Home » People » Faculty » Lee Rybeck Lynd

Lee Rybeck Lynd

Overview

Education

• B.S., Biology, Bates College, 1979
• M.S., Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1981
• M.S., Engineering Sciences, Thayer School of Engineering, 1983
• D.E., Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 1987

Research Interests

Technology for production of energy from cellulosic biomass; transition paths to a sustainable world; metabolic engineering; applied microbiology; process design and evaluation

Current Research Projects

• Biomass processing
• Consolidated bioprocessing
• Process design and evaluation
• Resource and environmental analysis

Teaching

• ENGS 22: Systems
• ENGS 161: Metabolic Engineering
• ENGG 261: Biomass Energy Systems

Selected Publications

• Dumitrache, A., G. Wolfaardt, G. Allen, S.N. Liss, and L.R. Lynd. 2012. Form and Function of Clostridium thermocellum Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/AEM.02563-12
• Brown, S.D., A.M. Guss, T.V. Karpinets, J.M. Parks, N. Smolin, S. Yang, M.L. Land, D.M. Klingeman, A. Bhandiwad, M. Rodriguez, Jr., B. Raman, X. Shao, J.R. Mielenz, J.C. Smith, M. Keller, L.R. Lynd. 2011. Mutant alcohol dehydrogenase leads to improved ethanol tolerance in Clostridium thermocellum. PNAS 108(33):13752-13757 (Abstract)
• Shaw, A.J., K.K. Podkaminer, S.G. Desai, J.S. Bardsley, S.R. Rogers, P.G. Thorne, D.A. Hogsett, and L.R. Lynd. 2008. Metabolic engineering of a thermophilic bacterium to produce ethanol at high yield. PNAS 105:13769-13774 (Abstract)
• Lynd, L.R., M.S. Laser, D. Bransby, B.E. Dale, B. Davison, R. Hamilton, M. Himmel, M. Keller, J. D. McMillan, J. Sheehan, C.E. Wyman. 2008. How biotech can transform biofuels. Nature Biotechnology 26:169-172
• Lynd, L.R., M. Laser, J. McBride, K. Podkaminer, J. Hannon. Energy myth three - High land requirements and an unfavorable energy balance preclude biomass ethanol from playing a large role in providing energy services. Invited chapter in: B. Sovacool and M. Brown (eds) Energy and American Society: Thirteen Myths Springer. 2007
• Lu, Y., Y.-H. P. Zhang, L.R. Lynd. 2006. Enzyme-microbe synergy during cellulose hydrolysis by Clostridium thermocellum. PNAS 103(44):16165-16169 (Abstract)
• Zhang, Y.-H.P., L.R. Lynd. 2005. Cellulose utilization by Clostridium thermocellum:bioenergetics and hydrolysis product assimilation. PNAS 102:7321-7325
• Lynd, L.R., P.J. Weimer, W.H. van Zyl, I.S. Pretorius. 2002. Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 66:506-577 (Abstract)

Awards

• 2012 Fellow, AAAS
• 2011 Mines Medal
• The $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability
• Charles D. Scott Award for 2005
• Charles A. Lindbergh Award
• NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award

Selected Patents

• Lynd, L.R., G. Spieles, and D.A. Hogsett. A Continuous Process for Ethanol Production from Lignocellulosic Materials without Mechanical Agitation. U.S. Patent No. 5,258,293. November 2, 1993.
• Grethlein, H.E., and L.R. Lynd. Distillation Systems and Methods. U.S. Patent No. 5,124,004. 1992.
• Grethlein, H.E., and L.R. Lynd. Distillation Process for Ethanol. U.S. Patent No. 4,961,826, October 9, 1990.
• Grethlein, H.E., and L.R. Lynd. Distillation Process and Apparatus. U.S. Patent No. 4,626,321, Dec. 2, 1986.
• Zeikus, J.G., and L.R. Lynd. Propagation of Microbial Cells on Single Carbon Products. U.S. Patent No. 4,425,432, January 10, 1984.

Entrepreneurship

• Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Mascoma Corporation

Professional Activities

• Steering Committee Chair, Global Sustainable Bioenergy Project
• Biomass Deconstruction and Conversion Focus Area Leader, DOE-Supported Bioenergy Science Center led by Oak Ridge National Lab, 2007-present
• Co-leader, "Reimagining Agriculture to Accommodate Large Scale Energy Production", NSF-funded workshop, Nebraska City, 2007
• Hearing on Farm Bill Policy Proposals Relating to Farm and Rural Energy Issues and Rural Development, May 9, 2007
  Testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee (PDF)
• Guest lecturer, Advanced Course in Microbial Physiology and Fermentation, Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands, 2005-present
• Organizing Committee Member, American Academy of Microbiology Symposium on Microbial Energy Production, 2005
• Advisory Committee Member, “Ethanol from Biomass: America's 21st Century Transportation Fuel”. Sponsored by the Governor's Ethanol Coalition and the Hewlett Foundation, 2004-2005
• Co-Leader, The Role of Biomass in America's Energy Future, 2003-present
• Professor Extraordinary of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2003-present
• Member and R&D area coordinator, Biomass and Agriculture Working Group of the Energy Future Coalition, 2003
• Organizing Committee, First Botswana Symposium on Science and Technology for Development, 2000
• Manager, Link Foundation Energy Fellowship Program, 1998-present
• Member, Molecular and Cell Biology Program at Dartmouth, 1998-present
• Member, Organizing Committee, Annual Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, 1996-present
• Associate Editor, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 1995-present
• Member, Presidential Advisory Committee on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Personal Vehicles, 1994-1995

News

• Dartmouth Engineering Professors Discuss Promising Technologies for the Environment
  April 15, 2013

• Mascoma and Valero Establish Joint Venture for Commercial-Scale Hardwood Cellulosic Ethanol Facility
  Business Wire
  December 9, 2011

• Five Dartmouth Faculty Elected AAAS Fellows
  Dartmouth Now
  December 8, 2011

• Bioenergy: Food security proves a worry
  Financial Times
  December 1, 2011

• Mascoma files for $100M IPO
  Boston Business Journal
  September 19, 2011

• School of Mines honors world bioenergy expert
  School of Mines
  September 7, 2011

• Melding Talents with a Career in Bioprocessing
  Science
  July 15, 2011

• Perspective: A new hope for Africa
  Nature
  June 22, 2011

• US Secretary of Energy to Address Energy Symposium
  Dartmouth Now
  April 26, 2011

• Yield Projections for Switchgrass as a Biofuel Crop
  FoodIngredientsFirst.com
  July 12, 2010

• Biofuel Roundup
  NPR's Science Friday
  April 30, 2010

• Prof. discusses biofuel technology
  The Dartmouth
  October 19, 2009

• Queneau Chair Celebratory Lecture
  October 6, 2009

• Beneficial Biofuels - The Food, Energy, and Environment Trilemma
  Science
  July 17, 2009

• Squaring biofuels with food
  Issues in Science and Technology
  June 29, 2009

• Company Finds Faster, Cheaper Way to Make Ethanol
  Fox News
  May 18, 2009

• Mascoma advances ethanol research
  The Dartmouth
  May 18, 2009

• Mascoma Announces Major Cellulosic Biofuel Technology Breakthrough
  Mascoma Corp.
  May 7, 2009

• Cellulosic biofuel technology will generate low-cost green fuel, says major study
  AAAS
  April 3, 2009

• Study Finds Integrated Biorefinery Processes Could Be Highly Competitive With Petroleum Fuels
  Green Car Congress
  March 8, 2009

• Biofuels: The New Alchemy
  TIME Magazine
  January 15, 2009

• Morgan Family grant for biomass energy research
  December 20, 2008

• Beaker Fuel
  Forbes Magazine
  November 24, 2008

• A Breakthrough in Biofuel
  WCAX-TV Channel 3 (Vermont)
  September 17, 2008

• Looking past the corny ethanol: Discovery to improve fuel from trees, grass
  Concord Monitor
  September 16, 2008

• New bacteria could make cheaper ethanol
  Reuters UK
  September 10, 2008

• Better Bug to Make Cellulosic Ethanol
  Technology Review
  September 9, 2008

• Dartmouth researchers advance cellulosic ethanol production
  Dartmouth News
  August 9, 2008

• Op-ed on biofuels, food prices, and GHG emissions
  Switchboard, from NRDC
  May 13, 2008

• Nathanael Greene and Lee Lynd: The land can provide both food and biofuels
  Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
  May 11, 2008

• Mascoma caps third venture round at $61M
  Mass High Tech
  May 7, 2008

• G.M. Invests in Second Ethanol Process
  The New York Times
  May 2, 2008

• NOVA’s “Car of the Future”
  NOVA
  April 22, 2008

• Lynd Awarded Queneau Professorship
  March 12, 2008

• International Biomass Conference to Feature Panel on Sustainable Biofuels
  BBI International
  March 11, 2008

• Mascoma building ethanol empire
  NH Union Leader
  March 2, 2008

• GM and Mascoma Enter into Biofuels Relationship
  Mascoma Corp.
  January 5, 2008

• Mascoma to break ground on cellulosic plant - a year late
  CNETnews.com
  December 6, 2007

• Symposium seeks strategies for greener energy sources
  Dartmouth News
  September 28, 2007

• One Molecule Could Cure Our Addiction to Oil
  WIRED Magazine
  September 24, 2007

• Great discussion of land sufficiency and biofuels
  Switchboard, from NRDC
  July 25, 2007

• ORNL, UT getting greener: Oak Ridge Will Be Site of One of Three Bioenergy Centers
  Knoxville News Sentinel (Tennessee)
  June 28, 2007

• Energy Department Awards $125-Million in University Grants for Biofuel Research
  Chronicle Of Higher Education
  June 26, 2007

• Beyond high-fructose fuel: Firm makes ethanol out of wood chips
  Concord Monitor
  April 9, 2007

• Wide Depth of Field
  Ethanol Producer Magazine
  April 1, 2007

• Mascoma secures $4.9MM funding from U.S. Department of Energy
  Mascoma Corp.
  March 28, 2007

• Alternative-Fuels Pioneer Receives First-Ever $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability
  MIT
  February 4, 2007

• Is Ethanol the Answer?
  U.S. News & World Report
  February 4, 2007

• The War on Oil
  The Wall Street Journal
  January 23, 2007

• Expert Commentary for U.S. Senator Dick Lugar’s energy initiative
  The Lugar Energy Initative
  January 1, 2007

• Put A Termite In Your Tank
  BusinessWeek
  December 18, 2006

• Professor Cellulose: Biofuel pioneer Lee Lynd points the way toward a ‘carbohydrate economy’
  Grist
  December 12, 2006

• Making Ethanol from Wood Chips
  Technology Review
  November 16, 2006

• Microbe maker raises $30 million in funding
  CNET News.com
  November 13, 2006

• Ethanol company Mascoma brews up $30M in round two
  Mass High Tech
  November 13, 2006

• Research on Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Yields Results
  Renewable Energy Access
  September 13, 2006

• Mascoma Hires Dr. Andrew Richard as CTO, Partners with Dartmouth
  Mascoma Corporation
  August 30, 2006

• Professor: Future looks bright for bio-based alternative fuels
  Des Moines Register (IA)
  August 29, 2006

• Drive to make fuel from plants gets a boost
  Boston Globe
  July 4, 2006

• Burst of Energy
  Nature
  June 14, 2006

• Canadian Dreams of Ethanol Distilled From Grass
  NPR's Morning Edition
  May 16, 2006

• Biomass: Hope and Hype
  Technology Review (MIT)
  February 15, 2006

• Energy For A Sustainable Future
  Chemical and Engineering News
  February 13, 2006

• Student engineers at Dartmouth tackle global issues
  Dartmouth News
  November 22, 2005

• Growing Expectations
  Science News
  October 1, 2005

• Bushels take on barrels
  Des Moines Register
  September 4, 2005

• Kudos: Recognition for Dartmouth faculty, staff and students
  VOX of Dartmouth
  June 27, 2005

• Spinning Straw into Fuel
  BioCycle
  April 4, 2005

• Alternatives to Oil Dependency
  PBS - The Journal Editorial Report
  January 7, 2005

• From Hydrocarbons to Carbohydrates
  Food Chain Radio
  November 13, 2004

• Over a Barrel
  Mother Jones
  November 4, 2004

• Running Your Engine Green
  Dartmouth Faculty - Scholarship Today
  October 2, 2003

Video

Seminar: Sustainable Biofuels: A Personal Odyssey

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