On July 16-17, Biosciences, along with the Energy Sciences Area, hosted an internal workshop to discuss and identify paths forward for biomaterials research at Berkeley Lab and in larger contexts–across the national laboratory complex, at universities, and in the private sector– that would enable the creation of new materials with performance-advantaged properties. This workshop continues the program development efforts established through the recent Advanced Biogenic Chemicals and Materials Laboratory-Directed Research and Development initiative established at Berkeley Lab in 2017.
Keasling and JBEI Profiled in MIT Technology Review
Biosciences CSTO Jay Keasling and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), which he oversees as CEO and Director of New Pathways and Metabolic Models, were profiled for the MIT Technology Review website. In the feature entitled “The Scientist Still Fighting for the Clean Fuel the World Forgot,” Keasling discusses the progress made in the quest for affordable advanced biofuels, and underscores the need for continued research.
Brewing Hoppy Beer Without the Hops
In a new study published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers led by Jay Keasling, CEO of the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), report that brewer’s yeast can be engineered to alter the flavor of beer. In this case, the scientists incorporated recombinant DNA derived from yeast, mint, and basil so the brewer’s yeast would biosynthesize aromatic monoterpene molecules that impart hoppy flavor. The benefits of this are two-fold: bioengineering can lead to flavor palette expansion while increasing the sustainability of the brewing process.
Congressman Randy Hultgren Visits Biosciences Area
U.S. Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-IL-14) visited the Biosciences Area’s Emery Station Operations Center on September 1st. Congressman Hultgren met with Mary Maxon, Biosciences Associate Lab Director, and Jay Keasling, JBEI’s Chief Executive Officer, and also toured JBEI’s laboratories.
Hultgren is co-founder and leading member of the Science and National Labs Caucus and a proponent of science’s role in unlocking the potential for economic growth and job creation. He recently spoke at a Council on Competitiveness-sponsored event in Washington D.C. during which the Council released its latest report “Leverage: Advancing U.S. Bioscience”. The report focused on leveraging U.S. potential in the growing sector of bioscience and biomanufacturing.
Two Advanced Energy Proposals Go Forward
The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) has announced that they will be supporting two proposals submitted by Jay Keasling, Chief Science and Technology Officer for Biosciences, and Steven Singer, Staff Scientist in the Biological Systems and Engineering Division. In partnership with EBI, Shell will fund the 6-month pilot projects, “Hosts and pathways for conversion of H2/CO2 to fuels and chemicals” (Keasling) and “Synthetic biology, bioreactor and recovery process design for biological methane conversion” (Singer). The proposals focus on the Dense Energy Carriers and Methane to Products thematic areas, respectively.
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