Presents:
Green Innovation: The Emergence of San Diego as a Hub for Biofuel Innovation
Presented by:
Steven Briggs, Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology, UC San Diego
Program Overview:
Biofuels, defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel obtained from lifeless or living biological materials and various plants and plant-derived materials, are positioned to provide a revolutionary new source of energy. They can be produced domestically, at reasonable cost, by re-cycling carbon dioxide from the air so that no pollution is created, and climate change is slowed, which garners them a significant competitive advantage. Biofuels have the ability to mitigate the risks posed to our national security and economy by competition for coal and oil, and by climate change. However, there are formidable obstacles to overcome in order to switch from the use of ancient energy sources to these new, renewable energy sources. Crop plants and trees are currently being used for biofuel production, but don’t grow fast enough to meet existing needs. Photosynthetic microbes do grow fast enough, but the technology and infrastructure required to produce them on a global scale does not yet exist.
San Diego has emerged as a hub for academic and industrial biotechnology research, poised to solve the challenges of biofuel production. Success could ultimately lead to the replacement of fossil fuels by a renewable energy industry, and the transformation of San Diego into a world leader in biofuel innovation.
Who Should Attend:
Scientists, engineers, physicians, healthcare leaders, venture capitalists, technology and life sciences professionals, services providers, and business leaders.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Steven Briggs is currently a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California (UC), San Diego. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Briggs has an acclaimed history as an innovator in the field of plant genomics. Dr. Briggs was the first person to isolate and characterize a plant gene for resistance to infectious disease, as well as the first to discover a natural mechanism for plant resistance to infection. He also invented the first reverse genetics technology for plants, which is still widely used in maize research, and was the first to use artificial transcription factors to regulate endogenous genes in plants.
In 1998, Dr. Briggs founded the Torrey Mesa Research Institute (originally as the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute). As President and CEO of TMRI, he led the team that produced a draft sequence of the rice genome, which provided a framework for genomics in all other grass crops (maize, wheat, barley, oats, rye, and sugarcane). Under his direction, TMRI created the first plant (Arabidopsis) GeneChip, the first reverse genetics technology for Arabidopsis, the first crop GeneChip (for rice), the first exon GeneChip (for Arabidopsis), and the first large-scale plant proteome (for rice).
His current research explores infectious disease in plants and the regulation of self-renewal and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. In addition to his many academic accolades, Dr. Briggs has extensive industry experience. As Research Director at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Dr. Briggs supervised the combined genomics program between Pioneer and DuPont. As Senior Vice President for Corporate Research at Diversa, Dr. Briggs invented the Designed Regulatory Protein (DRP) technology that can regulate any human gene.
Dr. Briggs received his B.S. in botany from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University.
Steven Briggs, Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology, UC San Diego
Program Overview:
Biofuels, defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel obtained from lifeless or living biological materials and various plants and plant-derived materials, are positioned to provide a revolutionary new source of energy. They can be produced domestically, at reasonable cost, by re-cycling carbon dioxide from the air so that no pollution is created, and climate change is slowed, which garners them a significant competitive advantage. Biofuels have the ability to mitigate the risks posed to our national security and economy by competition for coal and oil, and by climate change. However, there are formidable obstacles to overcome in order to switch from the use of ancient energy sources to these new, renewable energy sources. Crop plants and trees are currently being used for biofuel production, but don’t grow fast enough to meet existing needs. Photosynthetic microbes do grow fast enough, but the technology and infrastructure required to produce them on a global scale does not yet exist.
San Diego has emerged as a hub for academic and industrial biotechnology research, poised to solve the challenges of biofuel production. Success could ultimately lead to the replacement of fossil fuels by a renewable energy industry, and the transformation of San Diego into a world leader in biofuel innovation.
Who Should Attend:
Scientists, engineers, physicians, healthcare leaders, venture capitalists, technology and life sciences professionals, services providers, and business leaders.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Steven Briggs is currently a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California (UC), San Diego. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Briggs has an acclaimed history as an innovator in the field of plant genomics. Dr. Briggs was the first person to isolate and characterize a plant gene for resistance to infectious disease, as well as the first to discover a natural mechanism for plant resistance to infection. He also invented the first reverse genetics technology for plants, which is still widely used in maize research, and was the first to use artificial transcription factors to regulate endogenous genes in plants.
In 1998, Dr. Briggs founded the Torrey Mesa Research Institute (originally as the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute). As President and CEO of TMRI, he led the team that produced a draft sequence of the rice genome, which provided a framework for genomics in all other grass crops (maize, wheat, barley, oats, rye, and sugarcane). Under his direction, TMRI created the first plant (Arabidopsis) GeneChip, the first reverse genetics technology for Arabidopsis, the first crop GeneChip (for rice), the first exon GeneChip (for Arabidopsis), and the first large-scale plant proteome (for rice).
His current research explores infectious disease in plants and the regulation of self-renewal and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. In addition to his many academic accolades, Dr. Briggs has extensive industry experience. As Research Director at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Dr. Briggs supervised the combined genomics program between Pioneer and DuPont. As Senior Vice President for Corporate Research at Diversa, Dr. Briggs invented the Designed Regulatory Protein (DRP) technology that can regulate any human gene.
Dr. Briggs received his B.S. in botany from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University.
Date:
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Time:
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.
Location:
AMN Healthcare
12400 High Bluff Drive # 100
San Diego, CA 92130
Note: Lunch will be provided for participants.
Contact:
Bethany Kraynack
Email: bkraynack@connect.org
Phone: 858-964-1312
Fees:
CONNECT Members: $15
Non-Members: $25
Students: $10
At the Door $35
Event website:
http://www.connect.org/calendar/functions/popup.php?ev=2455041&readFile=0&readSQL=1&showCat=1|2|3|4|5|63|8|6|7|9|10|11|13|18|14|12|15|16|17|19|20&oc=1
Date:
Tuesday, July 28, 200912:00PM-1:30PM
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Location:
12400 High Bluff DriveSan Diego, CA 92130
