Author Archive: Jim Lane

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Improving Algal Strains with Genomics: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Genetic and Synthetic Biology Tools for Algae Productivity

Improving Algal Strains with Genomics: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Genetic and Synthetic Biology Tools for Algae Productivity

February 27, 2020 |

Wild type algal strains don’t have the productivity and robust growth characteristics needed to push algae forward as a biofuel feedstock, but researchers are working on changing that. Stephen Mayfield from the University of California San Diego, shared the latest research developments at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) 2019 Project Peer […]

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No such thing as a drop-in – how Circa developed a novel bio-based solvent

No such thing as a drop-in – how Circa developed a novel bio-based solvent

February 26, 2020 |

By Tony Duncan, CEO and co-founder of Circa Group Special to The Digest Bringing a new product with a unique manufacturing process to market comes with its challenges – it’s not the classic business strategy proposed by most MBA courses! However, as a company founder who had belief in the process, we know it can […]

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Beans grown with urine and Martian soil, new cosmetic ingredient produced by fermentation, plant-based superglue, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of February 27th

Beans grown with urine and Martian soil, new cosmetic ingredient produced by fermentation, plant-based superglue, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of February 27th

February 26, 2020 |

What a weird week – yummy string beans fertilized with human urine in the form of struvite and cultivated using artificial Martian and lunar soil, making Marvin the Martian hungry for some beans. If that’s too gross for you though, how about superglue made from plant-derived cellulose nanocrystals and water? Or a new cosmetic active […]

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2019 Financials, Strategy, Products, Future: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Stora Enso

2019 Financials, Strategy, Products, Future: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Stora Enso

February 26, 2020 |

2019 was a good year for Stora Enso, with new renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, construction and paper, and nearly $11 million (€10.1 billion) total in sales, cash flow that is up 45%, and more. Find out why, what the main drivers are behind their growth, what their future expectations are, the latest data on […]

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Investment in Foodtech, AgTech startups drops as food delivery start-up funding plummets 56 percent in 2019

Investment in Foodtech, AgTech startups drops as food delivery start-up funding plummets 56 percent in 2019

February 26, 2020 |

In California, AgFunder is reporting that investment in foodtech and agtech startups reached $19.8 billion, a 4.8% decline by dollars and 15% by deals. Food delivery startups led the downward trend raising 56% less year-over-year. AgFunder also reported that “investment in upstream startups continued to grow, closing $7.6 billion in investment, a 1.3% year-over-year climb […]

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USDA’s 30 Year Vision – No Need to Wander Like Moses

USDA’s 30 Year Vision – No Need to Wander Like Moses

February 25, 2020 |

By Douglas Durante, Executive Director of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition Special to The Digest As the U.S. biofuels industry struggles to regain the luster it had during the golden years of phenomenal growth, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) came out recently with a puzzling claim of a “bold new vision” for agriculture and […]

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Biomass Sugars to Hydrocarbon Biofuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development Efforts

Biomass Sugars to Hydrocarbon Biofuels: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development Efforts

February 25, 2020 |

Reducing cost and improving manufacturability of the biomass sugar platform through Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis (CEH) technology is one of the goals for NREL. James D. McMillan from NREL shared the latest research developments at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) 2019 Project Peer Review on how CEH is essential to realize economical […]

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The Jenny Craig Problem and the Theory of Carbon Offsets

The Jenny Craig Problem and the Theory of Carbon Offsets

February 24, 2020 |

Decarbonization is all the rage again – you can almost set your watch by the response of corporates to climate protests. There’s been a rash of announcements that ‘we’re doing something’, and lately the trend has been to announce a plan to be net zero carbon by 2030, 2040, 2050, take your pick. Almost invariably, […]

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USDA Rural Development, BioPreferred Program and more: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA’s Bioproducts to Market Efforts

USDA Rural Development, BioPreferred Program and more: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to USDA’s Bioproducts to Market Efforts

February 24, 2020 |

USDA made a big announcement recently on targeting 30% biofuels by 2050, but did you know there are many ways they have been adding value to agricultural products to help the rural economy? Did you know the USDA continues to collect royalties from McDonald’s sale of 65 million lbs/year of apples in the U.S.? How […]

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Plant-based PEF Plan to Commercialization: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium’s Renewable Polymers

Plant-based PEF Plan to Commercialization: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium’s Renewable Polymers

February 23, 2020 |

We may love our pet, but do we love fossil-based PET? Don’t worry, PEF is working on kicking PET out of the plastics space. PEF is one of the most interesting plant-based polymers right now and Avantium is looking to PEF for the future of packaging. Their market traction in high-value applications like multilayer packaging, enhanced […]

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