Second Algae Initiative Workshop to be held at OSU

Hosted by

Oregon State University and the Western Sun Grant Initiative  

July 30, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

 

Memorial Union Room 109

Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

 

We will have a couple of guests attending the workshop. Dr. Lou Ogaard of the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management will offer a talk entitled: “Algae Biodiesel: A Path to Commercialization.”  Dr. Byung Lee, Director of the Bio-Energy Institute of Yeungnam University in Korea will give some perspectives on international collaboration.

 

Participants will then break up into two separate breakout sessions:

 

Breakout Session #1, led by Dr. Ganti Murthy of Oregon State University: Algae Biofuels and Bioproducts: Economics, feedstock logistics and processing technologies.

                Discussion will cover points such as:

                                Identification of Pacific Northwest/Oregon resource bases

                                Production systems

                                Nutrition of large scale production

                                Harvesting and processing technologies

 

Breakout Session #2, led by Dr. Craig Marcus of Oregon State University: Species Development for Bioproducts.

                Discussion will include such topics as:

                                Identification of OSU resource base

                                High throughput screening and sequencing

                                Eukaryotic versus prokaryotic

                                Marine versus freshwater, open pond versus closed systems

                               

Following breakout session discussions, participants will regroup for a final discussion which will include a list of potential collaborative grant opportunities. One exciting example of an algal biofuels-related grant opportunity can be found at: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=48495 . To view presentations from the previous Algae Initiative Workshop held in April, visit http://sungrant.oregonstate.edu/osu-bioenergy .

 

This is a working lunch, so catering will be provided.

Please RSVP by July 23 to SunGrant@oregonstate.edu

U.S. Department of Transportation-Funded Competitive Grants 2009 Awarded

In April 2009, the WRC awarded funding to seven projecs throughout the Western region.  These projects explore regionally unique feedstocks, such as grass straw, camelina, and sweet sorghum.  Click on the Center Activites link for more information.

 

USDA Release: PRESIDENT OBAMA ISSUES PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TO USDA TO EXPAND ACCESS TO BIOFUELS

USDA, EPA and DOE form Biofuels Interagency Working Group to increase energy independence.

Read the press release here:  http://www.usda.gov/2009/05/0145.xml

International Conference on Woody Biomass Utilization

An International Conference on Woody Biomass Utilization will be held August 4-5, 2009 at the Bost Conference Center, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA.  

Please join us for this important international conference on woody biomass utilization. The purpose of this 2-day conference is to provide information on the utilization of woody biomass and emerging technologies and processes that can provide boost to the economy through the production of jobs and markets. The conference will focus on successes worldwide, challenges in markets ranging from local markets to world markets, and the benefits to the environment.

For more details, visit the Forest Products Society at http://www.forestprod.org/confbiomass09.html.

 

DOE Announces More Key Administration Posts

On March 27, 2009, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Cathy Zoi as the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Ms. Zoi is the founding CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection and a former Group Executive Director at the Bayard Group. From 1993-95 Ms. Zoi was Chief of Staff in the White House Office on Environmental Policy in the Clinton-Gore administration, where she managed the team working on environmental and energy issues. She was also a manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she pioneered the Energy Star Program. Ms. Zoi earned a B.S. in Geology from Duke University and an M.S. in Engineering from Dartmouth College.

For more information, see the DOE press release.