Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 10:30 AM
S126
How SIM enabled my addiction to fungal bioconversions
Linda L. Lasure, VerdiChrys Technologies, Inc., Fall City, WA
How SIM enabled my addiction to fungal bioconversions
To my chagrin the object of my first scientific infatuation turns out to be an algal species. (Darn those genomic analyses.) Maybe that explains why Achlya doesn’t appear to have any useful properties as it relates to bioconversion. My second affair was with a reputable fungus whose job for Miles Laboratories was the conversion of corn and soybean meal to an industrial enzyme. An arranged romance with plant cells as microorganisms (the subject of the first talk I ever gave at SIM) never did work out and I enjoyed simultaneous affairs with various fungal species…most of them had Aspergillus as a first name. While at Miles I experienced a bioconversion: I converted from an ASM snob to a card carrying SIMer. My addiction to fungi led me to PanLabs and the famous smoked salmon raffles that were a regular feature of the SIM meetings in the early 90’s. (Just for the record I had nothing to do with the infamous Coffee-gate at the only SIM meeting ever held in Seattle.)
SIM through the annual meetings has provided an important mechanism for exploring the ultimate fungal bioconversion; the harnessing of the filamentous fungi to convert cellulosic biomass to biofuel and products. And, here too I will take the opportunity to share with you my latest addiction.
To my chagrin the object of my first scientific infatuation turns out to be an algal species. (Darn those genomic analyses.) Maybe that explains why Achlya doesn’t appear to have any useful properties as it relates to bioconversion. My second affair was with a reputable fungus whose job for Miles Laboratories was the conversion of corn and soybean meal to an industrial enzyme. An arranged romance with plant cells as microorganisms (the subject of the first talk I ever gave at SIM) never did work out and I enjoyed simultaneous affairs with various fungal species…most of them had Aspergillus as a first name. While at Miles I experienced a bioconversion: I converted from an ASM snob to a card carrying SIMer. My addiction to fungi led me to PanLabs and the famous smoked salmon raffles that were a regular feature of the SIM meetings in the early 90’s. (Just for the record I had nothing to do with the infamous Coffee-gate at the only SIM meeting ever held in Seattle.)
SIM through the annual meetings has provided an important mechanism for exploring the ultimate fungal bioconversion; the harnessing of the filamentous fungi to convert cellulosic biomass to biofuel and products. And, here too I will take the opportunity to share with you my latest addiction.