California Clean Innovation Conference 2009

CACI 2009 Panelist

_________________________________________ Justin Stege Director of Biofuels R&D, Verenium Corporation _________________________________________

 

Justin Stege is the Director of Biofuels Research at Verenium Corporation (formerly Diversa) in San Diego, California. Since joining Verenium in 2000, Justin has worked to discover and optimize proteins for therapeutic, animal nutrition, and alternative energy applications. As an environmentalist and a scientist Justin has found clean technology applications personally and intellectually rewarding with the potential to provide social, environmental and economic benefits across the globe. Currently, Justin’s research at Verenium is focused on the application of biotechnology to enable the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass feedstocks. Programs in his group are developing improved cellulase enzymes, one of the most expensive components of the process to convert biomass into ethanol and other bioproducts.

Justin is principle investigator on a multimillion dollar grant program from the Department of Energy’s Biochemical Conversion Platform to develop evolved cellulase enzymes. Justin also serves on the management committee for the New Zealand Lignocellulosic Bioethanol Initiative which is seeking to develop a bioethanol industry integrated with New Zealand’s extensive forestry and pulp & paper infrastructure.

Justin is a native Californian with deep roots in San Diego, having completed at Ph.D. in Biology at UCSD followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Carlos Barbas III and Dr. Roger N. Beachy at The Scripps Research Institute. Prior to joining the San Diego biotechnology community, Justin received a BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College.