Category: Top Stories

The Advanced Bioeconomy and the Pet Wellness Revolution

The Advanced Bioeconomy and the Pet Wellness Revolution

August 18, 2016 |

These days, we don’t call it algae, we call it nutritional superfood, and we don’t call our furry friends “pets”, we call them companion animals. I suppose to distinguish them from wild animals, work animals, and the ones we reserve for, er, eating. But it’s a good name. Companion as a word comes from the […]

Read More

The RINferno, as it burns up America’s venture into advanced biofuels

The RINferno, as it burns up America’s venture into advanced biofuels

August 17, 2016 |

In yesterday’s Digest, we covered the topic of RINferno, the controversy over rising RIN prices and the impact on parties in the Renewable Fuel Standard — refiners, and potentially fuel terminal operators. Today, let’s look at impact on producers — and specifically the catastrophic impact of current RIN prices on advanced biofuels. The advanced biofuels […]

Read More

RINferno

RINferno

August 16, 2016 |

Let me see if we got this right. Donald Trump loves the Renewable Fuel Standard Carl Icahn loves Donald Trump Therefore, Carl Icahn hates the Renewable Fuel Standard With that, welcome to the 2016 United States Presidential election season. And welcome to something that used to be called RINsanity and now we had better call RINferno. […]

Read More

When amber means caution but BioAmber means go: progress, prospects for the Sarnia’s Sultans of Succinic

When amber means caution but BioAmber means go: progress, prospects for the Sarnia’s Sultans of Succinic

August 15, 2016 |

In Canada, BioAmber recorded net income of $4.8M for Q2 2016 and an operating loss of $1.0M on revenues of $2.5M. Revenues were up 73 percent over Q1 and 637 percent compared to Q2 2015. For those less familiar with the company, it produces succinic acid from sugar at a first commercial-scale plant which opened […]

Read More

Amyris: The New Colossus aims to unlock its Golden Door

Amyris: The New Colossus aims to unlock its Golden Door

August 14, 2016 |

In California, Amyris reported a Q2 net loss of $13.8M on revenues of $9,6M, up from $7.8M in Q2 2015. Revenues rose 27% from the corresponding period in 2015 primarily driven by the shipment of a new novel fragrance product, as well as Neossance Squalane sales. At the same time, Amyris, which has recorded $18.4M […]

Read More

How to Thrive in Emerging Markets: Making industrial biotechnology work away from home

How to Thrive in Emerging Markets: Making industrial biotechnology work away from home

August 11, 2016 |

Why do hot US agricultural technologies fail to get the explosive growth they deserve? BEE offers a new tech-to-market approach. They say that to be a great champion, you have to learn to win on the road. So, it’s meaningful in that context when BEE’s Patrick McDonnell throws down the gauntlet to the US agricultural […]

Read More

Gevo heads out to sea: A clever escape into marine biofuels, or a watery grave ahead?

Gevo heads out to sea: A clever escape into marine biofuels, or a watery grave ahead?

August 10, 2016 |

This week, Gevo reported its Q2 financial results, reaffirmed its guidance on production cost targets, lengthened out the timing on its production targets, and placed all the near-term chips on marine biofuels. Market reaction was generally pretty hateful, with the stock dropping 33% today. Investors seem to have translating Gevo’s messaging thus: Gevo says: We’re […]

Read More

TerraVia’s incoming CEO gazes into the Future of Food

TerraVia’s incoming CEO gazes into the Future of Food

August 9, 2016 |

In the world of consumer adoption, moda means fashion and fashion means change, and TerraVia’s new CEO Apu Mody arrives to warn companies in the food sector that the old days are over. “The days of companies talking one way to consumers, of the endless debates over ‘how do we educate the consumer?’ are well […]

Read More

TerraVia burns the boats and sets off for the Land of Übernutrition

TerraVia burns the boats and sets off for the Land of Übernutrition

August 9, 2016 |

At the outset of his historic Conquest, Cortés gathered the men and burned the boats. As TerraVia jettisons its break-out industrial product line and completes the pivot to Food, what lies ahead in the New World?  Gromeko: They’ve shot the Czar. And all his family. Oh, that’s a savage deed. What’s it for? Zhivago: It’s […]

Read More

The Summer of Innovation: How to get bacon out of spent coffee grounds, and other topics

The Summer of Innovation: How to get bacon out of spent coffee grounds, and other topics

August 8, 2016 |

I think it might have been a Kennedy who remarked one time: Some people see used coffee grounds and say, yecch. Other people dream of bacon flavoring and say, why not? If you’ve wondered ever how to take some of the most unloved forms of food waste — old coffee grounds, spent grape pomace (the stems, […]

Read More