2nd Keystone Symposia on biofuels

1. Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology and Singapore’s Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) announce the second Keystone Symposia conference on “Biofuels” in Singapore from 1-6 March 2011.

The conference titled “Biofuels” will discuss: Bioenergy: The Options for an Economic and Sustainable Future, Sustainability of cellulosic ethanol (Biofuel produced from non-food biomass), Algae Biofuels (Deriving fuel from algae), Development of new biomass feedstocks and Potential of Biomass Production in Southeast Asia.

2. The meeting will bring together academia, international scientists and policy makers, to identify promising avenues to a viable biofuels future. Experts will discuss economic and environmental considerations of biofuel technologies, and the integration of biofuels into the existing energy infrastructure. International speakers from academia, government and the private sector will discuss and comment on research and policy. The lineup of internationally renowned speakers includes: Dr. Adam Brown of the International Energy Agency, Professor Timothy Donohue of the University of Wisconsin-Madison/ Great Lakes Bioenergy, Dr. Arthur Grossman of Solazyme, Inc., Professor Lonnie Ingram of the University of Florida, Professor Jay D. Keasling of the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Lee Rybeck Lynd of Dartmouth College, and Professor Amaral Weber of Universidade de São Paulo.

3. The scientific organisers of the conference are Professor Stephen P. Mayfield of the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Martin Keller of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (a US Department of Energy-funded biofuels research center) and Dr. Wong Pui Kwan of A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences. According to Professor Mayfield, “One of the greatest challenges we face today is to develop efficient, sustainable and scalable processes for converting sunlight energy into the food and fuel the world needs. No single renewable-energy strategy will be able to provide a total solution, but a combination of strategies that can be coordinated and integrated effectively has the potential to significantly decrease our dependence on fossil fuel. At this critical time in mapping a new global energy strategy, this symposium will address the potential of cellulosic and algal produced bioenergy as part of a sustainable future for our planet.”

4. Commenting on the upcoming conference, Dr Keith Carpenter, Executive Director, the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences said, “Diversifying our resources away from total dependence on crude oil towards more sustainable sources of fuels and chemicals is a major issue globally for industry and for the economies of many countries. As a society, we face the problem of ensuring reasonable standard of living for all, reducing poverty and maintaining economic growth, whilst minimising the impact we have on our environment. This symposium will bring together leading experts and policy makers from academia, from industry and the public sector to suggest novel ways to address the challenge of providing the energy, fuels and chemicals we need without destroying the planet we live on.”

5. Keystone Symposia conferences are well known for sparking collaborations as a result of their fairly small, intimate size as well as free time and poster sessions that encourage lively interaction. This meeting will additionally feature a special networking dinner at the Asian Civilisations Museum which will allow visiting attendees to meet with Singapore’s energy sector. A tour of Jurong Island, where A*STAR maintains research facilities within its Institute for Chemical and Engineering Sciences, will give participants a first-hand look at the biofuels research work.

6. More information on the conference programme can be found at www.keystonesymposia.org/biofuels. Keystone Symposia held its first meeting on Biofuels in 2009 in US. The conference is also supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Caroline CHIA
Tel.: +65 6796 3884
Fax.: +65 6873 4805
Email: chialic@scei.a-star.edu.sg
About Keystone Symposia
Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organisation, has been conducting internationally renowned, open scientific conferences since 1972 and has been headquartered in Summit County, Colorado since 1990, when the organisation left the University of California at Los Angeles. Annually, Keystone Symposia holds more than 50 meetings involving more than 13,000 scientists from around the world. Registration fees are supplemented by generous monetary support from corporate, foundation, and individual donors as well as government grants.

More information on Keystone Symposia can be found at www.keystonesymposia.org, and full details on the 2010 meeting series can be viewed at www.keystonesymposia.org/2010meetings.

For collaboration enquiries, please contact: collaboration@ices.a-star.edu.sg

About the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES)

Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Established in 2002, its mission is to carry out world class scientific research, to develop novel technology and to nurture creative scientists and engineers to support economic growth in Singapore to make a positive difference to society. The research area covers chemistry and chemical engineering science, combined with advanced analytical characterisation and measurement to develop state of the art technology for the petrochemical, general chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

For more information, visit www.ices.a-star.edu.sg

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and seven consortia & centres, which are located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity.

A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.

For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg

Media Contact

Lee Swee Heng Research asia research news

More Information:

http://www.a-star.edu.sg

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