Regional Efforts To Develop Biorefineries Spotlighted At World Congress On Industrial Biotechnology

Washington, DC - The 2007 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing will host companies from across the United States on the leading edge of commercializing alternative fuels, chemicals, and biobased products from cellulosic biomass. The Congress's sessions will feature some of the companies that recently received grants from the Department of Energy to build commercial biorefineries. The fourth annual World Congress runs March 21-24 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization's Industrial & Environmental Section, said, "The World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing comes at a very exciting time, as the commercialization of ethanol from cellulose is becoming a reality. The Department of Energy's recently announced cost-sharing grants demonstrate that ethanol facilities can be built throughout the United States, utilizing locally available cellulosic biomass feedstocks. The companies at the forefront of developing industrial biotechnology – the key enabling technology that makes modern biorefineries run – will attend the World Congress to explore the next steps in bringing these applications to the marketplace. This conference represents a real opportunity not only for the media but also for investors seeking to learn about the latest technological developments in producing ethanol from cellulose."

The Congress will feature keynote presentations by Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures and Jens Riese of McKinsey & Co. on investment and market opportunities in biofuels and biobased products, at the opening lunch plenary on Thursday, March 22. Additionally, the Congress's breakfast plenary on Saturday, March 24, will feature Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin, Oklahoma Energy Secretary David Fleischaker, and Kansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Adrian Polansky discussing "How Forward-Looking States Are Growing Biobased Economies: Infrastructure to Value Chain Development."

During three days of panel discussions at the World Congress, companies and universities from across the United States will discuss strategies to develop alternative fuels, chemicals, and biobased products from local biomass feedstocks. Panel sessions include:

For more program information about the World Congress, visit http://www.bio.org/worldcongress/programs/. The World Congress is hosted by BIO, the American Chemical Society, the National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, the European Federation of Biotechnology, BIOTECanada and EuropaBIO.

SOURCE: BIO