COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Novozymes, in collaboration with the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), will host a webinar on June 3 to discuss the opportunity that biotechnology presents for corn wet milling now and in the future.

Speakers for the event, planned at 9 a.m. EST, include Dr. Vijay Singh and Scott McLaughlin. Singh is a distinguished professor of bioprocessing in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and director of IBRL. His research is on the development of bioprocessing technologies for corn/biomass to ethanol, advanced biofuels, food and industrial products.

McLaughlin has spent more than two decades in a variety of production, R&D, and commercial oriented roles in the grain processing industry. He has had several senior roles within Novozymes, where he currently leads technical service for the company’s Grain & Beverage organization.

Registration is available here.

The corn wet milling industry has seen its share of improvements, including incremental leaps in separation, dewatering and energy efficiencies. While these process enhancements continue today, mechanical separation alone will not deliver the same trajectory of improvements that the industry needs in the coming decades.

At the same time, shifting demand dynamics for corn-based starch and protein across multiple applications in the food, feed and industrial sectors is placing more emphasis on production flexibility and process enhancements that can deliver yield and higher profitability. 

Traditional corn wet milling facilities are responding to this need by incorporating biotechnology, such as enzymes, into their production process an enabler for lower cost starch and protein production. Looking ahead, the continued convergence of mechanical milling technologies with biotechnology has the potential to bring about new opportunities for corn wet mills to take advantage of growing demand for renewable bioproducts.