The 7th edition of PBIO will be held March 6-7, 2013 at the Delta Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, hosted by Ag-West Bio. The workshop was started in 2005 by Ag-West Bio (in partnership with the National Research Council) and has become an important international industry event. With a market pull for sustainable, green technologies, researchers are developing more efficient methods to create industrial products derived from plants. The PBIO 2013 program is coming together and includes presentations on a wide range of topics, from hard science to business.
Speakers include:
Doug Hooper is a partner at Waterfall Advisors Group, a clean energy consultancy serving the biofuels and bioenergy sectors. His presentation will focus on trade and emerging issues in the biodiesel market in Western Canada.
Timothy Durrett is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Kansas State University. His lab is characterizing an enzyme (Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase or EaDAcT), which is responsible for the low viscosity oil found in a plant called the Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus). The lab is also expressing EaDAcT in oil crops in order to produce seed oil with physical and chemical properties useful for different industrial and biofuel application.
Ray W. Miller is Chief Business Officer at Verdezyne, Inc, a company developing bioprocesses to reduce the cost of producing plant-based renewable intermediates such as adipic acid and dodecanedioic acid, both used in the production of nylon and polyurethane.
Visit the PBIO 2013 website to view the full program or to register. Video interviews with speakers from PBIO 2011
The following are examples of Saskatchewan companies commercializing bio-based technologies: Linnaeus Plant Sciences is developing Camelina sativa for use as a feedstock for a wide range of industrial uses, including plastics, nylons, lubricants and fuels. Camelina, which grows in arid conditions, also represents a carbon-friendly option for farmers. Linnaeus’ research labs are in the National Research Council facility in Saskatoon.
Agrisoma Biosciences is commercializing Brassica carinata as a feedstock for 100% drop-in jet fuel – functionally identical to the petroleum-based product. Agrisoma’s Resonance™ Energy Feedstock was used in the first commercial 100% bio-jet flight conducted in October, 2012 by the National Research Council. Agrisoma’s laboratories are located in the National Research Council facilities in Saskatoon.
Metabolix Oilseeds is a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of Metabolix, Inc. that was established in Canada in 2010 to produce robust oilseed germplasm with engineered value-added traits for commercial crop production in western North America. Metabolix Oilseeds is developing oilseed traits with applications in three market areas, bioplastics, renewable chemicals, and feed. Metabolix Oilseeds is based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with laboratories in the National Research Council and greenhouse and laboratory facilities at nearby Innovation Place.