Call for Papers

Please contact the symposium organizers with questions.

Biopolymers are naturally occurring substances or polymeric biomolecules that are synthesized by living organisms throughout their entire life cycle. Biopolymers can also be degradable, recyclable, and diverse, making them a promising material for replacing petrochemical polymers in a variety of disciplines including, energy storage and generation, nanocomposites, soil remediation, agriculture, electronics, and water purification. Furthermore, biopolymers are also non-toxic and making them suitable for a wide range of food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications. Current interest in this area has grown dramatically due to the development of advanced synthesis techniques which are at once sustainable, and economically competitive with the petrochemical industry. These techniques, are carbon neutral, and in some cases able to sequester carbon dioxide, operate on renewable energy sources, and produce industrial quantities of polymers. For example, enzymatic biosynthesis in combination with genetic engineering has enabled in controlled in vitro synthesis and design of polymers with unique functionalities, while increased understanding of bacterial metabolic pathways has enabled the design of bioreactors with higher capacities and efficiency. This symposium would like to explore the developments in this area, with emphasis on synthesis, application, and modeling and their broader implications on addressing climate change and environmental conservation. In addition the symposium aims to foster dialogue between industry and academia in furthering research and innovation in these areas, as well as introducing students to emerging career opportunities.

Topics will include:

• Biopolymers for Soil remediation, stabilization, and erosion control
• Biopolymers for environmentally sustainable flame retardants
• Biopolymers impact on plant biology: germination, root, foliage, and fruit development,
• Biopolymers in Sustainable Cosmetic Formulations and Design
• Challenges in sustainable biopolymer additive manufacturing
• Modeling biopolymer molecular structure and design
• Incorporating biopolymers in medical and pharmaceutical applications
• Academia/Industry panel: advancing opportunities for recent graduates
• Biopolymer-Based Materials for Energy Applications

• A tutorial complementing this symposium is tentatively planned.

Invited Speakers (tentative):

• Sherif Abdelaziz (Virginia Tech, USA)
• Ali Dhinojwala (The University of Akron, USA)
• Fengxiang Han (Jackson State University, USA)
• Eugenia Kumacheva (University of Toronto, USA)
• Samantha Lucker (U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, USA)
• Marta Miletic (San Diego State University, USA)
• Eyal Zussman (Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Israel)

Symposium Organizers