James D. McMillan - Böcker

In Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Thirty-First Symposium, leading researchers from academia, industry, and government offer surveys and reviews of their cutting-edge research and latest applications in the production of fuels and chemicals through biotechnology. The book's focus is on how best to improve and optimize these technologies and their economics to produce the fuels and chemicals so vital to many industrial sectors.

With the Twenty-Third Symposium, we sustained the tradition of providing an informal, congenial atmosphere that our participants find conducive to pursuing technical discussion of program topics. The techni­ cal program consisted of six sessions with 38 oral presentations, a roundtable forum, two special topic discussions and a poster session con­ sisting of 230 posters. A special luncheon talk on "Natural Capitalism" by Karl Rabago of the Rocky Mountain Institute was particularly enlightening. More infor­ mation on these provocative approaches to resources and societal needs can be found at their website, www.rmi.org. While plant biotechnology and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for enzyme production and designer biomass emerged as exciting areas throughout the Symposium, the frank exchange in the special topic sessions indicated the importance of thinking beyond the purely technical details in this important research area. The preface for each session is included in the introductions. Session Chairpersons and Co-Chairpersons Session 1: Advances in Biomass Production and Processing Chair: Sharon Shoemaker, University of California, Davis, CA Co-Chair: David Boron, US Department of Energy, Washington DC Session 2: Enzyme and Microbial Biocatalysts Chair: Elba Bon, Chemistry Institute, UFRI, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Co-Chair: Steve Picataggio, Dupont Central, Wilmington, DE Session 3: Bioprocess Research and Development Chair: Guido Zacchi, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden Co-Chair: Mark Holtzapple, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX Session 4: Oil and Ethanol: An Excellent Mix? Chair: Carol Tombari, Mountain Energy Consultation LLC, Conifer, CO Session 5: Emerging Biorefinery Opportunities

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.

industry, and 22% were from government. A total of oral presentations (including Special Topic presentations) and 329 poster presentations were delivered. The high number of poster submissions required splitting the poster session into two evening sessions. (Conference details are posted at http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/biotech_symposium/.) Almost 35% of the attendees were international, showing the strong and building worldwide interest in this area. Nations represented included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Ki- dom, and Venezuela, as well as the United States. One of the focus areas for bioconversion of renewable resources into fuels is conversion of lignocellulose into sugars and the conversion of s- ars into fuels and other products. This focus is continuing to expand toward the more encompassing concept of the integrated multiproduct biorefinery--where the production of multiple fuel, chemical, and energy products occurs at one site using a combination of biochemical and ther- chemical conversion technologies. The biorefinery concept continues to grow as a unifying framework and vision, and the biorefinery theme f- tured prominently in many talks and presentations. However, another emerging theme was the importance of examining and optimizing the entire biorefining process rather than just its bioconversion-related elements.

In Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Twenty-Eighth Symposium, leading US and international researchers from academia, industry, and government exchange cutting-edge technical information and update current trends in the development and application of biotechnology for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals.

In Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Thirty-First Symposium, leading researchers from academia, industry, and government offer surveys and reviews of their cutting-edge research and latest applications in the production of fuels and chemicals through biotechnology.

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.

In The Twenty-Third Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, leading US and international researchers from academia, industry, and government present state-of-the-art research on how biotechnology is being used to produce economically competitive fuels and chemicals. The articles range from a discussion of advances in biomass production and processing, to commercialization of bio-based products. Additional topics include enzyme and microbial biocatalysts, bioprocessing research and development, the pros and cons of mixing oil and ethanol, and emerging biorefinery opportunities. The field continues to expand, and the ideas and techniques described will play important roles in developing new biological processes for producing fuels and chemicals on a large scale, and for reducing pollution and waste disposal problems, and their adverse impacts on global climate change. Cutting-edge and authoritative, The Twenty-Third Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals provides an excellent overview of current research and development in the production of commodity fuels and chemicals via biological transformation.

industry, and 22% were from government. A total of oral presentations (including Special Topic presentations) and 329 poster presentations were delivered. The high number of poster submissions required splitting the poster session into two evening sessions. (Conference details are posted at http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/biotech_symposium/.) Almost 35% of the attendees were international, showing the strong and building worldwide interest in this area. Nations represented included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Ki- dom, and Venezuela, as well as the United States. One of the focus areas for bioconversion of renewable resources into fuels is conversion of lignocellulose into sugars and the conversion of s- ars into fuels and other products. This focus is continuing to expand toward the more encompassing concept of the integrated multiproduct biorefinery--where the production of multiple fuel, chemical, and energy products occurs at one site using a combination of biochemical and ther- chemical conversion technologies. The biorefinery concept continues to grow as a unifying framework and vision, and the biorefinery theme f- tured prominently in many talks and presentations. However, another emerging theme was the importance of examining and optimizing the entire biorefining process rather than just its bioconversion-related elements.

In Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Twenty-Eighth Symposium, leading US and international researchers from academia, industry, and government exchange cutting-edge technical information and update current trends in the development and application of biotechnology for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. This symposium emphasizes advances in biotechnology to produce high-volume, low-price products from renewable resources, while improving the environment. The major areas of interest include advanced feedstock production and processing, enzymatic and microbial biocatalysis, bioprocess research and development, opportunities in biorefineries, and commercialization of biobased products. International and domestic progress on producing liquid biofuels, especially ethanol and biodiesel, is highlighted, and related topics, including bioseparations and optimal integration of biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies, are featured.Forward-looking and authoritative, Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Twenty-Eighth Symposium provides an illuminating overview of current research and development in the production of commodity fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass resources via biochemical and thermochemical routes.

In Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals: The Twenty-Ninth Symposium, leading US and international researchers from academia, industry, and government exchange cutting-edge technical information and update current trends in the development and application of biotechnology for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals.