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A biotech insect repellent, safe enough to eat

Nature Biotechnology volume 38, pages 1368–1369 (2020)Cite this article

The fledgling metabolic engineering industry expands its products to pest control.

Nootkatone marks this industry’s first foray into pest control. But it is not the first microbe-derived biomolecule on the market: several others are already being sold. The short list includes vanillin, a compound carrying the characteristic flavor of vanilla; resveratrol, sold as a health supplement; key molecules found in the sweetener stevia; and valencene, which can be used as a citrus flavor and fragrance ingredient (Table 1).

Table 1 Selected ingredients derived from fermented microbes
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  1. Nashville, TN, USA

    Emily Waltz

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Waltz, E. A biotech insect repellent, safe enough to eat. Nat Biotechnol 38, 1368–1369 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-00760-z

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