Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

John Benemann

Then: July 27, 2007, was in Oviedo, Spain at the 4th European Phycological Congress.  Gave a talk:  MICROALGAE FOR  GREENHOUSE GAS ABATEMENT, BIOFUELS PRODUCTION, AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT  by John  R. Benemann  Affiliation: Manager, International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and  Greenhouse Gas Abatement.  And went to banquet.  At the time had just started MicroBio Engineering Inc., located at San Luis Obispo.

Now: OK, still at that … Only advance since then is that I was elevated to the  Dr. kNOw of microalgae by Jim Lane.””July 27, 2017, same-old-same-old.  Lisbon, Portugal, had lunch at Alguimya, an experimental restaurant specializing in algae cuisine….  end of my three week sojourn in France, Germany and Portugal, at ISAP2017 (Int. Soc. Applied Phycology, received some sort of prize) and visited several algae companies. MicroBio Engineering Inc., San Luis Obispo, is now up to 15 employees, even more projects, consulting and other activities, including a (not be announced soon) production project.”

Inspirations: The Advanced Bioeconomy (capitalize it, please), is our future… But we still live in the present, so much work left to be done.

Challenges:  Reducing the exuberant optimism and exaggerated projections made by too many of what the Advanced Bioeconomy will be able to actually deliver.