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DOE Publishes Notice Of Biomass Research And Development Technical Advisory Committee Meeting On August 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. 83 Fed. Reg. 37490. The Committee will meet on August 22, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT) and on August 23, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (EDT). The purpose of these meetings is to promote research and development (R&D) that leads to the production of biobased fuels and products. Agenda items include updates on biomass R&D from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). National laboratories and federal agencies will also be presenting their work on the Bioeconomy Initiative and on prospects and hurdles in the biobased plastics R&D field. The meeting is open to the public for observation or oral statements on any agenda items. Written statements will be accepted by the Committee any time before or after the meeting takes place. To attend the meetings, contact Dr. Mark Elless at 202-568-6501, or via e-mail at Mark.Elless@ee.doe.gov at least five business days prior to the meeting. Federal Senators Collins, Coons Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Promote Innovation In Sustainable Chemistry On July 30, 2018, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chris Coons (D-DE) reintroduced their sustainable chemistry bill, the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2018 (S. 3296). This bill encourages the development of new and innovative chemicals, products and processes with an improved “environmental footprint” through efficient use of resources, reducing or eliminating exposure to hazardous substances, or otherwise minimizing harm to human health and the environment. The legislation is intended to support new innovations in chemistry that benefit the economy, the environment, and human health. The bill supports coordinated efforts in sustainable chemistry across federal agencies through research and development, technology transfer, commercialization, education, and training programs — including partnerships with the private sector. The bill does not include any regulatory components, nor does it authorize new spending. Its goal, rather, is to coordinate better federal activities in sustainable chemistry and encourage industry, academia, nonprofits, and the general public to innovate, develop, and bring to market new sustainable chemicals, materials, products, and processes. International EU Classifies Plants Created Through Mutagenesis As Genetically Modified Organisms On July 25, 2018, the European Union (EU) Supreme Court of Justice ruled that plants with genes that have been altered, even without the insertion of foreign DNA, are classified as genetically modified organisms (GMO) and therefore must undergo the same safety checks for their impacts on the environment and human health as organisms with foreign DNA. According to Bio-Based World News, the ruling “is seen as a victory for environmentalists but a blow for the bio-economy” due to the much stricter rules that apply to GMOs. Bio-based chemicals often require genome editing to provide renewable substitutes for petrochemical building blocks. EuropaBio’s Secretary General, John Brennan, commented on this new ruling stating that it lacks regulatory clarity that is needed by EU researchers, academics, and innovators in the industry to deliver solutions. EuropaBio plans to engage EU Member States and citizens in providing a fact-based dialogue on what genome editing is, and what it will or will not be used for. The Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology’s Director, Detlef Weigel, also criticized the ruling, stating that it was “a sad day for European science.” Industry AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals And Renmatix To Develop Biomass-Derived Additives For Paint And Construction After winning AkzoNobel’s Imagine Chemistry Challenge in 2017, on July 24, 2018, AkzoNobel, a member of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), and Renmatrix announced a decision jointly to develop biomass-based performance additives to improve architectural paints and construction materials. Valuable to green chemistry building blocks, Renmatrix uses techniques that involve converting biomass into cellulosic sugars and bio-fractions. AkzoNobel has agreed to research, develop, and commercialize new products using a form of the newest bio-fraction isolated by Renmatrix: CrytoTM Cellulose, which is a form of crystalline cellulose. The plan is for their joint work to develop a wide range of cellulose-based materials for commercial use. Researchers At North Carolina State University Investigate Biobased Additives That Can Strengthen Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibers On July 24, 2018, a research team at the North Carolina State University announced that biobased glucaric-acid or lignin additives can increase the robustness of polyvinyl alcohol fibers, which can be used in biofriendly products including polymers, detergents, paints, and diapers. The team plans to continue its R&D as a movement towards greener alternatives to support industries using additives with known varying levels of toxicity. This discovery could play a large role in processing plastics for safe contact with food, people, and the environment. In 2004, DOE listed glucaric-acid as one of the top 12 sugar-derived chemicals with the potential to be economic drivers for a biorefinery. Lignin is low in cost and also a waste by-product of the pulp and paper industries, which can also make commercial scale production feasible. Other News
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