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

Julie Sinistore

Then: I was just starting graduate school when my advisor recommended that I follow Biofuels Digest because my master’s research would be on the LCA of corn grain ethanol. I finished my masters in 3 semesters, defended and started a PhD studying the  LCA of cellulosic ethanol right away. I continued to follow Biofuels Digest, especially news about Virent because it is located in Madison-Wisconsin, where I went to grad school. I was hired at Virent as I finished my PhD!

Now: Today, I still do LCA of bio-based fuels and chemicals, but I’ve also taken on LCA of foods, textiles, electronics, buildings, and consumer goods and services with WSP. I keep up with companies I’ve worked with or would like to work with by reading Biofuels Digest. It’s also interesting to see how the sectors overlap in food, packaging, bio-based plastics and chemicals.

Inspirations: It is ever changing and dynamic.

Challenges: For as much potential as it has to completely change the world, the pace of change is very slow. When I started my PhD, everyone said that commercial biofuels were 10 years away. That is still the answer that I hear today – it’s 10 years away.