If you have a conservationist’s mindset, you probably got a little distressed spotting all those beautiful, discarded Christmas trees lining America’s gutters and curbs the past couple of weeks – seemingly unceremoniously tossed after providing just a few weeks of cheer. Stop fretting! Instead, celebrate what has become a massive annual international recycling effort that is having some interesting turns and twists along the way!

Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S and BRAIN AG, a leading European industrial biotechnology company, located in Zwingenberg, Germany, join forces in the field of the biobased fermentative production of industrially relevant biochemicals from renewable raw materials.

DuPont today announced that the breakthrough bio-based ingredient, Zemea® propanediol, has been independently evaluated by NSF International and now is listed in the CleanGredients® database as passing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) screen. Zemea® is produced and marketed by the DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products joint venture.

Do you miss Rodney Dangerfield? I do! You couldn't help but love the guy. There he was up on stage, tugging at his shirt collar, sweating and rolling his eyes; he looked like he was having anything but a good time. But talk about dedication to his job! Take a few minutes to read his life story sometime on the Internet or anywhere else, and you'll find out that here was a guy who just kept getting up again every time Life walloped him.

On December 12, Europe, Flanders and The Netherlands have joined forces within the framework of an Interreg IV project and allocated €21 million to Bio Base Europe. Bio Base Europe is the largest Interreg project ever granted to the Dutch-Flemish border region. Bio Base Europe will build research and training facilities for biobased activities, in order to speed up the development of a sustainable biobased economy in Europe.

Purdue University researchers found a mechanism that naturally shuts down cellulose production in plants, and learning how to keep that switch turned on may be key to enhancing biomass production for plant-based biofuels. Nicholas Carpita, a professor of botany and plant pathology, said that small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) play a normal role in plant development by shutting off genes involved in primary cell wall growth in order to begin development of thicker, secondary cell walls.

DNP Green Technology and ARD are pleased to announce that their Bioamber joint venture has obtained the necessary permits and begun construction of the world's first production plant for bio-based succinic acid. The succinic acid plant will have an annual production capacity of 2,000 metric tons and will be integrated into an existing bio-refinery located in Pomacle, France.

Ford Motor Company’s commitment to being a ‘green’ automaker goes beyond improving fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions. Ford also is leading the industry in its award-winning use of environmentally friendly, soy-based foam in seat backs and cushions.