4 minutes with… Philip T. Pienkos, Ph.D. Principal Group Manager Bioprocess R&D National Bioenergy Center, NREL

Tell us about your company and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

NREL is the only national lab devoted solely to the development of technologies applied to renewable energy and energy efficiency. In the National Bioenergy Center, we are focused on conversion of renewable feedstocks (cellulosic biomass, algae, biogas) to biofuels and bioproducts using both biochemical and thermochemical pathways.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

I lead teams of researchers exploring the valorization of CO2 via algae and CH4 via methanotrophic bacteria. Our work in algae is primarily in two areas: reduced cost for biomass production through development of strain improvement technologies, and increased biomass value through capture of value from underexploited biomass components. Our work in methanotrophic bacteria is primarily in the development of pathways for the production of biofuels and bioproducts to help establish this feedstock as a relevant contributor to the bioeconomy. And of course, techno-economic analyses and life cycle assessments work hand in glove with our research efforts to focus our work on critical path elements.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?  

We need to see a clear path to commercialization of advanced renewable fuels. I believe that the integration of coproducts to supplement biofuels as the primary product will be a key to achieving economic success regardless of feedstock or conversion platform.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change? 

Better data flow among industrial, academic, and national lab researchers to help to focus efforts where needed.

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?  

My background in biocatalysis and experience in biotech startups provided me with the ideal credentials to get involved in emerging technologies like algal and methanotrophic biofuels. I wanted to make an impact in the transition away from fossil fuels and NREL gave me that opportunity.

Where are you from? 

I grew up in the Chicago suburb of Lyonsn, IL. After college I lived in Wisconsin, Texas, New Your, New Jersey, Texas, and now Colorado, all driven by career pursuits.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway?

I majored in Honors Biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana Campus. A charismatic biology teacher in high school put me on that path. UIUC was a state school and offered me a scholarship which allowed me to pay my own way through school. Honors biology was a great program with small class size and great teachers.

Who do you consider your mentors – could be personal, business, or just people you have read about and admire. What have you learned from them?

Winston Brill, my thesis advisor at University of Wisconsin, instilled in me a love of science and a sense of the rewards that could come from a passionate pursuit of research objectives especially when applied to important goals. Dan Monticello, my best friend and former boss at three different companies in Texas taught me two things: Sometimes it’s better to shut up and hear what other people have to say and when facing hard but necessary challenges, proceed with confidence, clarity, and trust in your co-workers. Or as he put it, “Exercise the opportunity to shut the *** up.” and “How hard could it be?” These lessons kept me going for over 40 years.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?  

Enchira Biotechnologies went out of business in 2002, leaving me out of work. It took nearly 8 months to find a new job that one didn’t do much more than pay the bills. I had worked in so many different areas, that my background was the proverbial “mile wide and inch deep,” and I didn’t think I would ever find a job, let alone a job where I could make a real difference. I got my confidence back when Dan Monticello asked me to help him start Molecular Logix, a drug-discovery company. That opportunity really helped me hone my entrepreneurial and management skills. That small company lasted about six years and never had more than six employees, yet the work we did was nothing short of miraculous. I still feel that our concepts could make a big difference in novel therapeutics for cancer and infectious disease.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry?

Very few, I’m afraid. I’ve gotten back to singing with the church choir, but my main hobby at the moment is trying to identify a hobby for the future.