Business Concentrates LITIGATION PETROCHEMICALS
CRISPR patent fight flares The patent dispute over commercial rights to CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology is heating up again. After an earlier fight, inventors at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard were allowed to keep their CRISPR patents, and inventors at the University of California, Berkeley, were awarded their own patents. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) declared that the patents from the two groups described different inventions, and for a brief time it seemed that the two camps would coexist, which would potentially require companies using CRISPR to seek licenses from both. Then in June, the USPTO backtracked and declared that the two parties’ patents did in fact describe the same invention. A new court proceeding will determine who was the first to invent CRISPR gene editing for eukaryotes—organisms such as yeast, plants, and animals. To further complicate matters, Merck KGaA–owned MilliporeSigma, which makes life sciences tools, claims that some of its pending patent applications for CRISPR also interfere with UC Berkeley’s patents. Millipore recently petitioned the USPTO to open a new patent interference proceeding between itself and UC Berkeley, setting the stage for a three-way patent fight. At the same time, Millipore aligned with the Broad Institute to pool their CRISPR patents, allowing other groups to request a single, nonexclusive license to use CRISPR.—RYAN CROSS
Methanex is proceeding with plans to build a 1.8-million-metric-ton-per-year methanol plant in Geismar, Louisiana. The Canadian firm says the plant could cost as much as $1.4 billion and be complete by 2022. The plan to build the unit, which will be Methanex’s third on the site, has been controversial. In March, M&G Investments, which owns 16.5% of Methanex, came out against doing the project without a partner. In a peacemaking deal, M&G got two directors on Methanex’s board and a promise that an independent firm would review the project. The board approved it unanimously.—ALEX TULLO
SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
▸ New firm to restart functional-dye plant American Chemical Solutions (ACS) has been formed to acquire and restart an Esco chemical plant in Muskegon, Michigan. The new company was launched by Todd Zahn, a chemist who is also CEO of the boron intermediates maker BoroPharm. ACS says it will invest $15 million to restart the plant’s production of functional dyes for thermal and carbonless printing and to provide custom manufacturing services.—MICHAEL MCCOY
50-50 venture will operate 11 sugarcane mills—8 from Bunge and 3 from BP. Bunge will receive $75 million, and the venture will take on $700 million of Bunge’s debt. The mills produce sugar and ethanol and sell surplus biomass-based energy to the electric grid. The deal will grow BP’s biofuel business while helping Bunge reduce its exposure to sugar milling, the companies say.—MELODY BOMGARDNER
SPECIALTY CHEMICALS
▸ BASF spotlights optical brighteners
RENEWABLES
▸ Bunge and BP form biofuel venture
BASF is increasing its investment in one optical brightener business and selling another. At its site in Monthey, Switzerland,
O Agriculture products giant Bunge has formed a Brazilian biofuel joint venture with BP. Called BP Bunge Bioenergia, the
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A farmer in Brazil prepares a field for sugarcane planting.
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C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | JULY 29, 2019
BASF plans to make a multimillion-dollar investment to increase capacity for Tinopal CBS, a line of environmentally preferred distyryl biphenyl derivatives used in laundry detergents. Separately, BASF plans to sell to Archroma its stilbene-based optical brighteners business for paper and powder detergents. The transaction
includes a plant in Ankleshwar, India, that employs 100 people.—MARC REISCH
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
▸ Clariant sells drug packaging business Clariant has agreed to sell its health-care packaging business to Arsenal Capital Partners for $314 million. The business makes desiccant systems and plastic bottles with oxygen-barrier materials to protect pharmaceuticals. It had sales last year of some $138 million. About 600 people work for the unit, which has plants in the US, France, China, and India. Last September, Clariant said it would divest the business as part of a plan to focus on high-performance materials.—MARC REISCH
COATINGS
▸ PPG, AkzoNobel buy aerospace firms The paint and coatings makers PPG Industries and AkzoNobel are acquiring aerospace materials firms. PPG is purchasing Connecticut-based Dexmet from its private equity owner, Sverica Capital Management. Dexmet makes metal foil and polymer surface materials for aerospace, auto,
C R E D I T: BP
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▸ Methanex moves on Louisiana methanol
