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Famously recognised as the ‘Royal Tree’, Indian Sandalwood has been an intrinsic part of India's history, heritage and economy for decades.

Sandalwood’s rich, enchanting aroma and numerous medicinal properties make it a highly sought-after natural resource in the global cosmetics and fragrance industries.

The current global market size is USD 265.8 million and is expected to reach USD 657.551 million by 2031.

 

We are losing this precious treasure all because of its misuse and over-exploitation.

In the 1950s, India had 900,000 hectares of forest cover. Now, it has fallen to just 20,000 hectares! Indian sandalwood is now a threatened species.

The cosy, feel-good trend of consumers for organic ingredients has a dark side: natural doesn’t always mean sustainable!

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The consumer-centric nature, overuse of natural resources, and unsustainable methods of production employed by the cosmetic industry are the leading causes of the loss of sandalwood trees.

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Another grave issue our nation and the entire world face is plastic pollution. Plastic waste has spread everywhere and continues to heap up at an alarming rate.

353300000 Tonnes

Global Plastic waste generation annually is 353.3 million tonnes
But only 15% of plastic waste is recycled annually.

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This pollution is no less than a pandemic. Despite knowing its non-biodegradable nature and the environmental risks it poses, eliminating plastic remains challenging.

This is where PETal offers you a unique and sustainable synbio solution!
PETal stands for Polyethelene Terephthalate (PET) + Sandalwood oil.
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Using engineered Pseudomonas putida that can metabolise the monomers of PET i.e terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG), We aim to synthesise santalene and santalol, the major components of sandalwood oil.
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By creating a value-added product from PET plastic waste, PETal has the potential to reshape waste management strategies, promote biodiversity conservation, and simultaneously meet the global demands for sandalwood oil.
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