Category: Top Stories

3D meat bioprinter commercialization, lab-grown chicken, algae-based skis, biobased car, bioluminescent wood, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 12th

November 11, 2020 | admin

Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but this week’s innovations are heavy on food with a protein innovation contest crowning MycoTechnology for their mushroom-based protein production, a whopping $7 million raised for a 3D-printed cultured meat startup to commercialize its meat bioprinter, a “metabolized restaurant” concept with food produced using bacteria through […]

Bugs, biology, biodiversity: Industrial Hemp Production (Part II) on Integrated Pest Management and Implications for Wildlife

November 10, 2020 | Jim Lane

By Susan P. Rupp, PhD, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest Because of the challenges of registering it as an agricultural crop, federal agencies have not yet provided clear direction on the use of agrochemicals (i.e., herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides) on hemp, and regulatory decisions have subsequently devolved to the states. However, the majority […]

Exclusive Digest Q&A with ADM on Spiber Brewed Protein, biopolymers, partnership

November 9, 2020 | admin

As reported in The Digest recently, ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) and Japan-based Spiber partnered up to expand production of biobased polymers, called Brewed Protein polymers, produced through a fermentation process that utilizes sugars and microbes instead of petrochemical or animal-derived raw materials, for use in apparel, auto parts, high-performance foams, and other consumer products. In […]

The Winds of Change Are Blowing Again

November 7, 2020 | Jim Lane

“Hushed and grim, Atlanta turned painful eyes towards the faraway little town of Gettysburg, and a page of history waited for three days while two nations came to death grips on the farm lands of Pennsylvania.” – Gone With The Wind This past weekend, two armies once again came to death grips on the farm lands […]

Competitive Edge: Spectrolytic translates lab results for biodiesel, biofuel sector

November 5, 2020 | Jim Lane

The Competitive Edge: Spectrolytic Q: What was the reason for founding your organization – what was the open niche you saw that could be addressed with a new product or service? What was the problem, or gap, or opportunity? The reason for founding the organisation was a need to bring analysis of samples (fluids) out […]

DECISION 2020: The US Elections and the bioeconomy impact, a Digest special report

November 4, 2020 | Jim Lane

As of early Wednesday evening, we do not have a clear winner in the 2020 US Presidential election, yet we do have significant results to share from down-ballot races and the latest on the Presidential stakes. Here’s a recap of what we know so far: The Presidency 8 states are still outstanding in the Presidential elections […]

Coca-Cola paper bottle, Pampers biodiapers, Twist Bioscience’s DNA art launching to space, bioplastic PPE, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of November 5th

November 4, 2020 | admin

Big news from big companies this week with mega-brand Coca-Cola revealing an initial prototype for a paper bottle it hopes can be recycled with household paper recycling streams, Pampers diaper-brand’s new Pampers Pure line features a plant-based liner enriched with 100% renewable shea butter, Twist Bioscience converts art into DNA for launch into space, and […]

Movements at Ginkgo BioWorks, Pacific Ethanol, Lygos, LanzaTech show where the bioeconomy is heading

November 4, 2020 | Jim Lane

What’s in a name? So many re-naming and brand extension efforts are underway this week, let’s look at those to see what’s working, what’s popular, when it comes to building trusted brands. It’s not a story of technology, but it’s a story of technology acceptance, or as has been often observed elsewhere “Things go Better […]

Industrial Hemp Production (Part I): Cultivation and Management

November 2, 2020 | Jim Lane

By Susan P. Rupp, PhD, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest The production of industrial hemp, grown for fiber, seed, and cannabidiol (CBD), has surged in recent years. More recently, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) authorized the production of hemp and removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement […]

Career Conservative Says The Right Should Embrace Renewable Energy

November 1, 2020 | admin

America is divided on several issues heading into the presidential election, and climate change is certainly one of the most polarizing. A Pew Research Center survey shows most Americans think the federal government isn’t doing enough to combat climate change, and that a vast majority of Democrats think the U.S. should prioritize alternative energy development over expanding […]

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