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IMAGE: INRS Professor Charles Gauthier, specialist in chemistry of carbohydrates and natural products, who led the research. view more
Credit: Christian Fleury
An international research team led by Professor Charles Gauthier from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has discovered a new molecule with potential to revolutionize the biosurfactant market. The team s findings have been published in
Surfactants are synthesized from petroleum and are the main active ingredient in most soaps, detergents, and shampoos. Biosurfactants, produced by bacteria, are safer and can replace synthetic surfactants.
Rhamnolipid molecules are some of the safest surfactants known and are particularly attractive, thanks to their biodegradability, minimal toxicity, and amenability to be produced from industrial waste. But there s a problem. They are made using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogenic bacterium harmful to humans.