Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Program Emphasizes Second-Generation and Sustainable Biofuels

• Contact: Contact Tracy Krughoff
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 6, 2007) – Cutting-edge development of second-generation biofuels and the Pacific Rim’s leadership in developing sustainable biofuels and reducing greenhouse gases will be the focus of plenary sessions and program tracks during the upcoming Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy, announced the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today. The meeting is hosted by BIO, the State of Hawaii and the American Chemical Society. The second annual summit will be held Nov. 14-16 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“The robust program and plenary sessions offer attendees a preview of the future in industrial biotechnology and bioenergy and how best to stay ahead of the trends expected to shape the industry,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Industrial & Environmental Section at BIO.

Plenary sessions include:

• Industrial Biotechnology Today:  Where are We and Where are We Heading? – Ganesh M. Kishore, managing director, Burrill & Company and CEO of Malaysia Life Sciences Capital Fund
• Developments in Next Generation Biofuels – Pat Gruber, CEO, Gevo, Incorporated
• Status of Biofuels Development in the Pacific Rim – Jiayang Li, vice president, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Andy Karsner, assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
• Optimizing Value Chains with Industrial Biotechnology – Volkert Claassen, vice president, White Biotechnology, DSM and G.S. Krishnan, managing director, Novozymes South Asia Pvt Ltd
• Sustainable Biofuels:  Today and Tomorrow – Neal Gutterson, president and CEO, Mendel Biotechnology, Richard E. (Rick) Zalesky, vice president, Biofuels & Hydrogen Business Unit, Chevron Technology Ventures, LLC, and E. Alan Kennet, president and CEO, Gay & Robinson
• The Next Wave in Innovation:  Harnessing Synthetic Genomics – Aristides Patrinos, president, Synthetic Genomics, and James Newcomb, managing director, Bio Economic Research Associates

Program tracks include:

• Bioenergy Production: Ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, microbial fuel cells, dedicated energy crops, energy from algae
• Marine Biotechnology & Bioprospecting: Drugs from the sea, other products from marine organisms, issues and developments in bioprospecting
• Fine Chemicals, Food Ingredients & Novel Applications: Pharmaceuticals production, food ingredients, fragrances, nano-biotechnology, national defense applications
• Biobased Products, Bioplastics & Renewable Chemical Platforms: Biopolymers, renewable chemicals from agricultural feedstocks, and specialty crops

Each track will feature six 90-minute sessions with leading representatives from industry, government, academia, and the NGO community who will present the latest developments in business, technology and policy that will shape the future of industrial biotechnology and bioenergy throughout the Pacific Rim.

For more information and to register, please visit http://www.bio.org/pacrim/. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the media.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO InvestorForum 2007
Oct. 9-11, 2007
San Francisco, Calif.

BIO-Europe 2007 International Partnering Conference
Nov. 12-14, 2007
Hamburg, Germany

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing

April 27-30, 2008

Chicago, Ill.

BIO International Convention
June 17-20, 2008
San Diego, Calif.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.  BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the global event for biotechnology.

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