By Environmental News Network staff

Biotechnology isn't just about curing disease. In the worldwide textile processing industry, Genencor enzymes produce the stonewashed look in denim fabrics.

We may miss the boat if the federal government doesn't start investing in ocean research, biotechnology expert W. Thomas Mitchell told the National Oceans Conference last week in Monterey, Calif.

Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of Genencor International Inc., said a single spoonful of sand from the ocean bottom could provide clues to improving a number of industrial processes and reducing pollution.

"But just as industry alone cannot afford to explore space, it cannot explore the deep sea," he said. "We need to work in cooperation with government and universities to reach these inaccessible places."

Micro-organisms found in ocean samples, like all living things, produce enzymes, and according to Mitchell, these may have industrial utility.

Mitchell went on to say that the biotechnology industry is concerned with more than the treatment of disease. Industrial applications of modern biotechnology apply to everyday activities like the weekly laundry, processing blue jeans, producing high fructose corn syrup for soft drinks and fuel ethanol for vehicles.

In the worldwide textile processing industry, Genencor enzymes produce the stonewashed look in denim fabrics, remove starch from woven fabrics, remove bleach products, de-gum silk, speed up processing times, save on chemical and energy costs and reduce environmental impact.

"As mundane as (these applications) are, when biotechnology is used for industrial activities, energy is saved, renewable resources replace fossil fuel feedstocks and pollution is prevented or reduced.

"Micro-organisms that thrive in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and other extreme conditions," Mitchell said, "can lead to enzymes that operate in comparable industrial environments, amid challenging temperatures, pressure and acidity.

The National Ocean Conference was a two-day event organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Navy that was attended by President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, representatives from state and local governments, environmentalists, scientists and other stakeholders.