Illinois-based Ibiocat, founded by Charles A. Abbas, and Ireland-based analytical provider Celignis, founded by Dan Hayes, have come together to develop bespoke bioeconomy solutions for clients that are looking to add value to their process residues generated from 1G and 2G ethanol plants.

Chemical composition and process are tightly intertwined and detailed feedback is required at each stage of the conversion process in order to develop a commercially-viable technology. The collaboration between Ibiocat and Celignis allows customised solutions for each project based on the feedstock and products. Each customised project will benefit from Celignis's globally-recognised compositional and analytical expertise coupled with the decades of bioprocess expertise of Ibiocat's founder Charles Abbas.

Charles is credited for coining the term 'biorefinery' and is well-recognised through his patents and publications in this area. Celignis's CEO Dan Hayes founded the company on the belief that in the bioeconomy if you stand still you end up being left behind and that an in-depth knowledge of feedstock and process residues is the only way to innovate and diversify to new products and markets.

Charles Abbas receiving the BBI FEW Award of Excellence for his contributions to fuel ethanol (June 2016).

The partnership will be demonstrated at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Indianapolis, USA on June 11-12 where Ibiocat and Celignis will share exhibition stand 1702. Representatives from both the companies will be present to discuss collaborative projects with industry. There is particular recognition of how bespoke process solutions can be developed for additional or alternative revenue streams from dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Ibiocat and Celignis have devised a protocol for how, through collaboration, these solutions will be developed for stakeholders in the corn industry. The outputs of consultation with Ibiocat will be in-depth compositional analysis data provided by Celignis and cost-effective options for the conversion of stillage, DDGS, DFS and wet mill corn fiber for RINS credits as well as options to convert these materials into other high value-added feed and/or fermentation products.

'We are excited by the opportunities offered by this partnership of talents,' said Dr Daniel Hayes, CEO of Celignis. 'Since spinning-out Celignis five years ago we have seen this company, based in a small city in Ireland, become the global leader in the provision of compositional data and expertise to biorefineries. We are delighted to be working with Ibiocat in offering process solutions to make the next generation of biorefineries a commercial reality, and see this as a key part of our future plans for expansion'.

Dr Charles Abbas, CEO of Ibiocat, added 'after working in the bioprocessing industry for nearly twenty-seven years, I founded ibiocat, Inc. to apply my expertise and pass on my ideas for improvements to the industry. I too am excited to partner with Celignis, a world class expert in the area. The strategic partnership with Celignis leverages our areas of strength to serve more effectively the existing U.S. ethanol industry with increased focus on converting captive fibers to bioethanol and other higher value-added products. The possibilities for improvements to efficiency, conversion and valorisation are indeed endless.'

A promotional fold-out credit-card sized flyer, detailing the Celignis-Ibiocat collaboration, which will be distributed at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Indianapolis, can be downloaded here. A brochure detailing Celignis’s services can also be downloaded here.

About Celignis

Celignis is a service provider to clients in the bioeconomy. It was formed on the belief that with accurate data the opportunities are limitless. It has a diverse, rapidly-expanding, global array of clients that recognise the expertise the company has with regards to biomass composition and its relevance in designing and optimising biomass conversion processes. Celignis is a key partner in a number of multinational research projects that target significant advances in biomass valorisation. It operates a state-of-the-art analytical laboratory in Limerick, Ireland and is a spin-out of pioneering research undertaken by founder Dr Daniel Hayes at the local university.

About Ibiocat

Ibiocat is a small private start-up company incorporated in Illinois that aims to expand the use of technological innovation by providing advanced biorefinery solutions for the production of high value-added products from the processing of commodity crops. The company is located at the University of Illinois Research Park incubator building, EnterpriseWorks. Founded in December 2017, by Dr. Charles A. Abbas, the company builds on over 40 years of academic and industrial experience in biotechnology and bioprocessing with the goal of leveraging resources and knowhow for industrial scale up.

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