Green chemistry award competition heats up Mirroring growing nationwide interest in green chemistry, the 1998 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge awards drew 50% more applications this year, according to EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). For the first time, the developer of a process using microbes as catalysts was honored. The awards were presented lune 29 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Six awards were given to honor fundamental breakthroughs that are "scientifically innovative, economically feasible, and less hazardous to human health and the environment." The Green Chemistry Challenge was begun by President Clinton in 1995 and is sponsored by OPPT in partnership with other EPA offices, federal agencies, the chemical industry, trade associations an_ academia. Awards have been presented annually since 1996 (ES&T 314A) The biocatalysis process that uses microbes as catalysts in chemical synthesis was developed by Karen Draths and John Frost of Michigan State University, the recipients of one of EPA's first green chemistry grants in 1991. The process employs genetically engineered microbes with renewable starch and cellulose feedstocks. It uses water as the main reaction solvent to create two heavily used chemical intermediates, adipic acid and catechol. Billions of pounds of adipic acid are produced annually for use in the manufacture of nylon and the conventional approach to creating it is believed to account for 10% of the annual increase in atmospheric nitrous oxide levels accordine to the researchers Million*; ofnnunds of catprhol are used annuallv to synthpsizp artificial flavors nharmacpntirak and atxrnrhpmirak- thp rnnvpntinnal annrnarh fnr «'vnthp
