The name of the subsidiary is Tsubame BHB, and a co-investor is Universal Materials Incubator Co. Ajinomoto requires an inexpensive and stable supply of auxiliary materials used in fermentation processes, such as ammonia. The new process is based on a development at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Professor Hideo HOSONO) who found that nano-sized ruthenium particles on the surface of C12A7 electride (a compound composed of lime and alumina, 12CaO · 7Al2O3) is able to break both nitrogen bonds and hydrogen bonds at room temperature, forming liquid ammonia without impairing the activity of ruthenium. Tsubame BHB plans to introduce this technology to domestic and foreign fermentation plants of Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. around 2021 and, in cooperation with various partner companies in addition to Ajinomoto Co., Ltd., expand applications to agricultural fertilizers, food, pharmaceuticals and chemical products.

JST news release, April 25, 2017