http://www.synbioproject.tech/cpi/applications/bio-dispersants/
Modular has shown that a particular bacterium converts soybean hulls into a bio-dispersant that can potentially be used to replace the toxic chemical dispersants that were used previously in the Gulf. Source
Modular and ISU intend to scale-up this process at ISU’s BioCentury Research Farm near Boone, Iowa. This natural fermentation process is analogous to the well-known process of yeast fermentation used to make beer. However, rather than converting sugar into beer, Modular’s bacterium converts soybean hulls into a bio-dispersant. According to Professor Somasundaran, a dispersant expert from Columbia University, “use of bio-dispersants should stimulate the rate of natural microbial breakdown of the oil.” This approach is currently being tested in the laboratory. If the results are positive, the next step will be controlled field trials, followed by larger-scale testing. Source