2016 Fall Talk (Mango Materials: Production of biodegradable plastics and the adventures of a start-up company)
We kick-off the 2014-2015 Winter Quarter with a special lunchtime seminar this Friday. Our invited speaker is Dr Molly Morse, CEO of Mango Materials (http://mangomaterials.com). Mango Materials specializes in producing biodegradable plastics from waste biogas (methane). Dr. Morse holds a PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Stanford (Criddle Group).
Date/Location: Friday, January 9, 2015, 12:30 pm, Chemistry Gazebo (between Stauffer I and II Buildings)
Speaker: Dr Molly Morse, CEO, Mango Materials
Title: Mango Materials: Production of biodegradable plastics and the adventures of a start-up company
Talk Abstract:
Mango Materials, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, uses a patented, low impact, and energy efficient biological process to produce bioplastic from methane gas. This methane can be from “waste” sources such as water treatment plants, landfills, and agricultural facilities. To produce this plastic, non-genetically modified bacteria are cultivated and specific conditions are applied to stimulate production of the biopolymer polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). This talk will discuss the use of methane as a feedstock, the microbial production of PHA, the journey towards commercialization and the adventure of starting a company based off of early-stage academic research.
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Molly Morse is the CEO and co-founder of Mango Materials, a San Francisco Bay Area-based start-up company that uses methane gas to feed bacteria that manufacture a biopolymer. Molly received her Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering–with an emphasis on anaerobic biodegradation of biocomposites for the building industry–from Stanford University, and her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. Dr. Morse has contributed to multiple patents, publications and presentations. Along with other Mango Materials team members, she is currently working to up-scale the technology of using methane gas to produce a biodegradable polymer.
