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| DuPont scientists Mark Scialdone, Dave Hallahan and Yamy Gonzalez. |
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| A cat sleeps in a bed of Nepeta cataria. |
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| Refined Oil of Nepeta cataria, or catmint, is a new, natural ingredient that repels a broad range of biting insects with effectiveness similar to synthetic ingredients such as DEET. |
DuPont News recently
ran an article on a natural insect repellent ready for commercial license. The new ingredient -- refined oil of Nepeta cataria, better known as catnip -- has created a lot of excitement in the personal care industry for this potential new consumer bug spray. In fact, it has been
featured in Fast Company and other major media outlets.
But what’s the story behind this market-driven science? The road this discovery took to commercialization began with Dave Hallahan, a plant biologist who came to DuPont in 1998, after spending much of his career identifying new insect control agents from plants. Dave soon became familiar with catmint oil as a convenient source of chemicals used by insects in their communication, as well as by plants in their defense.
Dave began his DuPont research on the “Plants as Plants” project, a research program that tested the ability of agricultural plants to make value-added end products in commercial volumes. In 2001, he began research to determine if oil from the catmint plant could work. The biology was relatively simple – catmint plants produce oil that sits on the surface of its leaves and is easy to extract. Modifying the oil to stabilize it not only enhanced its fragrance and safety, but also preserved its effectiveness as an insect repellent.
The development of the modification process became central to Dave’s work, and he began to work with organic chemists Mark Scialdone and John Feaster. After being formalized as an APEX research project, chemical engineers Scott Jackson and Yamaira “Yamy” Gonzalez were added to the team. Together with colleagues in Central Research & Development, DuPont Kingston, DuPont India, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Crop Protection and DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise, the team worked for three years to develop a product that now is being reviewed with interest by major personal care companies.
To produce commercial volumes of catmint oil will require about 1,000 to 5,000 new acres of the plant to be grown and harvested. Dave and the team worked with mint growers throughout the world and helped develop a business agreement with a well-known mint oil producer to plant a pilot crop in Punjab, India. The pilot work determined there still is more work to be done, however, continued interest from personal care companies has made it a prime opportunity for technology licensing.
The current market for products that protect against disease-carrying pests in a variety of markets including healthcare, personal care and veterinary practices is about $800 million. With recent outbreaks of illnesses such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease in the United States, the demand for insect control products, as well as more sustainable natural repellents, is expected to increase.
For now, DuPont has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the new catnip-based ingredient. It is the first new insect repellent biopesticide to be registered by the EPA in eight years. DuPont also has received registration from the EPA for two additional liquid formulations of the new ingredient. These end use products are under review with the Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PRMA), as well.
So what’s next for these DuPont scientists? Since there are always new innovations being delivered by DuPont, they’ve kept themselves busy. Dave is working as part of the BioSurfaces research program for the DuPont Applied BioSciences business as well as with Crop Protection on a new insecticide opportunity. Mark is working on an ionic liquids project and Yamy is working for DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol.
For more information about Refined Oil of Nepeta cataria, click here.
