|
Steen Riisgaard, President and CEO of Novozymes will discuss the amazing power of industrial biotechnology to create more environmentally sustainable processes and move us away from a petroleum-based economy to a bio-based economy. In addition, Steen will discuss how products in our everyday lives, from detergents to bread, are made with novel industrial biotechnology processes or processing aids.
Leendert Staal, President of DSM Pharmaceuticals will highlight how industrial biotechnology enables the development cleaner manufacturing processes such as those to make vitamins and antibiotics. He will also discuss how industrial biotech processes help create unique ingredients and food processing aids with special performance characteristics for human and animal foods and food additives.
Brian Foody, President and CEO of Iogen will speak about the application of industrial biotechnology to make ethanol motor fuel from cellulose in plant matter. Iogen is the only company in the world to have a pilot plant up and running that is making ethanol motor fuels from wheat straw instead of grain. Iogen uses cellulase enzymes to convert the cellulose in straw to sugars that can then be fermented into ethanol. The ability to make ethanol form cellulose is bringing about a revolution in the motor fuel world and could help end our addiction to oil.
Jim Barber, CEO of Metabolix, will showcase the company's advanced industrial biotechnology platform developed initially at MIT and centered on microbes that actually make plastic inside the bacterial cell. These biopolymers, or PHAs, are can be commercially produced to make a host of biodegradable natural plastics products. Jim will also discuss the commercialization plans and partners for this new class of biopolymers.
Dennis McGrew, President and CEO of NatureWorks will discuss the use of industrial biotechnology and the commercial production of biopolymers and plastics from corn sugar. NatureWorks opened its PLA biorefinery in 2002 and is a leading producer of compostable biopolymers. These corn based plastics have a wide range of applications from packaging materials and containers to ready to wear and high fashion clothing.
Brent Erickson, BIO's executive vice president of the Industrial and Environmental Section will moderate the panel.
Susan M. Cischke, vice president, Environmental and Safety Engineering for Ford Motor Company, will also discuss Ford’s Flexible Fuel Vehicle and E85 efforts. As Ford’s top environmental and safety officer, Cischke is responsible for assuring that Ford Motor Company products meet or exceed all safety and environmental regulations worldwide.
| 
Printer Friendly