Industrial biotechnology-a chance at redemption.

The author suggests that industrial biotechnology could boost biotech fortunes and help heal the planet. But there's a giant gulf between here and there. Not so long ago, interest in things such as biodegradable plastics and enzyme efficiency was scant and industrial expertise limited primarily to chemical companies, which is why the scope of innovation was narrow and the time frame long. However, although governments and a small collection of large companies around the world are waking up to the technology, on the whole, industry and investors have still not made the leap necessary to build the kind of momentum needed to upgrade the industrial complex.