Dr. Lisbeth Olsson, Professor and Co-Director at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, will be presenting a seminar on Friday July 12, 2013 from 9:00-9:30 am in the Forest Sciences Centre, 2424 Main Mall, Room 2916. Please join us to hear a talk on “Bio-based Economy Possibilities and Challenges: A Swedish Perspective”.
Abstract:
Our society faces great challenges for the future, one being the replacement of petroleum with biomass derived raw materials as feed-stocks for the production of fuels, chemicals and materials, the so-called bio-based economy. In recent years, the Swedish Government has put renewed emphasis on revitalizing the national forest sector as well as trying to catalyze the move of the country to a more bio-based, sustainable economy. As part of this overview, examples from on-going and recently approved research programs in the Industrial Biotechnology group at Chalmers University, Sweden, will be given. The presentation will describe the progress and lessons learned from developing microorganisms and processes for lignocellulosic derived bioetha-nol production. The work will be discussed from the perspective of developing processes for the future bio-based economy. In particular, the prospect of developing biorefinery concepts that allow the production of a portfolio of different products in an energy and material efficient way will be high-lighted.
Brief Biographical Sketch:
Lisbeth Olsson is professor in bioprocess technology at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. She heads the Industrial Biotechnology group, which consists of 25 persons working broadly on the design and use of microorganisms and enzymes for the bioconversion of plant cell wall materials to bulk chemicals and high value added products. Professor Olsson’s many years of experience researching lignocellulosic bio-ethanol production are now being applied to the development of the “Biorefinery concept”. Prof. Olsson is a Principal Investigator in the Swedish Wallenberg Wood Science Centre. The Centre has as a goal of designing novel materials from wood. She is also the co-director of the Area of Advance Energy at Chalmers. The Areas of Advance program brings together education, research and innovation to successfully meet the needs of society and contribute to a sustainable future. The Area of Advance of Energy is the recipient of a large, strategic governmental grant with a national responsibility to develop Sweden as a leader in sustainable energy production.
See seminar poster here:
2013_07_08_Dr. Olsson_WoodScience