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BIO Opens Nominations for George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotechnology

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The eighth annual&nbsp;George Washington Carver Award&nbsp;will recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to building the biobased economy by applying industrial biotechnology to create sustainable and environmentally friendlier products.&nbsp; BIO will begin accepting nominations for the Award today, February 12, 2015.&nbsp; The 2015 George Washington Carver Award will be presented at the <a href="http://www.bio.org/events/conferences/world-congress">2015 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology</a> to be held July 19-22, 2015 at the Palais des congr&egrave;s de Montr&eacute;al in Montr&eacute;al, Canada. &nbsp;</p>

Washington, D.C. (February 12, 2015) – The eighth annual George Washington Carver Award will recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to building the biobased economy by applying industrial biotechnology to create sustainable and environmentally friendlier products.  BIO will begin accepting nominations for the Award today, February 12, 2015.  The 2015 George Washington Carver Award will be presented at the 2015 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology to be held July 19-22, 2015 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Canada. 

“George Washington Carver is an important figure in African American history and in creating sustainable practices and new economic opportunities for farmers,” stated Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental at BIO.  “Our annual award honors George Washington Carver as one of the founding fathers of modern industrial biotechnology. His efforts during the first half of the 20th century to develop new commercial products from agriculture and new sources of income for farmers have inspired modern industrial biotechnology companies to develop more sustainable, biobased products.”

Born into slavery, George Washington Carver’s thirst for knowledge was a driving force in his quest to achieve a better life not only for himself but for all African Americans. A botanist and inventor, Carver's research and promotion of alternative crops, such as peanuts, showed poor farmers how to source their own food and improve their quality of life. He also developed and promoted about 100 products made from peanuts and other crops that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. 

This award will serve as a lasting memorial to the original vision of George Washington Carver who, over a century ago, pioneered the creation and commercialization of sustainable biobased products and materials and energy derived from renewable agricultural feedstock.

More information about the nomination process is available at https://www.bio.org/events/conferences/nominate-leader-industrial-biotechnology.  The deadline for nominations is February 26, 2015. Nominees must be living individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of industrial biotechnology, including applications in biological engineering, environmental science, biorefining and biobased products.

The George Washington Carver Award is sponsored by the Iowa Biotech Association. 

All programs at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology are open to attendance by members of the media. Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.

For more information on the conference, please visit www.bio.org/worldcongress.  For assistance, please contact worldcongress@bio.org.