Email

Print

  Bioenergy News

Chromatin to develop sorghum as bioenergy crop

Chromatin says sorghum could be grown across the US as a biofuel or biomass power feedstock

Chicago-based biotech company Chromatin, Inc., is solidifying a move into the bioenergy feedstock market, with a focus on the energy crop sorghum.

The company said today it has acquired the assets of Sorghum Partners, Inc., and Milo Genetics LP, which gives it access to a multi-national network of sorghum growers and distributors as well as operational seed production facilities.

The deal also gives Chromatin access to the genetic resources of Milo Genetics, which it said had decades of experience in providing quality products to the market.

Daphne Preuss was in Washington DC today attending a Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, where she revealed her firm’s commitment to sorghum, which she praised as an energy crop for its “versatility, robustness and energy potential”.

Chromatin says the crop is one of the few plants that offers starch, sugar and lignocellulose, meaning that it can be used for traditional and advanced biofuels production, as well as biomass power applications.

The company added that sorghum could be grown in a wide range of geographic areas across the US.

Optimize

It plans to use use its own genetics technology to optimize the crop for production and the specific needs of bioprocessors through the Sorghum Partners brand.

Sorghum has a very favorable carbon footprint compared to other major grain crops” - Larry McDowell, SPI

Ms Preuss said: “By applying our proven and innovative technology portfolio to this plant, we will provide energy crops and value-added products that are uniquely suited for a broad range of applications, precisely matched to the needs of bioprocessors.”

Sorghum Partners and Milo Genetics are based in New Deal, Texas. The company says a bushel of grain sorghum, a native of subtropical areas, produces as much ethanol as a bushel of corn.

Larry McDowell, SPI’s President, and now Chromatin’s Director of Seed Operations, said: “Sorghum is adapted to 80% of the world’s agricultural land, is very drought tolerant, is extremely efficient on less than optimum soils, and has a very favorable carbon footprint compared to other major grain crops.

“By joining forces with Chromatin, we will speed the development and distribution of advanced sorghum bioenergy feedstocks worldwide, while continuing to support our existing customers. This is truly a step forward for sorghum.”