In 2007, John Sheehan accepted a position as VP of Strategy and Sustainable Development at LiveFuels Inc, a company developing algae-to-fuels technology. From 1991 to 2007, he worked at the U.S. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he led research on biofuels, including landmark life cycle studies on the sustainability of biodiesel made from soybeans and ethanol made from corn stover. Prior to NREL, John worked as a biochemical engineer at W.R. Grace & Co and Merck Pharmaceutical. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in biochemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and Lehigh University.