Biosurfactants

01Overview and value chain

Markers: [EC: Circular Economy Action Plan & EU Ecolabel Regulation | OECD: industrial-biotech | Regulator: EPA (USA/TSCA), ECHA (EU/REACH), NMPA (China)]

Biosurfactants are surface-active molecules of microbial origin, produced by bacteria, yeasts and fungi fermenting renewable plant substrates (sugars, vegetable oils, lipid waste). Their amphiphilic structure — a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail — lets them cut surface and interfacial tension sharply. Against petrochemical surfactants such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), microbial surfactants offer near-zero toxicity, full biodegradability (soil and water breakdown in 2–3 weeks), high thermal and salt tolerance, and very low critical micelle concentrations (CMC 20–50 mg/L). By 2026 the sector crossed from niche cosmetic additives to multi-thousand-tonne industrial output, displacing petrochemical equivalents in home care, personal care, agchem adjuvants and enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

The key classes of commercial biosurfactants are:

1. Rhamnolipids: Glycolipids of one or two L-rhamnose units bound to beta-hydroxydecanoic fatty acids; historically from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa, now produced industrially on engineered non-pathogenic Pseudomonas putida — strong foaming and detergency.
2. Sophorolipids: Glycolipids of sophorose linked to a hydroxylated fatty acid, secreted by the yeast Starmerella bombicola; supplied in lactone (high surface activity, antimicrobial) and acid (high foam, soluble) forms.
3. Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs): Glycolipids from basidiomycete yeasts of genus Pseudozyma, with unique liquid-crystal behaviour used in premium cosmetics to repair skin and hair lipid barriers.
4. Lipopeptides (e.g. surfactin): A cyclic peptide ring on a fatty-acid chain from Bacillus subtilis — among the most powerful surfactants known, dropping water surface tension from 72 mN/m to 27 mN/m at extremely low CMC.

Sectoral value chain

[Plant feedstock (oils, glucose)] ──> [Aerobic precision fermentation] ──> [Continuous gravity separation]
                  │                                  │                                 │
        (Sugar beet, rapeseed)        (Producer strains, fed-batch)      (In-situ foam removal)
                                                                                            │
[End products (Home care, EOR)] <── [Membrane ultrafiltration & drying] <───────────────────┘

Value chain levels

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Rhamnolipid pathway engineering: Transferring the rhlA/rhlB/rhlC rhamnosyltransferase genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa into the safe host Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to make mono- and di-rhamnolipids without pyocyanin or other virulence factors.
• In-situ product recovery (ISPR): Continuous gravity separation that drains the heavy glycolipid phase from the reactor base while skimming foam, preventing product inhibition and letting the run continue for weeks.
• HLB engineering: Chemical or enzymatic cleavage of ester bonds in acid sophorolipids to hit a target hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (from HLB 4 for water-in-oil emulsions up to 15 for detergents).

02US

The United States leads biosurfactant deployment into oil-and-gas and holds the only unrestricted commercial-volume regulatory licence for glycolipid production.

Locus Fermentation Solutions, EPA TSCA clearance, agri and oil biochemistry

• Locus Fermentation Solutions (Ohio): A global leader in sophorolipid precision fermentation, supplying the palm-oil-free, non-GMO Amphi line (USDA BioPreferred certified); the company raised over $40M in 2025 to expand capacity.
• Exclusive EPA TSCA clearance: Locus FS is the only US firm with an EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) licence to manufacture glycolipid biosurfactants in unlimited commercial volume, removing the key barrier to mass adoption by multinational CPG brands.
• Oilfield and agri applications: Subsidiary Locus Bio-Energy supplies the SUSTAIN reagent for hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery in Texas, lifting oil recovery by 15–20% by dropping oil-rock interfacial tension to ultra-low values; the agri arm markets the Rhizolizer root-growth biostimulant.

03CN

China is rapidly expanding fermentation capacity for biosurfactants to cut its dependence on imported coconut and palm oils used to make conventional surfactants.

CAS institutes in Tianjin and Shenyang, coal and oilfield integration, agchem boom

• TIB CAS strain development: The Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (CAS) runs large programmes building sophorolipid super-producers from the yeast Wickerhamiella domercqiae and rhamnolipid producers from Pseudomonas putida, reaching titres above 120 g/L per cycle.
• Oil-spill response and mine safety: State companies Sinopec and CNPC deploy biosurfactants for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil; Chinese rhamnolipids are sprayed in coal mines to wet and settle coal dust, cutting explosion and lung-disease risk.
• Agchem adjuvant boom: China is the largest consumer of biosurfactants as herbicide and pesticide adjuvants, where glycolipids cut active-ingredient dose by 30–40% through better spreading and leaf-wax adhesion.

04EU

The European Union leads the global race to decarbonize chemistry: it hosts the world’s first large-tonnage rhamnolipid plant and enforces the regulation that pushes petrochemical surfactants out.

Evonik (Slovakia plant), Holiferm (UK), REACH and Ecolabel

• Evonik Slovakia mega-plant: Evonik opened the world’s first commercial-scale rhamnolipid plant in May 2024 at its Evonik Fermas site in Slovenska Lupca, Slovakia, with double-digit-kilotonne annual capacity; the product (brand Rewocare M) ships to Unilever for its premium Quix dishwashing liquids, fully replacing hydrocarbon surfactants via Pseudomonas putida sugar fermentation.
• Holiferm continuous gravity fermentation (UK): The Manchester University spinout runs a commercial Wallasey plant at 1.65 kta, expanding to 3.5 kta and targeting 15 kta; its patented in-fermentation continuous gravity separation cuts OPEX by roughly 50%, making its biosurfactants price-competitive with petrochemical equivalents.
• EU regulation: REACH restricts ethoxylated surfactants such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) as endocrine disruptors, and the EU Ecolabel pushes household-care makers toward 100% biodegradable bio-based ingredients — a structural growth tailwind for European biosurfactants.

05Leading companies and research institutes

06Tech stack and innovations

Modern biosurfactant production centres on keeping foaming under control and separating the product without contaminating it.

1. In-situ gravity phase separators (Holiferm separation tech):
   • Acid-form sophorolipids (density around 1.10–1.12 g/cm³) sink as heavy droplets; patented gravity separators continuously drain this phase from the reactor cone without stopping agitation, returning cell biomass to the broth.
2. Cyclone foam breaking (Cyclone Foam Breakers):
   • Adding silicone antifoam contaminates the product and cuts surface activity, so modern plants use mechanical cyclones on the off-gas line: foam is spun by centrifugal force, collapses, and the surfactant-rich condensate drains back into the reactor.
3. Ceramic ultrafiltration membranes (Ceramic UF Membranes):
   • Multi-channel ceramic membranes (50–100 kDa cutoff) strip residual protein and cells from the glycolipid solution; ceramics survive harsh CIP cleaning with hot alkali and acid, keeping a stable flux without pore fouling by lipids.

07Value chains and production pipelines

Industrial pipeline of continuous sophorolipid production with gravity phase removal (ISO 14001)

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Substrate preparation  │ ───> │ 2. Aerobic fermentation  │
│    (glucose + rapeseed oil)│      │    yeast S. bombicola    │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                  │
                                                  ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Ceramic membrane UF    │ <─── │ 3. Bottom gravity draw-off│
│    purification           │      │    of crude lipid phase   │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
               │
               ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Vacuum evaporation &   │ ───> │ 6. Packing & HLB control │
│    pH stabilization       │      │    of merchant concentrate│
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Substrate and feedstock preparation

An aqueous medium is built with 100 g/L glucose as the hydrophilic carbon source, 5 g/L yeast extract and mineral salts (ammonium nitrogen, phosphates, magnesium); high-purity rapeseed or sunflower oil is the hydrophobic carbon source. The medium is sterilized in a continuous high-temperature-short-time (HTST) sterilizer at 135°C for 30 seconds and fed to the fermenter.

Stage 2: Aerobic fermentation

The 100 m³ AISI 316L stainless reactor is seeded at 10% volume with Starmerella bombicola from the seed reactor. The first 48 hours build biomass under heavy aeration (1.0 vvm, pH 5.0 by NaOH dosing). On day 3, once nitrogen is exhausted, cells enter the idiophase and rapeseed oil is fed fed-batch at 2–4 g/(L·h) to hold free fatty acids at 10–15 g/L; pH is dropped to 3.5 to suppress bacterial contamination and stimulate glycolipid synthesis.

Stage 3: Bottom gravity draw-off of sophorolipids (ISPR)

As sophorolipids lactonize they become poorly soluble in acidic water and settle as a heavy, viscous dark-brown lipid phase on the reactor floor. A gear pump continuously draws the bottom layer through the conical head into a gravity decanter; the light phase (aqueous medium with yeast cells and residual emulsified oil) returns to the fermenter top. Glycolipid concentration in the drawn heavy phase reaches 600 g/L.

Stage 4: Ceramic membrane ultrafiltration (emulsion break)

The crude sophorolipid concentrate is heated to 60°C to cut viscosity and passed through a tangential ceramic membrane skid (50 nm pores). Residual yeast cells, protein macromolecules and insoluble impurities are fully retained; the permeate is a clear amber sophorolipid solution.

Stage 5: Vacuum evaporation and composition tuning

The solution enters a falling-film vacuum evaporator. At 70°C and 150 mbar, excess water is stripped to hold dry substance (active biosurfactant) at a stable 65–70%. Where acid-form sophorolipids are required, a mild alkaline hydrolysis of the lactone bond is run by dosing concentrated NaOH to pH 9.0, then neutralizing with citric acid to pH 6.0–7.0.

Stage 6: Packing, QC and standardization

The finished product is standardized to active content and tested for surface tension (Du Nouy ring, target below 30 mN/m), CMC (20–50 mg/L), Gardner colour and viscosity, then packed in 1000 L sealed plastic IBCs or 200 L drums. It is labelled per REACH and shipped to eco-friendly home-care and cosmetics makers.