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CULTIVATING OPTIMISED CROP LIPID NANOPARTICLES
Unilever and Nufarm join hands to investigate Nippon Shokubai acquires Lilac pharma

alternative raw materials in cleansing products Japanese chemicals firm, Nippon

Shokubai, has acquired all shares of
Global FMCG giant, Unilever, and crop will be optimised to produce the Lilac pharma Inc, a Japanese pharma &
Australian agrochemicals fi rm, Nufarm, plant-based oil, which if successfully cosmetics R&D company. Lilac pharma
have announced a partnership which grown at scale, will be used as an ingre- has become a 100% subsidiary of the
enables the technical development and dient in consumer goods products. company.
future commercialisation of a ‘crop of
the future’. The project aims to culti- As well as being more robust, the In cosmetics and pharmaceuticals,
vate crops with signifi cant biomass aim is for no parts of the crop to go to lipid nanoparticles like liposomes have
to produce sustainable oils. The oil waste. In addition to biomass oil, the been drawing increasing attention for its Fig. Conventional method (batch process) vs iLiNP micro fl ow device
will be a source of fatty acids – a core traditional sugar cane. The multi-million crop will also continue to produce sugar, ability to enhance stability and permea- easily. “Since the size can be controlled has established synthesis and analysis
base ingredient for Unilever’s laundry Euro investment from Unilever will use which could be used in other bio- bility of the contained active ingredients. widely, iLiNP is expected to be a tech- technologies for middle-molecular APIs,
detergents and beauty & personal care recent breakthroughs in biotechnology technology processes to generate spe- nology for manufacturing highly func- and is developing CDMO business for
products. to develop a new, commercially viable ciality ingredients such as fragrances, Lilac pharma, which is a Hokkaido tional lipid nanoparticles and is being oligonucleotides and peptides.
variety of energy cane that can also enzymes, and cleaning ingredients used University-initiated startup, is develop- provided for cosmetics and pharma-
Typically, plant oils like sunfl ower produce biomass oil. across Unilever’s portfolio. Other uses ing its business based on lipid nanopar- ceuticals,” the company said. Nippon Shokubai and Lilac pharma
and canola oil are produced in the seeds of the crop could include using the ticle manufacturing technology focus- have collaborated and developed lipo-
and fruits; the breakthrough of this The ultimate ambition of the part- remaining plant fi bre for paper and ing on the size of lipid nanoparticles. It In 2017, Nippon Shokubai estab- somes for cosmetics through joint research
technology is that the ‘biomass oil’ (an nership is to optimise and cultivate the board in packaging as well as for has developed the ‘iLiNP’ (innovative lished a cosmetics business division to since 2019. “By making Lilac pharma a
oil derived from plant material, includ- new crop, which when grown at scale, renewable energy production. Lipid Nanoparticles Production de- promote the development of cosmetic 100% subsidiary, Nippon Shokubai will
ing the leaves and stems) will be pro- could contribute to Unilever’s green- vice), a microfl uidic device suitable for ingredients utilising its products and accelerate the development effi ciency of
duced using the entire plant, in crops house gas (GHG) emission reduction Raw materials and ingredients manufacturing various kinds of lipid technologies, and to acquire ingredients liposomes and the establishment of a stable
like cane and sorghum. ambitions in ingredient sourcing, align- account for approximately 52% of (or polymer) nanoparticles continuously and formulation technologies through supply system and aim to further expand
ing with the ambition to reach net zero Unilever’s GHG emissions and represent from a lipid (or polymer) solution. business collaboration. Currently, Nippon its cosmetics and nanoparticle business for
Nufarm has previously developed emissions by 2039 across its value the largest emissions source. This part- Unlike conventional methods, this device Shokubai has a lineup of more than pharmaceuticals by utilising the expertise
and commercialised a variety of sug- chain. The goal of this technology for nership is one way in which Unilever can continuously produce high-quality 15 cosmetic ingredients. The company’s in various fi elds,” Nippon Shokubai said
ar cane called energy cane, a sustain- Unilever is to reduce its reliance on is utilising biotechnology to advance lipid nanoparticles of uniform size health & medical business division in a press note.
able crop which generates signifi cant- petrochemical-based ingredients, and it is sustainable sourcing of critical raw
ly more plant matter and sugar than expected to be the fi rst time a biomass materials. Mane opens new fragrance factory in Japan
GC, Honeywell join hands to advance carbon

French fragrances and fl avours
capture goals specialist, Mane, recently opened a
new fragrance factory in Saku City,
Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
PTT Global Chemical Public Company Honeywell UOP,
Limited (GC) has partnered with Honey said, “Honeywell The company said the greenfield
well, through a Memorandum of Under- enables the capture fragrance factory was built in less
standing (MoU) to study and develop and storage of up than a year. The design and ope-
advanced carbon capture and utilisation to 15-million tons rations of the factory emphasise the
technologies. This collaboration focuses of carbon dioxide company’s commitment to environ-
on exploring the feasibility of applying annually. Our mental stewardship with initiatives
Honeywell’s technology in Carbon Cap- collaboration with like implementing chimneys with
ture and Storage (CCS) processes at GC GC supports Thai- odour control systems to minimise
Group’s facilities, while leveraging Car- land’s carbon neu- environmental impact besides grow-
bon Capture Utilisation (CCU) to support trality ambitions ing an herb garden at the site. “The times the size of the previous fac- capacity to meet growing demands,”
the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse Ms. Tsui Tsui Young, Regional and lays the groundwork for future facility expands the site area to 25 tory, while doubling the production Mane said.
gas emissions by 2050. General Manager (Asia-Pacific) at regional projects.”

154 Chemical Weekly January 14, 2025 Chemical Weekly January 14, 2025 155

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