DuPont has experienced difficulty in making some monomers from petroleum using the traditional methods in chemistry and biochemistry, which has forced them to search for plant sources. DuPont is working on a project that uses the bacterium E. coli to produce the monomer for a type of plastic that is used in applications like carpet fibers. However, plants are more attractive chemical factories than microbes because they may be cheaper. Plants are cheaper chemical factories to maintain and run, than microbes, owing to the free and ready availability of plant nutrients. Microbes, on the other hand, need heavy investment and more pampering in the form of maintaining optimal conditions of temperature and pressure and feeding it with just the right nutrients.
Huge spaces have to be allocated just for the upkeep of the microbes.
DuPont expects to be shortly switching over to the gene method of manufacturing new plastics. Even though plants are more preferred, the problem is getting enough plants to make these substances. This method will be appreciated only if it is economically viable. In comparison, even though there is a limited supply of petroleum, it has proved to be a less expensive source of plastic. Clint Chapple, a biochemistry professor at Purdue University and Knut Meyer of DuPont and Co., have together cloned the gene capable of producing plastics in crops.