Bio-Based Ideas

Yes, this!

Last month an interesting article got posted at CBinsights about the current state of synthetic biology that I didn't have time to write about until now. What I really like: Even the superficial overview teaser article is much more comprehensive than my review of companies in the field which actually had a slightly different focus. It is also more up-to-date. Reading the article, I am very excited because there are so many interesting companies to be excited about like for example: Benchling - a company that builds dna managing, and editing software. GAE Enzymes - a company that wants to make enzymes more rapidly Glowee -  a company that wants to make biological lighting Gincko Bioworks -  a microbe design company Twist - a DNA synthesis company One interesting thing was who was not mentioned in the public article: Amyris. I guess this has to do with the fact that Amyris is no longer new and "exciting", but a known quantity. I think this is positive b...

One man's trash is another one's shoe! Since Earth Week is starting tomorrow, I wanted share with you some concrete ways of how individuals like you and me can make an impact on a wider scale. I then also wanted to use this example to challenge everyone to think creatively about the larger context. So you know how the saying goes: "One man's trash is another one's treasure." Today, I want to talk to you about garbage. Plastic garbage specifically. Plastic is quite a wondrous material. Made from oil by man with just a few additives can turn this polymer into so many different sorts of plastics with so many different properties from thin and flimsy plastic bags, to the carpet on which I am standing, to this plastic bottle from which I am drinking.

As of late, Amyris has been in the news quite a bit. Another article surfaced in the Washington Post just a few days later titled "Companies rush to build ‘bio-factories’ for medicines, flavorings and fuels" . For the most part, the article echoes the content found in the New York times article. However, I wanted to emphasize the following bits:

It's not often that I get to talk about what is actually happening at my own company which in many ways makes posting about what I really care about even harder. But as it turns out, today, I don't actually need to say much about all the exciting science, and development going on at Amyris. I don't have to because a New York Times article recently talking about all the great things happening at Amyris - with some things being more speculative than others. The article did such a good job explaining in layman's terms what it is that Amyris is doing, that I am just going to link the article to this blog article and call it "In Other Words". I recommend everyone reading this: What's that smell. Exotic Scents Made From Re-engineered Yeast

I recently attended a panel discussion on career opportunities in the Biofuels business sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of AWIS. There were 2 representatives from Ceres, and 2 representatives from Sapphire Energy. The following are general meeting notes I took of that panel discussion. First Richard Hamilton, President of CEO of Ceres, spoke. He started by outlining the challenges of the current fossil fuels. Oil prices are increasing because of increased demand from emerging countries (including India and China), reduced supply as an increasing number of known oil reserves have peaked in their oil production and not enough new sources start production. Furthermore, increased regulation due to environmental concerns and decreased political stability in key oil producing regions all contribute to the increasing oil price. Lastly, Dr. Hamilton pointed out that oil prices are also increasing as the dollar becomes more and more devalued. When we consider that oil is also one of the ...

I would like to thank Wilbert Escorcia , who recently also joined this blogging site, for having shown me the PBS site as another great source of information on the internet. He shared with me the profile of one of the people who are and will likely make a big difference in the sustainable biotechnology field: Jay Kiesling, founder of Amyris Biotechnologies , which was originally known for a bio-based method to efficiently and affordably produce artemisinin, an anti-malarial drug. Amyris Biotechnologies was a company I previously wrote about in my coverage of bio-based companies in California . On a Personal Note: Before, we dive into the video, I would just like to throw in a personal note. In light of the latest discussion about federal funding for public media on capitol hill, I think it is important to emphasize that the unique service public broadcast and radio provides - namely to inform and educate affordably, and broadly - is almost completely absent anywhere else in...

In my previous blog, I surveyed what companies are more closely associated with the biofuels field . Continuing on the survey for sustainable biotechnology companies in California, today, I want to cover companies that fall under the broad and often times overlapping category of industrial enzymes, bio-based chemicals and products. Industrial enzymes are bio-catalysts often used to make other products the consumer ends up using. In the past, they have often been developed to substitute traditional chemical catalysts that can be toxic, and often are not specific enough. Sustainable chemicals and products often replace traditionally fossil-derived products and are usually the result of metabolic processes. Update (2015-05-06): This is a highly dynamic field. Over short amounts of time, many start-up efforts have stopped. On the other hand, many new start-ups have sprung up. 

I have previously talked about the similarities and differences between the sustainable economy and the bio-based economy . As I am working on completing my PhD in 2011, I have started to look towards the next step. My goal for 2011 is to start a career in the sustainable biotechnology field, and so I have surveyed my options in California. In my survey on this topic, I have found that the sustainable biotechnology companies can be divided into three areas of activity: biofuels, industrial enzymes, and bio-based biochemicals. Perhaps the most visible field area of sustainable biotechnology is the biofuels field given the increased need to develop alternatives to fossil fuels. Because of the large potential market in this area, it may not be too surprising to learn that nearly every company in this field is involved in one form or another. This part will focus on companies that mainly are associated with biofuels development. They are characterized by mostly not having any products on...