Twenty-Second Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals

lysts using enzyme, microbial, and plantbiochemistriesand genetic engi- neeringand "ProcessingResearch" describedtheconversionofplantcom- ponentsviaintegrationofmicrobiology,biochemistry,andchemistrywith engineering, separations, and hybrid systems. The "Enzymatic Processes and Enzyme Production" session focused on the manufacture and use of enzymes. The"IndustrialChemicals"sessionemphasizedrecentdevelop- mentsintheintegratedproductionandscale-upofchemicalsfrombiologi- cal rather than petrochemical routes. Special interest was on separation methods and their integrationintonew fermentation orhybrid processes. 35 oral presentations, a roundtable The technical program consisted of forum, two special topic discussions, and a poster session of 135 posters. Wecontinuedasuccessfulinformalroundtableserieswith"Bioenergy and Bioproducts: Forum on Recent Government Initiatives," which dis- cussedthePresident'sExecutiveOrder, the BioenergyInitiative, the Tech- nology Roadmap for Renewables Vision 2020, and other thrusts. These eventscontinuethe strongindustrial focus and activeindustrialparticipa- tionintheorganizingcommittee.Thishasbecomeverypopularbecauseit allows industrialand government participants to speakmore openly. AspecialTopicsDiscussionGroupwasheldon"C0 Sequestration," 2 ledby James W. Lee. Another onwas held on "Commercializationof Bio- mass-to-Ethanol" where chairs Jack N. Saddler and David J. Gregg made thegoal ofthisworkshop to showparticipantsthatweare close to demon- stratingthe technicalviability ofanintegratedbiomass-to-ethanolprocess and that progressive technical advances and policy decisions will likely greatly enhance the economic attractiveness of the process.