Chitosan an Expanding Industry
Disciplines
Business Analytics | Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Fungi | Molecular Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The organic chemical industry is a growing field with a wide variety of applications from ethyl alcohol to fatty acids, synthetic flavorings, and perfume materials. Chitosan is another organic chemical that has vast applications within this industry. Chitosan is the deacetylated form of chitin, which is the second most abundant polysaccharide found in nature and is predominantly extracted from the cell walls of fungi and the exoskeletons of shellfish. The end market for chitosan can be categorized into water treatment, food and beverage, cosmetic, biotechnology, agrochemical, and healthcare. The largest of these industries is currently water treatment and is expected to grow to around $485 million by 2027. Currently, most of the chitosan utilized by these industries is produced from shellfish; however, this process creates many toxic waste products. In response, the industry has begun to utilize fungal-derived chitosan which produce higher yields and fewer toxic waste products. Fungal chitosan is expected to outpace the growth within the chitosan space with growth expectations being around 15% annually over the next five years.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christopher Cornelison
Chitosan an Expanding Industry
The organic chemical industry is a growing field with a wide variety of applications from ethyl alcohol to fatty acids, synthetic flavorings, and perfume materials. Chitosan is another organic chemical that has vast applications within this industry. Chitosan is the deacetylated form of chitin, which is the second most abundant polysaccharide found in nature and is predominantly extracted from the cell walls of fungi and the exoskeletons of shellfish. The end market for chitosan can be categorized into water treatment, food and beverage, cosmetic, biotechnology, agrochemical, and healthcare. The largest of these industries is currently water treatment and is expected to grow to around $485 million by 2027. Currently, most of the chitosan utilized by these industries is produced from shellfish; however, this process creates many toxic waste products. In response, the industry has begun to utilize fungal-derived chitosan which produce higher yields and fewer toxic waste products. Fungal chitosan is expected to outpace the growth within the chitosan space with growth expectations being around 15% annually over the next five years.