Category: Top Stories

Of Esters and Investors: The story of Prairie Catalytic’s leap to scale

Of Esters and Investors: The story of Prairie Catalytic’s leap to scale

December 13, 2017 |

On November 29, 2017, Prairie Catalytic, a subsidiary of Greenyug, closed on the sale of project bonds to finance its first commercial production facility to develop a 50,000 metric tons per year urethane grade ethyl acetate production facility that is located adjacent to the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company  ethanol production facility in the City of Columbus, Platte […]

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The 12: The Advanced Bioeconomy’s 12 Biggest Talking, Fretting, Praying and Action Points right now

The 12: The Advanced Bioeconomy’s 12 Biggest Talking, Fretting, Praying and Action Points right now

December 12, 2017 |

  As ABLC’s storied 2 for 1 offer comes to a close this week, we look at the top themes that Delegates will be coming to Washington to explore, debate, negotiate, argue, pray for, fear, delight in and generally obsess over. Yep, the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference — which convenes in Washington, DC on February […]

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I Don’t Like Losses, Sport: The invention of bioeconomy risk insurance and Fulcrum BioEnergy’s leap to scale

I Don’t Like Losses, Sport: The invention of bioeconomy risk insurance and Fulcrum BioEnergy’s leap to scale

December 11, 2017 |

We have news you can use today on the subject of the most powerful, inevitable, fearsome, mysterious, taboo, and untouchable four-letter word in the advanced bioeconomy lexicon. Risk. The problem of Investor risk is ridiculously easy to understand and ridiculously hard to solve. If you think back to your own 401(k) or IRA for a […]

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Poop to plastic and biofuel, innovators put crap to good use

Poop to plastic and biofuel, innovators put crap to good use

December 9, 2017 |

No matter how much we recycle, reduce or reuse, we will always have one kind of waste – human waste. From when we are babies to our last days, we poop. While most say “eww,” or share an elementary school poop joke, researchers at University of Calgary are saying “cool!” Instead of flushing it away, […]

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This is an algorithm, that is alive: The rise of Arzeda and Digital Biology

This is an algorithm, that is alive: The rise of Arzeda and Digital Biology

December 7, 2017 |

The question is being raised all over Silicon Valley — and increasingly around the world — if biotechnology is essentially a branch of information technology. 3D printing is one of those technologies that tests the boundaries between the digital and the physical worlds. Consider the images above you. On the upper left, an algorithm. On the […]

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Shazzan!: Turning Urban Trash into Treasure Island, the LanzaTech, Sekisui Chemicals story

Shazzan!: Turning Urban Trash into Treasure Island, the LanzaTech, Sekisui Chemicals story

December 6, 2017 |

Sekisui Chemicals, LanzaTech break-through in MSW-to-ethanol demonstration Today we return to the subject of landfill, or as we like to think of it, the Island of Misfit Feedstocks. We’ll continue the storyline with a welcome technology breakthrough, and begin with the observation that of all the things that people throw into a landfill, no one […]

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LanzaTech, Novozymes, Amyris, DSM, Enerkem, POET, BASF, Genomatica and Avantium among early Hot 50 voting leaders

LanzaTech, Novozymes, Amyris, DSM, Enerkem, POET, BASF, Genomatica and Avantium among early Hot 50 voting leaders

December 5, 2017 |

In Florida, LanzaTech, Novozymes, Amyris, DSM, Enerkem, POET, BASF, Genomatica and Avantium have taken the lead in early voting in the 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy ballot. The Digest released the early-voting totals from Subscriber Voting — which do not yet include Invited International Selector votes. This week’s summary includes phioto and other bonus votes which […]

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Rot is Hot to Trot: Brown Rot Fungi cries “Tora! Tora! Tora!” to biomass

Rot is Hot to Trot: Brown Rot Fungi cries “Tora! Tora! Tora!” to biomass

December 4, 2017 |

As any observer of roadkill knows, time takes care of even the most complex organisms if they die by the side of the road — rots sets in, and time takes its toll, and bones are generally all that is left by the side of the road. Rot is nature’s free bioconversion technology — and […]

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GOOOAAAAL!!! ARLANXEO scores a goal with biobased soccer ball for 2018 World Cup

GOOOAAAAL!!! ARLANXEO scores a goal with biobased soccer ball for 2018 World Cup

December 1, 2017 |

In the Netherlands, ARLANXEO is scoring big goals with its new Keltan Eco soccer ball that will be used as the official match ball for the soccer 2018 World Cup. The rubber layer in the adidas soccer ball is made from bio-based EPDM rubber. The rubber is made with bio-based ethylene extracted from sugarcane – […]

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As 2018 renewable fuel numbers disappoint, it’s ‘Advanced biofuels industry to EPA: More please, sir!’

As 2018 renewable fuel numbers disappoint, it’s ‘Advanced biofuels industry to EPA: More please, sir!’

November 30, 2017 |

In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency released its final Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations for 2018. The agency finalized a total renewable fuel volume of 19.29 billion gallons , of which 4.29 BG is advanced biofuel, including 288 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. As the Renewable Fuels Association explained: “That leaves a 15 BG […]

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