The Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference 2016 (ABLC 2016) will be held February 17-19, 2016 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. ABLC is the gathering point for top leaders in the Advanced Bioeconomy — bringing together the entire spectrum of advanced fuels, chemicals, and materials CEOs and senior executives, business development, R&D leaders, strategic partners, financiers, equity analysts, policymakers, and industry suppliers. Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Senior Chemist for...
February 12, 2016
Nominations Open For Annual George Washington Carver Award And Rosalind Franklin Award
On February 1, 2016, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced that nominations for the ninth annual George Washington Carver Award were being accepted. The award recognizes an individual who has contributed to building the biobased economy by creating sustainable, environmentally friendly products through industrial biotechnology. Previous recipients of the award include Ellen Kullman, CEO and Chair of the Board at DuPont and Dr. Jay Keasling, Hubbard Howe Jr. Distinguished...
On February 2, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced that it is preparing the reviewer pool for the funding opportunity announcement "Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield, Phase 2." The Advanced Algal Systems Program within BETO is looking for experts who are not part of an application team to apply as potential merit reviewers. The Program also needs experts to review a recent update to the National Algal Biofuels Technology...
On February 12, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a request for information (RFI) from biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders on existing biofuels and bioproducts plant capabilities. The facilities should have the "capability to perform process verifications for biomass conversion pathways to biofuels, bioproducts, or intermediates that integrate multiple unit operations on a scale of approximately 0.5 or greater tons of dry biomass input per day." The RFI...
February 11, 2016
NIOSH Extends Comment Period on Draft CIB on Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Silver Nanomaterials
On February 10, 2016, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice extending the comment period on the draft NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Silver Nanomaterials. As reported in our January 22, 2016, blog item, the draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) includes a review and assessment of the currently available scientific literature on the toxicological effects of exposure to...
February 10, 2016
Bayer Announces That It Will Not Submit Voluntary Cancellation Requests for Flubendiamide
Significant issues concerning the scope of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to cancel conditional registrations are raised by recent events concerning flubendiamide products sold in the U.S. by BayerCrop Science LP (Bayer) under the trade name Belt. Bayer announced on February 5, 2016, that it will not comply with EPA’s request that Bayer “voluntarily” cancel its registered flubendiamide products. In a January 29, 2016, letter, EPA stated that...
February 6, 2016
EC Publishes Inception Impact Assessment Concerning Possible REACH Annex Amendments for Registration of Nanomaterials
On February 2, 2016, the European Commission (EC) published an inception impact assessment concerning “Possible amendments of Annexes to REACH for registration of nanomaterials.” According to the inception impact assessment, the EC identified a need for more specific requirements for nanomaterials to ensure further clarity on how nanomaterials are addressed and safety demonstrated in registration dossiers to attain the aims of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and...
On January 26, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges from the Application of Pesticides in the Federal Register, which applies to discharges of pesticides to waters of the United States. EPA is requesting comments on the draft permit by March 11, 2016. This draft 2016 pesticide general permit (PGP) is largely an updated version of the 2011 PGP,...
February 5, 2016
Neste’s Renewable Diesel Is Now Available In Italian Alps, Will Power Marcialonga Cross-Country Ski
On January 26, 2016, Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member Neste Oil announced that Tamoil has begun selling arctic diesel containing renewable diesel produced by Neste in the northern Italian Alps region. The fuel, Gasolio Artico Tamoil – New Generation Diesel, will contain at least 20 percent renewable diesel and will reduce emissions while providing excellent performance in cold conditions. Neste's renewable diesel does not contain conventional fatty acid...
The 2016 World Bio Markets Bio Business Awards are now accepting nominations for categories covering people, companies, and projects that have advanced the bioeconomy. The eight categories for the 2016 awards are: Biofuels Partnership of the Year; Bio-Based Brand of the Year; Breakthrough Bio-Based Technology Platform; WBM Bio-Based Business Person of the Year; Bio-Based Chemical Partnership of the Year; WBM Industry Champion 2016; Bio-Based Product...
February 5, 2016
Dates And Locations Of “Modernizing The Regulatory System For Biotechnology Products” Meetings Annou
On February 1, 2016, the dates and locations for the last two public engagement sessions discussing the "Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products" memorandum were announced. The first meeting occurred on October 30, 2015, and a record of the meeting is available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The second of the three meetings will be held on March 9, 2016, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Region 6 office...
February 5, 2016
Biotechnology: APHIS Seeks Comment on Potentially Significant Changes to Regulations Regarding GE Or
According to a Federal Register notice published on February 5, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 6225, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced its intent to "prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection with potential changes to the regulations regarding the importation, interstate movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered [(GE)] organisms." The notice identifies...
February 3, 2016
OSTP Seeks Nanotechnology Commercialization Success Stories
On February 2, 2016, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published in the Federal Register a request for information (RFI) seeking examples of commercialization success stories stemming from U.S. government-funded nanotechnology research and development (R&D) since the inception of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in 2001. OSTP states that the information gathered in response to this RFI may be used as examples to highlight the NNI’s...
February 3, 2016
OSTP Announces Second and Third Public Engagement Sessions for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products
On February 1, 2016, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced the dates and locations for the second and third public engagement sessions that will discuss the July 2, 2015, memorandum entitled “Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products.” The second public meeting will be held on March 9, 2016, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 6 office at 1445 Ross Avenue in Dallas, Texas. The third public...
February 2, 2016
OECD Publishes Reports Concerning Nanomaterials
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has posted the following reports concerning nanomaterials:...
On January 28, 2016, in docket EPA–HQ–OPP–2015–0302, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted its revised Antimicrobial Pesticides Use Site Index (USI). In the USI, EPA states that it “has developed [the USI] to provide guidance about the antimicrobial pesticide use sites associated with these antimicrobial pesticide use patterns,” and it “is a guidance document to assist applicants in identifying the data that are necessary to support registration of...
On February 1, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Yu-Ting Guilaran has been selected as the new Director of the Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (PRD) within the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), effective February 7, 2016. Yu-Ting has been the Biological and Economic Analysis Division (BEAD) Director since 2013, and with the agency for nearly 25 years. She has worked in EPA’s Office of Water, Office of International and Tribal Affairs, and Region 10’s...
On January 22, 2016, Ontario released for consultation a draft Health Action Plan (Plan) to reduce losses of honeybees and other pollinators caused by several “stressors” stated in the Plan to include: (1) reduced habitat and poor nutrition; (2) diseases, pests, and genetics; (3) exposure to pesticides; and (4) extreme weather and climate change. This action plan is part of a broader strategy to protect pollinators, with Ontario’s aim, in part, to reach an 80 percent...
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) posted a blog item on January 25, 2016, on “Educating and Inspiring Students through Nanotechnology.” The blog item states that to reap the benefits of nanotechnology, “we must train our Nation’s students for these high-tech jobs of the future.” The blog item announces that a new six-part video series, “Nanotechnology: Super Small Science,” shows how to educate and inspire students though nanotechnology. The...
On January 25, 2016, in a significant development in the case involving the continued registration of DowAgrosciences LLC’s (DowAgro) Enlist Duo product, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Case Nos. 14-73353, et al. (consolidated), denied the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) motion for voluntary vacatur of the Enlist Duo registration, but granted EPA’s motion to remand its decision granting that registration. DowAgro’s December 7, 2015, response to the...