ARS technicians assess biomass materials for biofuels production FLICKR, U.S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Yesterday (April 26), the White House released its “Bioeconomy Blueprint,” a strategy to spur the development of biological products in the United States, including medical treatments, crops, biofuels, and more.
“The bioeconomy has emerged as an Obama Administration priority because of its tremendous potential for growth as well as the many other societal benefits it offers,” said the document’s executive summary. The country’s current bioeconomy is centered on genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, and automated high-throughput manipulations of biomolecules, the report cited. Emerging technologies, it continued, include synthetic biology, proteomics, and bioinformatics.
Initial reactions from the biotech industry are positive. “Replacing chemistry with biology—fossil fuels with biofuels—puts steel in the ground, creates jobs, and powers our economy,” Adam Monroe, president of Denmark-based biotech Novozymes, told Biofuels ...
