Syngenta is developing a genetically modified strain of corn that expresses high levels of alpha amylase—a thermal-tolerant digestive enzyme developed by Verenium that turns the corn’s starch into sugar for ethanol.
The engineered plants are designed to reduce costs by eliminating the need for mills to add liquid enzymes. The Corn Amylase (Amylase-T) seeds do not increase the yield, rather they make corn easier to process which translates into substantial savings for mill operators.
Syngenta has announced that pilot trials have been successfully conducted and that it anticipates launch of this product in 2008.
