Qteros - Raises $25 million, Changes Company Name

SunEthanol, a company that is developing microbes to produce cellulosic ethanol, announced on Nov. 18 that has raised $25 million in Series B financing and that it is changing its name to Qteros Inc. The funding will allow the company to scale up its process from the pilot plant to commercial operations, and hire additional engineers and scientists, company officials said. Plans call for a demonstration plant by 2010 and commercial production in 2011.

The two year old Hadley, MA company is developing the Q Microbe™ (Clostridium phytofermentans), a lollipop-shaped microscopic organism that the company claims has unique properties that make it ideally suited to the production of cellulosic ethanol from a variety of non-food plant materials. Dr. Susan Leschine, Qteros’ Chief Scientist and co-founder, is the University of Massachusetts, Amherst microbiology professor who, nearly 10 years ago, first collected a sample of the Q Microbe™ near the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts. The Q Microbe, was nearly perfect for the job, as found in nature, with an unusual ability to dynamically adjusts to the type of organic matter it’s processing; the company is only engaged in “classical genetic engineering”, which basically means selective breeding.

Currently, throughout the industry, the largest cost components are the feedstock and the enzymes used for the bioconversion. The Complete Cellulose Conversion (C3) process (formerly the Q process) can use very low cost feedstocks and does not use any enzymes. With only one-step of bioconversion, the C3 process is much more efficient—and less costly—than other conversions now in use.  Its Q Microbe™ simplifies the process, eliminating the need for a separate enzymatic breakdown step. Instead of the conventional enzyme and yeast process, C3 technology consolidates multiple steps into a single bioconversion step, resulting in a lower cost of production. This process is less costly than conventional corn starch–production technology and allows for the use of many types of plant material.

In the C3 process, the Q Microbe™ simultaneously decomposes and ferments both cellulose and hemicellulosic plant material to ethanol in a single-step. This microbe not only eliminates the need for costly enzymes, it simplifies the entire ethanol production process, allowing for pre-treatments that are easier on the environment.

The C3 process is expected to be competitive with gasoline once the licensed plants are in full production sometime in 2011. As Qteros gains scale-up knowledge from the successful operation of pilot and demonstration plants, they expect to further reduce costs.

Qteros plans on licensing its technology, rather than being involved in design and construction.

In August the company announced it was collaborating with MBI International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation, to scale-up a fermentation method for producing ethanol from non-food agricultural feedstocks. MBI is a Lansing, Michigan biotechnology firm specializing in fermentation process development and scale-up. MBI also develops biomass processing technologies.

Currently, MBI is actively scaling-up AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion), a promising biomass pretreatment technology developed at Michigan State University.

"We believe that AFEX-treated biomass could be an effective feedstock for our Q-microbe in producing cellulosic ethanol. AFEX opens up biomass cell-wall structures, thereby increasing the effectiveness of digestion."

--Dr. Parekh, VP of Research and Development, Qteros

Qteros seems to have discovered a microbe similar to the one that Mascoma has been developing, theirs found in nature vs a genetically engineered one by Mascoma. Qteros has used much less capital, $30 million in equity and several 10's of million dollars in government grants and contracts while Mascoma has received a combined total of about $250 million. Qteros has been in existance only two years vs three years for Mascoma.

Between these two companies and others in the cellulosic ethanol business, it seems that we will have demonstated one or more cost competitive, viable cellulosic ethanol process that will produce ethanol from non-food materials by 2012, if not sooner. This should finally permit droping subsidies on ethanol and dropping the tarrif on imported ethanol.

Between renewable fuels, electric cars, wind power, solar power and higher milage vehicles we will have the technologies to eliminate our dependence on oil imports. When these technologies will have an effect on imports of oil is not possible to predict, but I would venture our imports should noticably decrease by 2020 and could be eliminated in the 2030-2050 time period. Many factors other than technolgy, such as the price of oil and governmental actions, will, of course, be a major influence on the timing. I would also venture that we will have severe supply constraints on oil by 2015 and that all possible efforts should be made to speed the implimentation of these technologies, especially renewable fuels and electric vehicles.

Comments

[buy levitra online]

I am truly satisfied by reading this post. You gave me a big inspiration. Thanks for letting me know about this stuff!!!

[プロペシア 耐性]

プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販
プロペシア効果
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販

[online calculator]

I am feeling so glad reading your post.i like your blog..

[フィンペシア効果]

フィンペシア効果
フィンペシア　飲み方
フィンペシア 初期脱毛
フィンペシアの副作用
フィンペシア 耐性

フィンペシア キノリンイエロー
フィンペシア　プロペシア
フィンペシア通販
フィンペシア購入
フィンペシア　偽物

[フィンペシア通販]

フィンペシア通販
フィンペシア効果
フィンペシア副作用
フィンペシア　キノリンイエロー
プロペシア　ジェネリック
フィンペシア通販購入

[beverage marketing]

I did not know who Qteros was before this... now I know! Ha.

[beverage flavors]

Good job Qteros! Love what they do.

[フィンペシア通販]

フィンペシア通販についての知識は大切です。
フィンペシアは医薬品です。
フィンペシア通販について考えてみましょう。
フィンペシア通販について調べました。

フィンペシア通販を知る必要があります。

フィンペシア通販とはどんなものでしょう。
フィンペシア通販についての比較は大切です。
フィンペシア通販を利用するときは慎重にしましょう。
フィンペシアの通販に注意しましょう。

[プロペシア通販]

やはりブログの更新楽しみにしています。
プロペシア通販についての知識は大切です。
プロペシア通販についての比較は大切です。
プロペシア通販を利用するときは慎重にしましょう。
プロペシア通販に注意しましょう。
プロペシア通販についての知識は大切です。
050
プロペシア通販は医薬品です。
プロペシア通販について考えてみましょう。
プロペシア通販について調べました。

[プロペシア通販]

ミノキシジルタブレット通販
ミノキシジルタブレット通販
ミノキシジルタブレット効果
ミノキシジル効果

ロゲイン通販
ロゲイン効果
ロゲイン通販

[Construction Safety Coordination]

Hopefully all of the money these companies have gets spent in the right places and helps towards funding renewable energy experiments and resources.

[Inspection of Work]

Currently, throughout the industry, the largest cost components are the feedstock and the enzymes used for the bioconversion.

[プロペシア通販]

プロペシアを安心して買える通販ショップを探しています。
プロペシア通販
プロペシア通販

[access doors]

Qteros is a way better name!!

[laser hair removal san francisco]

Didn't Qteros merge with another company?