Birch Biosciences
ActiveWe recycle plastic using engineered enzymes
About
Birch Biosciences engineers enzymes for plastic recycling using synthetic biology and machine learning. Our enzymes function as high performance “molecular scissors” that efficiently break down plastic polymers into chemical building blocks that can be used to manufacture high quality recycled plastic products. Today, plastic manufacturing is unsustainable and a major driver of climate change. Birch Biosciences is developing an economical end-to-end plastic recycling process that reduces carbon emissions by 70% and enables a circular plastic economy.
Founders · 1
Johan is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Birch Biosciences. He has spent the last 15 years programming bacteria and genetic circuits to produce novel therapeutic proteins and other natural products at leading companies including Absci and Ginkgo Bioworks. Johan is especially interested in solving major sustainability problems using biotechnology. He holds a PhD from Cornell University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Launch
We recycle plastic using engineered enzymes
Birch Biosciences engineers enzyme-mediated recycling to break down PET and polyurethane plastics at low temperatures, enabling monomer recovery for high-quality recycled plastics that can compete with or replace virgin material. They claim this approach reduces emissions by over 70% and supports a circular economy, with current focus and partnerships announced as part of YC launch.
From the original launch (Jul 2022) — may be outdated.
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