Japan 's Yokohama Rubber said it has developed the world 's first technology to efficiently produce isoprene from biomass . Isoprene is a raw material for the production of synthetic rubber ( polyisoprene rubber ) used in tyres and other products . The result of a joint research venture between Yokohama Rubber , the RIKEN Research Institute , and Zeon Corporation , the new technology , which uses sugar - based biomass as feedstock for the initial production stage , enables synthesised isoprene to be made more efficiently . In-cell (in vivo) synthesis of isoprene Polyisoprene rubber polymerized using the new technology Industrial isoprene is currently mainly produced from naphtha .
Japan 's Yokohama Rubber said it has developed the world 's first technology to efficiently produce isoprene from biomass . Isoprene is a raw material for the production of synthetic rubber ( polyisoprene rubber ) used in tyres and other products . The result of a joint research venture between Yokohama Rubber , the RIKEN Research Institute , and Zeon Corporation , the new technology , which uses sugar - based biomass as feedstock for the initial production stage , enables synthesised isoprene to be made more efficiently . Industrial isoprene is currently mainly produced from naphtha .