CBE Seminar (Hybrid): Adventures in Biotechnology from UCI to the Marketplace

Non-UCI persons: Please use this registration link: https://forms.gle/6FwQayA6oancTRcz8

Abstract: Advances in biotechnology are vital to bridging vital nutritional gaps around the world, providing future food technology to feed the growing population, fueling our society in a sustainable way and healing our planet through carbon negative materials. There is not one universal microbe or process technology that can address these growing needs; an integrated approach to strain, process and product development is needed, which builds upon the chemical and biological engineering principles taught at UC Irvine. In this presentation, I will discuss my deep and broad experiences in developing and commercializing numerous winning technologies in all these product categories.

Bio: Jon Hansen is senior vice president of process technology at Newlight Technologies, a company focused on using greenhouse gasses and the power of biotechnology to produce advanced sustainable materials. Hansen has over 35 patent families focused on the development of biotechnological processes and/or use of various microbes (yeast, bacteria, algae, fungi) to produce fatty acids, antioxidants, amino acids, biomolecules, polymers and fuels. He has designed and built numerous industrial fermenters and manufacturing plants for bioproduction. Hansen is an alumnus of UC Irvine, receiving his doctoral degree in chemical and biochemical engineering in 1996 under the direction of UCI’s founding chair of CBE, Professor Henry Lim.

Host: Professor Vasan Venugopalan