Metabolix Debt: $158 Million

Yesterday's prospectus from Metabolix puts it very plainly.
 

Our future profitability is uncertain, and we have a limited operating history on which you can base your evaluation of our business.

We have had net operating losses since being founded in 1992. At September 30, 2009, our accumulated deficit was approximately $158 million. Since 1992, we have been engaged solely in research and development and other pre-commercial and early-stage commercial activities. As a part of our strategic alliance, ADM Polymer is constructing the commercial scale Commercial Manufacturing Facility for Mirel.We expect that initial fermentations will be conducted in December 2009, with recovery operations to immediately follow, and we expect that it will require an additional period of time to ramp up production. Until such time, Telles will not have significant revenues from sales of Mirel. No Telles profits will be distributed to us until ADM's cost of constructing the Commercial Manufacturing Facility and any negative net cash flow of Telles funded by ADM have been returned to ADM. Because we have a limited history of commercial operations and we operate in a rapidly evolving industry, we cannot be certain that we will generate sufficient revenue to operate our business and become profitable.

Others following in their footsteps should look upon their example as a cautionary one.  This is not a get-rich-quick industry.