Purpose of the Workshop:

The workshop assessed new research initiatives which are using the tools of biotechnology to contribute to the goal of sustainable bio-based energy production. The workshop covered (i) scientific and technological aspects, such as the application of synthetic biology and the development and improvement of new crops as fuel sources, with emphasis on 2nd generation biofuels and (ii) socio-economic/environmental challenges. The aim of the workshop was twofold: to identify strategic opportunities and needs of emerging areas of research, including socio-economics and environmental challenges, and to identify opportunities for US- EC research collaborations. It is expected that the workshop will assist in the definition of EC/US RTD programs in the field of sustainable bio-energy.

Conference Proceedings [ - 5 MB]

Agenda [ - 45 KB]

Presentations

21 FEBRUARY 2008

9:00 US/EC Introduction and welcome

Martha Bair Steinbock, USDA
David Thomassen, DOE, Kay Simmons, USDA [ - 194 KB], Maurice Lex, EC [ - 78 KB], Maria Fernandez, EC [ - 501 KB] 

9:15 Session 1. Energy Feedstocks. To use biotechnological tools to improve the productivity and composition of biomass feedstocks for optimized conversion to bioenergy.

Chairpersons: Michael W. Bevan [ - 867 KB], John Innes Centre, UK – Judy St. John, USDA-ARS, US

Rapporteurs:Wolter Elbersen , Wageningen University, The Netherlands – Zeng-yu Wang, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, US

Introduction by chairperson Michael W. Bevan - “Summary of challenges in developing the next generation of bioenergy crops”.

• Chris Somerville [ - 3.9 MB], Stanford, US – Cell Wall Synthesis in Model Plants
• Felice Cervone [ - 2.1 MB], University of Rome, Italy - Improving degradation of biomasses by improving cell wall digestibility
• Gerry Tuskan [ - 1.4 MB], ORNL, US – Poplar

10:15 Coffee break

• Ulli Schurr [ - 2.9 MB], Forschungszentrum Jülich, DE, Improvement of resource use efficiency of biomass crops
• Sarah Hake [ - 3.5 MB], USDA-ARS, Albany, California, US
• Uffe Jørgensen [ - 2.9 MB], University of Aarhus, Denmark, Breeding and biotechnology perspectives in Miscanthus

12:00 Lunch break

13:30 Discussions, conclusions and recommendations from session 1

14:30 Session 2. Biotechnological conversion of biomass to bioenergy. Advanced biotechnologies for the conversion of biomass into bio-energy.

Chairpersons: Luuk van der Wielen, TU Delf, NL – Tim Gardner, Amyris Biotechnologies, US

Rapporteurs: – Sally Mackenzie, University of Nebraska, US - Alfonso Jaramillo, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Introduction by chairperson Luuk van der Wielen [ - 916 KB]- Bio-energy: integrating Functional Genomics, Advanced Catalysis and Bioprocess Engineering

• Liisa Viikari [ - 322 KB], University of Helsinki, Finland – Lignocellulosic Enzymes
• Rob Brown, Synthetic Genomics, US – Discovery Appeoaches for Biomass Conversion to Bioenergy: The Potential to Mitigate Climate Change
• Bärbel Hahn-Hägerdal (part 1 [ - 1.3 MB] / part 2 [ - 380 KB] / part 3 [ - 606 KB]), University of Lund, Sweden – Yeasts

15:30 Coffee break

• Alfonso Jaramillo [ - 4.3 MB], Ecole Polytechnique, FR – Modular hydrogen
• Jay Keasling, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US – Synthetic Biology
• Stenbjörn Styring [ - 3.9 MB], Uppsala University, Sweden - From natural to artificial photosynthesis - biomimetic chemistry for the production of hydrogen from solar energy and water

17:00 Discussions, conclusions and recommendations from session 2

22 FEBRUARY 2008

8:30 Session 3. Socio-economic & Environmental Challenges

Chairpersons: Christian Patermann, Ex-Director EC RTD, KBBE Coordinator Northrhine Westphalia Germany – Chavonda Jacobs-Young, National Program Leader, USDA-CSREES, Plant Feedstock Genomics, US

Rapporteurs: Berien Elbersen, Altea, NL – Michael Casler, USDA, Madison, WI, US

Introduction by chairperson C. Patermann [ - 553 KB]- “How to overcome the widening gap between growing energy demand and biomass availability: Environmental, economic and social consequences”.

• Berien Elbersen [ - 1.0 MB], Alterra, NL – EU b iomass potential and environmental constrains
• John Sheehan, Live Fuels, Inc., US – Economic Analysis
• Jan-Erik Petersen [ - 856 KB], European Environment Agency, Denmark, Bioenergy and global land use in an ecological perspective
• Madhua Khanna [ - 3.3 MB], University of Illinois
• Nadine McCormick [ - 636 KB], The World Conservation Union, IUCN, The role of policy instruments in managing the social risks and enhancing the opportunities of applying biotechnology to bioenergy
• Jean-Philippe Denruyter [ - 3.1 MB], WWF, Belgium, Environmental perspective

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Discussions, conclusions and recommendations from session 3

12:00 Presentation and discussions of rapporteur's reports

13:00 Closing

David Thomassen, DOE, Kay Simmons, USDA, Maurice Lex, EC, Maria Fernandez, EC

Line Matthiessen, EC [ - 289 KB]

Lunch