Author Archive: Jim Lane

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The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to High Productivity, Flexible Microalgae

The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to High Productivity, Flexible Microalgae

October 5, 2017 |

This week we’ve been looking at major advances in crops and feedstocks and algae is very much in the mix in that respect – the sustainable production of microalgae with high productivity and flexible composition is of special interest and today’s slide deck in The Digest looks at that area. This illuminating presentation comes from […]

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Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 9: Site Selection – Landscape Risk Analysis for Biomass Acquisition

Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 9: Site Selection – Landscape Risk Analysis for Biomass Acquisition

October 5, 2017 |

By Thomas W. Robb, Daniel Lane and John Diecker, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest In the cascade of the decision-making process for site selection of a biomass project, the first two things that must be determined are the availability of infrastructure to support the project AND the availability of feedstock to feed the […]

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8 fast flyers chosen for Top Cat: the big attack on biomass catalysis begins

8 fast flyers chosen for Top Cat: the big attack on biomass catalysis begins

October 4, 2017 |

Somewhere in the files of the Department of Energy it is called the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium. Inside the halls of National Labs, they call it ChemCatBio. But it’s Top Cat — the gunslingers and mavericks of biomass catalysis. They’re on a mission to bring forward commercial bioenergy applications two times faster and at […]

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Top Cat: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio’s progress and projects

Top Cat: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio’s progress and projects

October 4, 2017 |

ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries into commercial processes and grow the bioeconomy in the United States. Current research encompasses the following five themes: Upgrading […]

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Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 8: Planning for Plant Startup and Operations

Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 8: Planning for Plant Startup and Operations

October 4, 2017 |

By Charles Loos, Bernard Cooker, and Mindy Collier, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest To get a new plant started, management must provide the operating staff with training and a full complement of written procedures covering safety, operations, emergencies and environmental compliance. Though the process of defining and creating the necessary training and procedures […]

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A Blustery Day in the Bioeconomy’s Billion Acre Wood: The Latest from EPA, POET, Fuels America, Calyxt, Eligo Bioscience, Queensland, Gevo, Virgin, and Unilever

A Blustery Day in the Bioeconomy’s Billion Acre Wood: The Latest from EPA, POET, Fuels America, Calyxt, Eligo Bioscience, Queensland, Gevo, Virgin, and Unilever

October 3, 2017 |

British author AA Milne is in the news this week with the impending release of “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” which brings to mind “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day”. It’s been bluster and bother and in the bioeconomy this week, all right, and significant players are feeling downright Eeyoreish and we’ll get to that. But some […]

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Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 7 – Engineering Design Assessment: Front-End Engineering Design and Loading Evaluation

Financing Bioeconomy Ventures, Pt. 7 – Engineering Design Assessment: Front-End Engineering Design and Loading Evaluation

October 3, 2017 |

By Bernard Cooker, John Diecker, and Daniel Lane, Lee Enterprises Consulting Special to The Digest This article is the seventh in a series on the information needed by a Capital Investor, received from the Project Developer (PD), for the Capital Investor to make an informed biotechnology investment. Refs. 1 through 6 are to previous articles […]

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YXY Marks the Spot: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium

YXY Marks the Spot: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Avantium

October 3, 2017 |

The company is now safely emerged from its celebrated IPO, and is embarked on the construction of the first commercial plant with its JV partner BASF — so, it’s a monster year for Avantium. Avantium’s YXY technology converts plant-based sugar into chemicals and plastics, including 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, a precursor to the promising bioplastic polyethylene furanoate. […]

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Data surprise: Biofuels still beating electrics on cost, emissions

Data surprise: Biofuels still beating electrics on cost, emissions

October 2, 2017 |

Electrics are improving on emissions and cost, but not enough to make driving an electric car the smart choice for consumers looking to save time and reduce environmental impacts. According to a new analysis, biofuels still reign. If you’re driving an electric car, you’re driving the grid, and the grid isn’t all that green, yet. […]

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Biological solvers: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Novozymes

Biological solvers: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Novozymes

October 2, 2017 |

Novozymes is a world leader in biological solutions. Together with customers, partners and the global community, the company supplies innovations to the world’s leading companies across 40 markets. Our solutions improve the sustainability performance of our customers and partners — best known for industrial enzymes, the company is highly active also in agriculture, biomass conversion, […]

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