Lube-Tech PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
However, in 2021, the bio-based alternative made a relatively small share of $2.1 billion which pales in comparison to the overall market–approximately 2% of its entirety despite growing environmental pressures and regulation mandates [2]. The substantial difference in revenue is not because of a lack of interest, but from a gap in performance: the natural evolution of plant oils was optimised for energy storage in seeds, not for reducing friction in machinery. For many years, researchers have been trying to solve this problem by means of chemical modifications and additive packages. However, this approach is more of a ‘band-aid’ than a permanent solution, which is related to molecular structure.
Conventional plant oils face an inherent problem in their structure. The unsaturated fatty acids that keep oils liquid at low temperatures are due to structural features that make them weak to oxidative degradation at elevated temperatures. Saturated fatty acids, on the other hand, resist oxidation and are generally stable but tend to crystallise at room temperature, subsequently not being viable for most applications [3]. Traditional approaches including hydrogenation, transesterification, epoxidation, and synthetic additives can significantly increase manufacturing costs while possibly compromising biodegradability–the primary advantage of bio-based lubricants.
A new approach applies a nature-based, genomics to tribology method to offer a more efficient and effective solution. Genetic engineering can alter the molecular composition of seed oils before biosynthesis in the plant [5]. This framework starts with the tribological requirements of determining the specific molecular structures known to reduce friction wear, and oxidative degradation, or influence lubricant properties. Then, the process traces back to the genes regulating fatty acids and lipid pathways [5]. Through the modification of elongation pathways, plants can accumulate long chain fatty acids (C20-C22) that
32 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.191 FEBRUARY 2026
No.162 page 2
form more durable, lubricative coatings and boost oxidation stability [6, 7]. Additionally, engineering biosynthetic routes toward branched lipids such as estolides or wax esters can directly create molecules that resist oxidation and crystallisation, overcoming key limitations of seed oils [5, 7, 8]. Ultimately, the theoretical outcome is a superior bio-lubricant that is capable of industrial performance, compared to a retrofitted energy-storage molecule.
The concept of genomics to tribology The framework of the genomics to tribology approach, termed as “nature-guided synthesis” by Romsdahl et al. (2019), represents an ideological shift from post-oil extraction manipulation to a more direct path of altering molecular design [5]. Traditional bio-lubricant development follows a linear path: cultivate oilseed crops, extract oils, analyse their properties, then attempt to address deficiencies through chemical modifications or additives. Moreover, this process is inherently flawed due to the plant composition itself–whatever fatty acid composition the plant naturally possesses. The application of genomics inverts this sequence.
Researchers initially identify the molecular structures that tribological testing shows will contribute to the reduction of friction and wear, then engineers biosynthesise those structures during seed development [5, 6]. Instead of retrofitting oils with expensive and inefficient post-harvest practices, this method aims to optimise lubricant molecules at the genetic level to leverage the plant’s own biosynthetic properties to assemble complex lipid structures [5]. For instance, in the case of Orychophragmus violaceus seed oil, researchers discovered the naturally occurring presence of TAG (triacylglycerol) with great tribological properties; this suggests the oil naturally builds toward overcoming lubrication challenges through its molecular architectures [5]. Moreover, these natural structures serve as templates for synthetic chemistry and genetic engineering approaches. This directly
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