<h2id="section-1">Interview with <nobr>Dr. Christian</nobr> Schulze Gronover (Molecular Biologist)</h2>
<p>To get a professional, scientific opinion about our production strategy the relevance of biotechnological production of monoterpenoids, and terpenoids (isoprenoids) in general, we talked to Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover, group leader at the Fraunhofer IME Münster. His group has been working on the production of different isoprenoids, including natural rubber, for over 15 years, using the Russian dandelion as well as <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> as model organisms.</p>
<i><p>“Terpenoids, <i>e.g.</i>, isoprenoids, are one of the largest classes of substances in secondary metabolism, not only in plants but also in animals or algae and fungi.” (Schulze Gronover, 2022)</p></i>
<i><p>“Terpenoids, <i>e.g.</i>, isoprenoids, are one of the largest classes of substances in secondary metabolism, not only in plants but also in animals or algae and fungi.”</i> (Schulze Gronover, 2022)</p>
<p>Terpenoids can be used as ingredients in the fields of cosmetics, animal nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. Current production methods generate varying qualities of terpenoids. Additionally, extraction from wild plants is rather expensive and the quality and quantity of extracted terpenoids varies greatly due to the strong impact of environmental factors on synthesis. Furthermore, the number of people able to harvest these plants is declining. Moreover, extraction from cultivated plants, often yields end products with pesticide- or other contaminations. These uncertainties are especially problematic regarding the pharmaceutical application of terpenoids within Germany.</p>