ASTM International Forms Committee on Industrial Biotechnology

ASTM International has formed Committee E62, a new technical committee to focus on standards for industrial biotechnology, including pharmaceutical and medical applications. The committee was approved by the ASTM board of directors in June 2014.

Planning for Committee E62 began after a series of meetings between ASTM and the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates in early 2013. Through its subcommittees, E62 will develop test methods, practices, and terminology standards focusing on many aspects of industrial biotechnology. Potential topics for E62 standards include, but are not limited to, feedstock biomass, determination of green content, life-cycle analysis, and drop-in chemical specifications.

According to ATSM International, the benefits of industrial biotechnology include more efficient, less environmentally harmful products. Three specific areas are currently the central focus of industrial biotechnology efforts: medical and pharmaceutical applications, industrial uses, and agricultural applications.

In addition, because biotechnology has spread into so many different realms, E62 will coordinate its activities with several ASTM committees, including: E55 on Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products; E56 on Nanotechnology; and F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices.

Source: ASTM International