Argonne's Seth Snyder
And, of Course, There's Corn
December 2006 / January 2007
Volume 4 Number 6
Biochemical engineer Seth Snyder and his research team blur the line between biology and chemistry to find a more sustainable fuel source.
"If you look at my career," says Snyder, "I've taken many different turns over the years. But I've always been focused on the intersection of biology and chemistry." As leader of the chemical and biotechnology section of Argonne National Laboratory's energy systems division, Snyder is using that focus to find ways to displace petrochemicals with biobased products.
"As oil prices rise, it's not just the price of gas that becomes a concern. It's also the price of all petroleum-based products, including paint, plastic and carpets," Snyder says.
Products traditionally made from oil can also be made from plants and trees, but the processes need to be developed to make their products price-competitive with petroleum-based products.
Argonne is working with Archer Daniels Midland Company to optimize a separative bioreactor, developed by Snyder's group, that converts sugar from corn into chemicals. The research is supported jointly by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of the Biomass Program and ADM.
The Argonne-ADM effort currently focuses on demonstrating the fermentation of gluconic acid on a commercial scale. "Gluconic acid is one of many bioproducts from biomass," Snyder said. "We have to work through the processes one by one to build up an inventory to compete with petrochemical processing. We chose to start with gluconic acid because we are familiar with its processes."
Gluconic acid is produced by fermenting glucose, a type of sugar. During fermentation, gluconic acid builds up until its acidity blocks the fermentation enzyme. Argonne's separative bioreactor uses a process called "electrodeionization" to overcome this problem. Electrodeionization uses small amounts of electricity and Argonne's resin wafer stack to remove gluconic acid from the solution as it is produced.
In a related project, Argonne is partnering with BP Chemicals to produce acetic acid by fermentation of biomass. The U.S. currently uses about 5 billion pounds per year of acetic acid to make everything from plastics used in water bottles to paints. In research supported by DOE's industrial technologies program and BP, Argonne is developing technology to produce acetic acid from a kind of biogas. The current technology requires expensive natural gas.
Snyder's interest in sustainable resources stems from his time as an undergrad intern for famed architect and inventor Buckminster Fuller. His assignment from Fuller was to inventory world energy resources from United Nations data banks of geologic and industrial resources. Snyder said the project spoke to Fuller's belief that to make good social and political decisions, you need to know what are your resources. Energy is one of the most important of those resources.
Now that he's the researcher, Snyder says what motivates him is the desire to develop efficient systems to maintain a high quality of life. "It's going to come down to land, energy and water. And when I say —€˜efficient' I mean doing more with less." Other projects his group is working on include the conversion of coal to methane; cleaning water generated during natural gas production; and looking at the impact of ethanol production on the environment. "I feel very comfortable that we have the right goals," he says.
Outside of Argonne, Snyder is just as busy. Every Wednesday from 5 to 7:30 a.m. he hosts a jazz radio show on 89.3 WNUR FM at Northwestern University. "I almost always focus on recordings that have been released in the previous week," he said. He's also the commissioner of economic development for the village of Lincolnwood, Ill., where he lives with his family.
Snyder and his wife, Judith, have been married for 22 years. "We met during our first week of college," he said. "We have two daughters, Tess, a senior in high school who is a modern dancer and a synchronized swimmer, and Shayne, a 4th grader who is a dancer, swimmer, piano player and all-round silly kid."
Snyder doesn't limit his experiments to work. He and daughter Shayne conduct their own science projects at home, many of them messy. Their investigations have included a model volcano and watching what happens when an egg is microwaved for a very long time. Usually, he said, these projects are undertaken when his wife isn't home.
Evelyn Brown is a media relations specialist at Argonne National Laboratory.
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