Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

Ari Maayan

arimaayan1@gmail.com

Then:  I was designing a 400 ha spirulina production facility in Panama and enjoying life.  Funding failed and it never got built.

Now: I am designing a large scale production facility in India for dunaliella to produce beta carotene, zeaxanthin and glycerol. The glycerol will be as a carb source for fermenting into ABE.  All 3 components, acetone, butanol and ethanol will be used as platform chemicals to produce higher value-added products as replacements for petrochemicals

Inspirations: Many products in the broad consumer marketplace today that are produced from petroleum or organic chemistry can be produced using biotechnology pathways. It is a whole new world and growing exponentially.

Challenges: The first major roadblock is policy paralysis and ignorance on the part of tiny little government minds.  The second is entrenched attitudes like, “Mah grandaddy did it this way and ahm gonna do it this way 2.”  Entrenched interests as well.  Big petro and big pharma are not going to” go gently into that good night”.