Ceres Biofuels

Ceres Biofuels
History
Ceres has been operational since 1997, and was founded as a genomics technology firm. The headquarters is located in California, with a subsidiary in Brazil since 2010 ((Ceres. Brazil Home. http://www.ceres.net/ceressementes (Accessed March 26, 2013) )). The goal of this company is the research and development of various energy crops using genetic approaches for the purpose of increasing the yield of biomass and ultimately, creating high-efficiency crops for biofuel production ((Ceres. History. http://www.ceres.net/AboutUs/AboutUs-CompOvw-History.html (Accessed March 26, 2013) )). Over the last sixteen years Ceres has partnered with many research companies involved in genomics and gene expression (such as Keygene and Genset) to sequence the genes of different plants. Using this knowledge the company has been able, and continues to, create different varieties of energy crops to improve yield and decrease input cost.
Below is a history of the main accomplishments of Ceres since its inception in 1997.
Adapted from http://www.ceres.net/AboutUs/AboutUs-CompOvw-History.html
Switchgrass
The consumption of corn in the conversion to corn ethanol is a growing concern. Not only does corn ethanol deplete corn resources from human and animal consumption, it also consumes valuable arable cropland. On the other hand, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) can be harvested from under-utilized cropland that is not ideal for feed stocks. Switchgrass is a resilient warm season perennial grass that is able to yield large quantities of biomass with less input (water and fertilizer) than nearly all other crops. As such, these plants are able to grow up to eighteen feet from root to tip. Not only is this large crop able to effectively produce more biomass than most plants, its large root structure allows it to capture five tonnes of atmospheric CO2 per year((McLaughlin and Kszos, 2005 “Development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a bioenergy feedstock in the United States.” Biomass Bioenergy 28:515-535)). Thus, switchgrass has the potential to net a negative carbon footprint ((http://www.ceres.net/Products/Products-Switchgrass.html)).
Switchgrass cultivar Products
Cultivar is a plant or a hybrid of plants that are mainly artificially selected for based on useful traits. Agricultural crops are selected for based on characteristics of higher yield, flavor, and resistance to disease. Switchgrass EG 1101 is a transgenic strain of switchgrass that confers traits of increased herbicide resistance, insect resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases, sterility control, increased biomass, increased drought tolerance, increased resistance to temperature and light fluctuations, decreased lignin content, increased cellulose content, and altered hemicellulose content((http://www.google.com/patents/US8319009)). Similarily, Ceres’ products EG 1102 and EG 2101 switchgrass products are listed below. Generally, all products have increased biomass yield, higher resistance, higher biofuel conversion potential, and rust resistance, when compared to the wildtype stock((http://www.bladeenergy.com/SwitchProducts.aspx)).
In 2008, Ceres marketed their switchgrass seed brand for cellulosic feedstock under the name Blade, which will be the first multi-crop seeds that will supply the new market for non-food, low carbon footprint, high biofuel feedstocks((http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/15918)). By providing a multi-crop seed, this allows biofuel producers to use a mix of crops to reduce risks and increase flexibility in environmental conditions from year to year. Ceres is heavily invested in feedstocks, and holds one of the world’s greatest and exclusive collections of fully sequenced plant genes.
High-biomass Sorghum
High-biomass sorghum is a quick-growing dedicated annual energy crop. Similar to switchgrass, sorghum can efficiently use its inputs (water and fertilizer), thus is able to excel in croplands that are not inhabitable by human or animal food stocks. However, sorghum is an important crop used in food (as a grain) or sugar (as a syrup or molasses), which may raise controversy. Unlike switchgrass, which is usually harvested in the second season, sorghum is able to establish itself quickly and produce large quantities of biomass as soon as 90 days. Moreover, it can grow up to 18 ft. tall((http://www.ceres.net/Products/Products-SweetSorghum.html)).
In the last quarter of 2012, Ceres revealed its partnership with Syngenta, as these companies plan to implement sweet sorghum as a fermentable sugar source into ethanol mills. In the previous season, Brazilian plantations grew Ceres sweet sorghum on more than 7400 acres. Moreover, the hybrid plants were averaging at least 80 metric tons per hectare((http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2012/12/31/biofuels-digests-2012-new-feedstock-trial-award-ceres-sweet-sorghum/)).
Genomics
Genomics includes the all-encompassing, concurrent study of immense numbers of genes. Furthermore, aside from DNA sequencing and gene identification, Ceres focuses a large amount of their resources on discovering gene function, gene regulation, and the effects of gene activity on other genes. In so doing, this research makes plant breeding even more successful. The use of genomics tools allows the analysis of large gene families and multifaceted biological processes regulated by many genes. Genomics also enables the creation of detailed maps to pilot the final product.
Initial tests are conducted on Arabidopsis plants, which are small plants with a short growing cycle at about six weeks called. Due to its small genome consisting of five chromosomes, and its similar properties to other plants, Arabidopsis is a suitable plant for research.
Genes that improve this model are established in a rice variety. Traits that increase the energy yield are then applied into actual energy crops. This allows for the plant breeding procedure and its development more efficient, and thus yields a higher success rate((http://www.ceres.net/technology/Tech-Ovw-Genomics.html)).
Plant Breeding with Markers
STraditional breeding to select for favourable traits by constantly crossing, growing, and further selecting traits is effective, but not time or money efficient. By the use of Cere’s unique approach at marker-assisted breeding (MAB), tools are used to “flag” favourable genetic sequences so that they can easily be identified without assessing the plant itself. Moreover, the power of MAB is highlighted when the researchers are seeking to select multiple traits, as seen in commercial lines. This is simply impossible with traditional cross-breeding techniques.
Collaborations
Ceres intellectual property is substantial, with having exclusive rights to nearly 110 issues patents, and 200 U.S. and foreign patent applications pending. Their intellectual property has allowed them to not only sequence full gene sequences, but also accurately specify the gene function too. Ceres is thorough with their research, as they investigate many variations of the same gene, often from many different plant species. This allows them to expand the complexity and scope of their intellectual property.
Novozymes and Ceres Partnership on Biofuel Crops
The world’s largest enzyme provider, Novozymes, and Ceres have established a research collaboration to jointly develop modified plant varieties and enzyme blends for cellulosic biofuel production. Their aim is to increase the efficiency in converting biomass to fuel, with effective enzymes and high yielding energy crops, to elevate the current processes by lowering capital and operating costs.
<hi #c0c0c0>“This is an example of how technology providers from different parts of the value chain are coming together to make cellulosic biofuel a commercial reality. Energy crops have an important role to play in the world’s future, sustainable energy mix. According to the Billion Ton Study by the US Department of Energy, one third of the total sustainably collected biomass potential from agricultural resources can come from perennial crops”, said Cynthia Bryant, Global Biomass Business Development Manager of Novozymes.</hi>
Range Fuels
Range Fuels, a biofuel startup company based in Georgia, announced a partnership with Ceres in September 2008. Range Fuels targeted Ceres for a multiyear contract to test their highly resistance and high yielding varieties of switchgrass and high-biomass sorghum. Moreover, Range Fuels plans to use these high energy crops to produce biofuels, through a thermo-chemical conversion process. This process is able to convert sun-dried feedstocks like woodchips, paper pulp, and olive pits into ethanol.
Range Fuels projects to start in 2009 with the production of 100 million gallons of fuel/year. Although they have not explicitly stated their $1/gallon price range that other competitors provide, Range Fuels states their fuel to be considerably lower than enzymatic processes and corn ethanol production costs, which were nearing $2/gallon at the time of the article.
<hi #ffff00>**Update:**</hi> At the end of 2011, Range Fuels was forced by law to liquidate its one and only factory after failing to produce fuel. This cellulosic ethanol company, with funding as much as $156 million U.S. loans and grants, fails as the government pulls the plug.
The plant was faced technical difficulties and conflicts, which resulted in the plant running at half capacity. More importantly, the plant produced cellulosic methanol, a fuel source in which EPA deems ineligible for use in biofuel targets.
Brand/Marketing
Blade Energy Crops® is a Ceres Inc. brand under which the company markets its seeds. The Blade brand was first launched in 2008 and continues to make the energy crop seeds developed by Ceres Inc. available for commercial purchase ((Ceres. News Release. http://www.ceres.net/news/NewsReleases/2008/04-29-08-News-Rel.html (Accessed March 26, 2013) )). Currently, the website for Blade Energy Crops offers switchgrass, high-biomass sorghum and sweet sorghum seeds, all of which have been developed specifically for bioenergy production ((Blade Energy Crops. Book Seed Online For 2013 Plantings. http://www.bladeenergy.com/Order2.aspx (Accessed March 26, 2013) )).
Funding
Ceres was awarded a grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This grant was given for the company to research and develop high-yielding traits in rice for the purpose of utilizing the technology in Asia. The goal of this project is to minimize the input and cost of production of rice and to increase the yield and grain quality in hopes of maintaining food security ((Ceres. Technology. http://www.ceres.net/Technology/Tech-R&D-Grants.html (Accessed March 26, 2013) )).
In 2006, the company received $1.5 million in a research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to double the switchgrass yields by 2020.
In 2008, Ceres started a project to develop switchgrass varieties to improve the production of biofuels by altering the cell wall properties. Doing so would make the plant material easier to process and would increase production efficiency. Backing this project was a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a joint USDA and U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Research and Development Initiative grant program. The grant received by Ceres for this project was worth $0.8 million.
In 2009, the company received a grant award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a U.S agency that promotes the research and development of energy technology ((ARPA-E. About. http://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=arpa-e-site-page/about (Accessed March 26, 2013) )). Funding from this agency is highly competitive and the projects chosen are typically seen as cutting-edge and as having high potential. The grant was given to Ceres to specifically research low-input high-yield traits in energy grasses such as sorghum, switchgrass, and miscanthus ((Ceres. Technology. http://www.ceres.net/Technology/Tech-R&D-Grants.html (Accessed March 26, 2013) )). The aim is to evaluate various input requirements such as fertilizer, and to attempt to improve carbon and nitrogen cycles. The grant lasted three years and awarded a total of $5 million to the project.
Patents
Up to 2011, Ceres had rights to 110 issued patents, with about 200 patent applications pending ((http://www.ceres.net/Technology/Tech-IP.html)). According to one database, the company filed 12 patent applications between 2012-2013 ((http://www.faqs.org/patents/assignee/ceres-inc/)). Many of the patents are to protect information about the genetic and polypeptide sequences discovered in various plant species by the company and its collaborators.

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