The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) hosted an Inter-Bioenergy Research Center (BRC) Lignin Workshop from June 23-24, 2026. The event gathered representatives from all Department of Energy BRCs — including JBEI, the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) — to discuss the future of lignin research. Science talks, a poster session, and a networking hour all took place during the first day.
The second day of the workshop featured an Industry Listening Day. It brought together researchers and industry partners, including representatives from ErgBio, BASF, Algenesis Labs, Sulzer and Dow Chemicals, to discuss the future of lignin in manufacturing.
The conversation centered around the research necessary to make lignin more attractive for mass market adoption. Traditionally, industry involvement has only taken place after a technology was sufficiently mature, but Hemant Choudhary, co-host of the workshop and Director of Catalytic Lignin Depolymerization at JBEI, thinks that will change as the connection between industry and research develops. “I anticipate industrial partners becoming involved early in technology development, specifically regarding product specifications and techno-economic considerations,” he said.
“The intent for hosting the Industry Listening Day was to align our research priorities directly with what industry actually needs to adopt lignin at scale while we develop new science at lab-scale,” Choudhary explained. “The ideal scenario would be to develop commercial applications for lignin that go beyond burning or energy applications.”