Dr. Oliver Peoples Recognized for Invention of Mirel™Bioplastic
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Metabolix,
Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX) today announced that Metabolix Founder and Chief
Scientific Officer Dr. Oliver Peoples received the prestigious Invented
Here! Award, on behalf of the Company from the Museum of Science,
Boston for his invention of Mirel™, a family of bioplastic materials
that have physical properties comparable to petroleum-based resins, yet
are biobased and biodegradable in natural soil and water environments,
in home composting systems and in industrial composting facilities where
such facilities are available. The rate and extent of Mirel's
biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made
from it. However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel
is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills.
Invented Here! was developed by the Museum of Science in
collaboration with the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA) to honor New
England's newest and most innovative technologies. Through the program,
the Museum presents breakthrough technologies that shape the way people
interact with each other and with the world around them, fulfill
important individual and/or social needs in novel ways, and ensure a
more sustainable future for our environment.
"Metabolix and the other honorees stood out among a list of very strong
nominees, exhibiting true innovation and industry excellence in their
respective fields," said Ioannis Miaoulis, President and Director of the
Museum of Science and Founding Director of the National Center for
Technological Literacy (NCTL). "We were pleased at the level of Invented
Here! submissions, so to be named a winner of this prestigious award
is a testament to the quality and innovation unrivaled in the Boston
high tech community."
"Given the level of competition, we are honored to have been selected as
one of the three Invented Here! Award winners," said Dr. Oliver
Peoples, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research and
Development at Metabolix. "The development of sustainable, clean
solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy is not only the Company's
mission, but also my personal goal. I look forward to bringing future
Metabolix innovations to the commercial market."
Mirel high-performance bioplastic is an alternative to petroleum-based
plastics. Commercial grades of Mirel are available for injection
molding, thermoforming, sheet extrusion and film applications. Mirel
bioplastic is heat and moisture resistant, durable and can be processed
on existing equipment.
About the Museum of Science, Boston
The Museum takes a hands-on approach to science, engineering and
technology, attracting about 1.7 million visitors a year via its
programs and 700 interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was
first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. Highlights include the
Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni
Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 3-D Digital Cinema
and Butterfly Garden. Reaching 25,000 teens a year worldwide via the
Intel Computer Clubhouse®, the Museum also leads a multi-museum, $20
millionNational Science Foundation-funded nanotechnology education
initiative. The Museum's "Science Is an Activity" exhibit plan has been
awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. The
Museum is ranked #3 by Parents Magazine in its list of the country's
"Ten Best Science Centers." Visit http://www.mos.org.
About Mirel Bioplastics
Mirel is a family of bioplastic materials that have physical properties
comparable to petroleum-based resins, yet are biobased and biodegradable
in natural soil and water environments, in home composting systems and
in industrial composting facilities where such facilities are available.
The rate and extent of Mirel's biodegradability will depend on the size
and shape of the articles made from it. However, like nearly all
bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in
conventional landfills.
Commercial grades of Mirel are available for injection molding,
thermoforming, sheet extrusion and film applications. For more
information please visit www.mirelplastics.com.
About Metabolix
Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation-driven bioscience
company focused on providing sustainable solutions for the world's needs
for plastics, chemicals and energy. The Company is taking a systems
approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated
biotechnology with advanced industrial practice. Metabolix is now
developing and commercializing Mirel™, a family of high performance
bioplastics which are biobased and biodegradable alternatives to many
petroleum based plastics. Metabolix is also developing a proprietary
platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals and energy,
from crops such as switchgrass, oilseeds and sugarcane.
For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com.
(MBLX-G)
Media:
Schwartz Communications
Keith Giannini or Jen Barlow,
781-684-0770
metabolix@schwartzcomm.com
or
Investors:
ICR
James
Palczynski, 203-682-8229
james.palczynski@icrinc.com
Source: Metabolix, Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media
