David M. Babson
Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office, USA
Title: Enabling Next Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts for the Emerging Bioeconomy
Biography
Biography: David M. Babson
Abstract
Advances in biotechnology and the emerging bio-economy are providing a unique opportunity to revolutionize the production of renewable bio-based fuels and products, which will allow the future bio-economy to play a direct role in achieving greater carbon mitigation and sustainability goals – if the clean version of it can be realized. However, a combination of factors including low oil, commodity, and carbon prices are altering the path of the bio-economy’s emergence and are hindering efforts to achieve more ambitious climate goals. These factors are therefore forcing a rethinking of the strategy for transitioning from cheaper first generation to more expensive next generation biofuels and bioproducts. This presentation will outline the social and economic environment in which the advanced bio-economy is emerging and will discuss and contextualize the challenges being faced in advancing clean and sustainable biotechnologies. The directed research efforts being supported and promoted by the U.S. Department of Energy and its Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will be discussed, and BETO’s strategies to support the evolution and emergence of the bio-economy on a sustainable path will be discussed. However, precisely how the bio-economy emerges is key, since the sustainability of bio-based fuels and products is critically dependent on specific agriculture and industrial practices. As an example of this, the sustainability and performance metrics BETO uses and is developing to assess advanced bio-manufacturing, bio-processing, and biofuel production will be presented. Further, the linkages between biotechnology development, next generation bio-product performance, and the emergence of a sustainable bio-economy will be examined and will focus on the bio-economy’s prospects for managing carbon as a function of bio-based fuel and product performance. Finally, BETO’s efforts to more efficiently leverage biotechnologies to valorize second generation biomass resources, organic wastes and waste gases to produce renewable products and low carbon fuels will be outlined.
