Tuesday, October 7, 2008

General Motors scientist joins Mascoma panel

By Mass High Tech Staff

Andreas M. Lippert, director of Global Energy Systems for General Motors Corp., has joined a scientific advisory board for Boston-based Mascoma Corp., strengthening ties between the automaker and Mascoma as it moves closer to commercial production of a cellulosic ethanol.

The advisory board provides key insights on technical, engineering and business strategies for purposes of converting cellulosic biomass into bio-fuel, Mascoma said.

Dartmouth College engineers Lee Lynd and Charles Wyman founded Mascoma in 2005 to create a cheaper ethanol that would be practical for large-scale production. Mascoma’s research and development facilities remain in Lebanon, N.H. and its offices are now sited in Boston.

A joint research team from Dartmouth and Mascoma last month said it has genetically engineered a thermophilic bacterium able to thrive at high temperatures, a micro-organism that can supplement enzymes used to make cellulosic ethanol and reduce production costs 25 percent.
 
Mascoma has been funded with a $14.8 million grant from the State of New York, and grants for $4.9 million, $26 million and a shared $125 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The State of Michigan in June committed $15 million for the construction of a Mascoma plant in its state.  

Khosla Ventures and Flagship Ventures made an initial $4 million venture capital investment in Mascoma in 2006. A Series B round of funding raised $30 million in 2006 and a Series C round raised $61 million this year, in part attributable to investment from Marathon Oil and General Motors.