Sunday September 28th

15:00 h

Registration desk opens

17:30 h

Opening ceremony

Chair: Dr. Luiziana Ferreira da Silva

18:00 – 19:30 h

Opening talks
Employing biotechnology for production of polymers for technical applications
Dr. Alexander Steinbüchel, University of Münster, Germany 
The Ibero-American Development Programme for Science and Technology CYTED
Dr. Beatriz Mendez, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

19:30 h

 Welcome reception

Monday, September 29th

8:00 h

Registration desk open

8:50 h

Welcome to the day and announcements

Metabolism of PHA and other biopolymers  (basic topics)

Chair: Dr. Beatriz Mendez

9:00 – 9:35 h

SYNPOL platform for the bioplastic production from complex wastes by syngas fermentation
Dr.  Maria Auxiliadora Prieto, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

9:35 – 10:00 h

Engineering bacterial biocatalysts for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers
Dr. Christopher T. Nomura - SUNY-ESF, State University of New York, USA

10:00 – 10:20 h

Polyhydroxyalkanoates biosynthesis and molecular weight regulation
Dr. Takeharu Tsuge – Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

10:20 – 10:35 h

Advanced artificial pathway for biosynthesis of P(3HB-co-3HHx) with high 3HHx composition from unrelated fructose in Ralstonia eutropha
Dr. Toshiaki Fukui, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

10:40 – 11: 00 h

Coffee break

Chair: Dr. José Gregório Cabrera Gomez

11:00 – 11:40 h

PHB granule formation and utilization of biopolymers
Dr. Dieter Jendrossek, University of Stuttgart, Germany

11:40 -12:05 h

 PhaP, a phasin with many faces
Dr. Julia Pettinari, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

12:05 – 12:20 h

Enhanced PHB production by large E. coli cells
Dr. Jiang Xiaoran, Tsinghua University, China

12:20  - 12:35 h

Screening of ultrahigh PHA accumulation recombinant E. coli using optimized ribosomal binding sites
Dr. Teng Li, Tsinghua University, China

12:40 h - 14:00 h

Lunch

Chair: Dr. Dieter Jendrossek

14:00 – 14:30 h

Towards commercial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates in a high biomass C4 grass
Dr. Stevens Brumbley, University of North Texas, USA

14:30 – 14:50 h

The PLA (polylactic acid) story – from laboratory to commercial operations.
Dr. Ramani Narayan, University of Michigan, USA

14:50 – 15:20 h

Biosynthesis of polyesters consisting of 2-hydroxyalkanoates and their applications
Dr. Ken’ichiro Matsumoto Mr, Hokkaido University, Japan

15:20 – 15:35h

Production of poly(3-hydroxypropionate) from glucose by recombinant E. coli.
Dr. Dechuan Meng, Tsinghua University, China

15:35  – 15:55 h

Exploring the ability of Pseudomonas extremaustralis to produce different kind of PHAs
Dr. Nancy I. López, University of  Buenos Aires, Argentina

16:00 – 16:20 h

Coffee break

Chair: Dr. Stevens Brumbley

16:20 – 16:35 h

Metabolic engineering based on CRISPRi for bacterial P3HB4HB synthesis
Dr. Lv Li, Tsinghua University, China

16:35 – 16:50 h

In-vivo depolymerization of mcl-PHA homopolymer: a source of [R]-3-hydroxyalkanoic acids
Dr. Monica Bassas-Galia, University of Applied Science of Western Switzerland, Switzerland

16:50 – 17:05 h 

Synthesis of degradable polyhydroxyalkanoates by Cupriavidus necator strains: structure and properties of multicomponent copolymers
Dr. Anatoly Boyandin, Siberian Federal University, Russia

17:05 – 17:20 h

Effect of phaG gene expression on the polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by recombinant strain of Azotobacter vinellandii
Dr. Daniel Segura, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico

17:25 – 18:30h

Poster session

Tuesday, September 30th

8:00 h

Registration desk open

8:50 h

Welcome to the day and announcements

Production, properties, application and commercialization of biopolymers

Chair: Dr. Roberto Nonato

9:00 – 9:40 h

Diversification of PHA and their applications
Dr. George Guo-Qiang Chen, Tsinghua University, China

9:40 – 10:10 h

Improving the properties of polyhydroxyalkanoate elastomers
Dr. Friedrich Srienc, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA

10:10 – 10:30 h

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production in a system with external cell recycling and feeding of nitrogen during the production phase
Dr. Glaucia Falcão Aragão, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

10:30 – 10:45 h

Plasticicumulans and the chocolate factory – non-axenic PHA production from waste VFAs – Dr. Leonie Marang, TU Delft, Netherlands

10:50 – 11:10 h

  Coffee break

Chair: Dr. Bernd Rehm

11:10 – 11:40 h

Production of  polyhydroxyalkanoates and their medical applications
Dr. Ipsita Roy, University of Westminster, London, UK

11:40 – 12:05 h

PHB modification of the mammalian ion channel protein TRPM8 is essential for the channel function
Dr. Eleonora Zakharian, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Illinois, USA.

12:05 – 12:20 h

Preparation and evaluation of PHBV/PLA woven vascular graft 
Dr. Yu He, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, China

12:20 – 12:35 h

Production of modulated P3HB-co-3HHx by recombinant Burkholderia sacchari
Dr. Thatiane T. Mendonça, University of São Paulo, Brazil

12:40 h – 14:00 h

Lunch

Chair: Dr. George Guo-Qiang Chen

14:00  – 14:40 h

Bacterial PHA inclusions: design and uses as biobeads
Dr. Bernd Rehm, Massey University, New Zealand

14:40 – 15:10h

Tailored bioprocess technology for the biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates from liquid and gaseous carbon sources
Dr. Manfred Zinn, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Switzerland

15:10  - 15:40h

Synthetic Biology for production of petrochemical monomers
Dr. Mateus Lopes, Braskem

15:40h – 17:00

Round table
Challenges for development, production and commercialization of bio-based polymers
Dr. Ramani Narayan, University of Michigan, USA
Dr. Roberto Nonato, Biocycle from PHB Industrial, PHB Industrial S.A., Brazil
Dr. Angelo Vicente – Brazilian Association of Compostable Biopolymers and Composting ABICOM, Brazil
Dr..Luiziana Ferreira da Silva, University of São Paulo, Brazil

17:00– 17:20 h

 Coffee break

Chair: Dr. Maria Auxiliadora Prieto

17:20 -17:35 h

Effect of catalyst and process shear on bioplastic blend behavior.
Dr.Jeongln Gug, University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA.

17:35 – 17:50 h

Divergent ring-opening polymerization of a single monomer to an acid-labile polyesteracetal and a degradable polyester
Angelika E. Neitzel, University of Minnesota, USA

17:50 – 18:05 h

Synthesis, separation and modification of lysine-rich cyanophycin
Dr. Lars Wiefel, Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Münster, Germany

Wednesday, October 1st

8:00 h

Registration desk open

8:50 h

Welcome to the day and announcements

 Metabolism – Perspectives, metabolic engineering, new carbon sources

Chair: Dr. Ipsita Roy

9:00 – 9:40 h

Insights into microbial biopolymer production and applications.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, University College Dublin, Ireland

9:40 – 10:05 h

New chalenges on production of biopolymers from renewable resources: link of basic concepts with process engineering,
Dr.Maria Reis, University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal  

10:05 – 10:30 h

Characterization of bacterial platforms based on PHA production analysis
Dr. José Gregório Cabrera Gomez, University of Sao Paulo

10:30 – 10:45 h

Controlled biosynthesis for affecting the size and composition of molecular domains in PHB-b-(PHB-co-PHV) block-copolymers from CO2 and valeric Acid
Dr. John Barrett, University of Minnesota, USA

10:45 – 11:00 h

Development of an enhanced chromosomal expression system based on porin synthesis operon for halophile Halomonas sp.
Dr. Jin Yin, Tsinghua University, China

11:05 – 11: 25h

  Coffee break

Production of other biobased/biodegradable polymers

Chair: Dr. Kevin O’Connor

11:25 – 11:55 h

Study on crystallization, properties and industrialization of poly(butylene succinate) and its copolymers
Dr. Jun Xu, Tsinghua University, China

11:55 -12:15 h

Synthesis and medical applications of biopolymers based on bacterial cellulose 
Dr. Wilton Rogério Lustri, Centro Universitário de Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil

12:15 – 12:35 h

Novel xanthan based scaffolds for cellular uptake
Dr. Denise Freitas Siqueira Petri, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

12:35 – 12:50 h

High yield of dextransucrase and dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides KIBGE IB-22M20 by the suppression of levansucrase
Dr. Nadir Naveed Siddiqui, (KIBGE), University of Karachi, Pakistan

12:50  - 13:00 h

Concluding remarks