Italian meeting on lignocellulosic chemistry

ITALIC 6

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OF BIOMASSES: ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES

FROM FOREST AND AGRICULTURAL BIOMASSES TO HIGH ADDED VALUE PRODUCTS: PROCESSES AND MATERIALS

September 5-8,2011

Tuscia University, Viterbo, ITALY

It is without doubt that the chemistry and technology of biomass is experiencing a modern renaissance. The mounting pressures in our society to rely on benign resources and eco-efficient technologies have made our science a focal point of activity and interest. More than ever, it is now imperative for our community to adopt schemes of creative information Exchange, promoting collaboration and the development of new science and scientists. Over the past ten years, the Italic series of meetings has fulfilled this mission by providing accessibile benefits and opportunities to confer in ani deal setting in the mother land of renaissance.

info

Websiite: www.XXXXXXXX/ITALIC6/

E-mail: italic@stc.uniroma2.it

Outline of the program

Lignocellulosic materials chemistry and characterisation

· Chemistry of wood and non-wood species, of the fiber cell wall and its components

· Structure analysis of the fiber cell wall and its components

· Analytical methods on wood, fibers, pulping chemistry and bio-refinery

Isolation and modification of biomass components

· Pulping methods associated with wood bio-refinery

· Fractionation and modification processes

Biotechnology for biomass valorisation

· Biotechnologically assisted pulping and bleaching technologies: enzymes and micro-organisms

· Fiber-related Biotechnology

· bio-based materials and products

Lignocellulosic-based biomaterial/composites

· Nanostructured materials

· composite materials

· Food & health applications

· Fiber-related Nanotechnology

Dates and deadlines

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dimitris S.Argyropoulos North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, USA

Claudia Crestini Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy

Marco Orlandi Bicocca University, Milan, Italy

Liisa Viikari Helsinki University, Finland

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Denilson Da Silva Peres, France

Francesco De Angelis L’ Aquila University, Italy

Monica Ek KTH, Sweden

Dmitry Evtuguin University of Aveiro, Portugal

Antje Potthast BOKU University, Austria

Bodo Saake Institut für Holzchemie

und chemische Technologie des Holzes, German

Raffaele Saladino Università della Tuscia, Italy

Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza CRA, Italy

Elisabeth Sjöholm STFI Packforsk, Sweden

Tarja Tamminen VTT, Finland

Arnis Treimanis State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia

Stefan Willför Åbo Akademi University, Finland

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Raffaele Saladino Tuscia University, Rome Italy

Melissa Guazzaroni, Tuscia University, Rome Italy

Raffaella Perazzini, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy

Federica Melone, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy

Claudia Crestini Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Our world largely relies on petroleum-based products for both energy and material utilization. Renewable resources, green chemistry and the idea of sustainable exploitation, although having much advanced over the past several years, are still afflicted with a somewhat exotic touch. However, when we keep in mind that fossil fuels will be put to a final end in not too far a future (no matter whether this actually occurs in ten, hundred or thousand years), we also realize that renewable resources are the only way to produce all goods, chemicals and commodities that are manufactured today from oil, gas and coals. While there is a plethora of other options when it comes to the energetic utilization, renewable resources are the only alternative for material and chemical production when the fossil resources end.

Research, mainly in the past decade, has shown attractive ways for exploitation of renewables that seem to lead on the right track. Understanding the structure of biomass on the molecular levels opens fascinating new ways for its utilization. Currently we are moving beyond classical wood chemistry, which is mainly linked to large-scale pulping, bleaching, papermaking and fibermaking. Current approaches in lignocellulosics research are increasingly directed towards an advanced understanding of biosynthetic pathways, molecular-level processes, novel technologies to disassemble the cell wall and towards a complete utilization of the various products generated. The three major renewable biopolymer classes - cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin - are moving away from being cheap commodity products only. They more and more become valuable high-tech products, materials with hitherto unsurpassed properties, and precious starting materials as well.