Event Date
Dr. William J. Orts is the Research Leader for Bioproducts at the USDA’s Western Regional Research Center, Albany. CA, leading a team of researchers that develops biorefinery strategies for crop byproducts generally found in the Western U.S. Orts has over 35 years of experience in sustainable chemistry with >300 publications, 15 patents, with multiple inventions licensed and commercialized. Orts began his career scaling up production of industrial biopolymers, with PhD research carried out at Xerox Research to optimize the commercial properties of polyhydroxyalkanoate, PHA, biopolymers. Orts is proud to work with a team that successfully converts lab ideas into prototype market opportunities.
In this presentation, Orts will discuss how USDA researchers continue to work closely with strategic commercial partners to produce sustainable biomaterials. Examples of commercial products will be presented, in conjunction with discussing the economic and policy drivers behind these commercially successful bioproducts.