases in PLA production capacity.
IDTechEx reports that, according to 2025 data, global lactic acid production capacity is expected to reach one million tonnes per year. This marks a sharp increase from 2023 and is driven by rising demand for PLA. Key applications include plastic films, bottles, shrink-wrap materials (thanks to PLA's heat-constricting properties), and biodegradable medical devices. Its low melting point also makes PLA one of the most widely used materials in 3D printing filaments. IDTechEx's report, "Bioplastics 2025-2035: Technology, Market, Players, and Forecasts" provides further detail on the bioplastics landscape, including alternative materials and their manufacturing processes.
Recent biotechnology developments
Two key areas covered by IDTechEx in the White Biotechnology report are synthetic biology and biomanufacturing process improvements. Synthetic biology enables the design and optimization of biological systems. These include DNA synthesis, gene editing, enzyme and protein engineering, strain development, machine learning-driven design, and de novo enzyme prediction. Biomanufacturing process improvements include AI-driven optimization, cell-free synthesis, immobilized enzymes and catalysts, perfusion bioreactors, tangential flow filtration, hybrid biological-chemical systems, and enhanced downstream processing techniques.
Machine learning and white biotechnology
Machine learning is significantly advancing enzyme and protein engineering. Tools such as AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold enable accurate structure prediction, while generative models like ProtGPT2 and ESMFold support the design of novel proteins with specific functional properties. Applications include developing enzymes for industrial use, engineering proteins that are stable at high temperatures or extreme pH levels, and creating biocatalysts for sustainable chemical processes.
For more information, visit IDTechEx's reports, "White Biotechnology 2025-2035: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets, Players" and "Bioplastics 2025-2035: Technology, Market, Players, and Forecasts", and the wider portfolio of Sustainability Research Reports and Subscriptions.
