Time: July 15, 2017, 9:00 am
Venue: Conference room in Biotechnology Building
Lecturer: Dr. Joel R. Cherry, R&D President of Amyris, Inc., USA
Abstract:
We are in the midst of a biological revolution that is making it possible to use engineered organisms that consume low-cost, renewable materials and convert them to chemicals previously derived from petroleum. Driven by increasing concerns over climate change, and fuelled by breakthroughs in biology, genomics, and computer science, economically replacing chemicals with renewables is not only possible, but essential. Amyris is at the forefront of this revolution, but many challenges remain. Entrenched chemistry mindsets, a fully depreciated petroleum infrastructure, and fear of a new technology all slow entry of renewables into the marketplace. During this presentation, I will describe the development of our synthetic biology platform combining breakthrough molecular biology, automation, and machine learning to dramatically speed up the development timeline for new molecules, then describe how we use it to bring new molecules to market, ending with a picture of where we are going next. And all the associated challenges!
Introduction:
Dr. Joel R. CHERRY has over 24 years' experience in Industrial Biotechnology, with a track record of bringing biotech products to market. He served as the Senior Director of Bioenergy Biotechnology at Novozymes and as a member of the R&D executive management team, specializing in protein engineering and directed evolution. As Principal Investigator and Director of the BioEnergy Project, a U.S. Department of Energy-funded $30 million effort, he led a cross-functional team of more than 100 scientists around the globe to reduce the cost of cellulases for the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. This work was awarded an R&D 100 Award, Scientific American Top 50 Award, and a Frost and Sullivan Emerging Technology Award. In 2008, he joined Amyris, Inc., and currently is the President of Research and Development. At Amyris, he oversees the development of microorganisms that efficiently convert plant-derived feedstocks to chemicals for use in pharmaceuticals, fuels, fragrances, and consumer goods. In 2014 Amyris won the Presidential Green Chemistry awards for their development of farnesane as a diesel fuel. Dr. Cherry has authored over 30 papers and invented 25 patents.
Contact: Prof. ZHAO Zongbao, 1816 Group
Phone: 82469211