The Marcus Wallenberg Prize Symposium

Digging out the potential of lignin

November 12 2024, 08.30-12.30 CET

Welcome to the Marcus Wallenberg Prize Symposium

The 2024 Marcus Wallenberg Prize is awarded to Professors Wout Boerjan and John Ralph for their groundbreaking research leading to a fuller understanding of lignin biosynthesis and structural diversity. Both scientists developed and innovatively applied advanced analytical techniques in ways that greatly enhance our view of lignin biosynthesis and structure in trees. Their research provides a basis for development of wood deconstruction processes and new applications for lignin, the most abundant source of natural aromatics in the biosphere.

Very welcome!

Marcus Wallenberg,
Chairman of the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation

Event details

Date: November 12, 2024, at 08.30-12.30 CEST

The digital symposium attendance is free of charge and open for everyone.

Registration to be made by November 6, 2024.

A recording of the symposium will be distributed to registered persons after the event.

REGISTER HERE

The Marcus Wallenberg Prize

The purpose of the Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate pathbreaking scientific achievements which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within the fields of importance to forestry and forest industries.

Learn more: mwp.org

Prof. John Ralph
Professor of Biochemistry and Biological Systems Engineering, the Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA)

Prof. Wout Boerjan
Professor, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Gent University (Belgium) and Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB (Belgium)

Agenda

Part 1

Scientific focus, moderated by Paul Dupree

08:30-08:40

Opening and Welcome by Chairman Marcus Wallenberg

08:40 – 08:55
You can do anything from lignin

Claire Halpin

08:55 – 09:15
Improving Wood Quality: From Systems Biology in Arabidopsis to Applications in Trees

Wout Boerjan 

09:15 – 09:35

Organic Syntheses and Advanced Analytics for Understanding Lignin Biosynthesis, Structure, and Processing
John Ralph

09:35 – 09:45
Announcement of 3-MT winner from the YR

Tahani Kaldéus

09:45 – 10:45
Break and Young Researchers poster session
Part 2
Lignin innovations in focus, moderated by Monica Ek
10:45 – 11:00
From Kraft to Craft: Transforming Lignin into High-Value materials

Monika Österberg, Aalto University

11:00 – 11:15
State of the art in Industrial lignin separation

Hanna Karlsson, Valmet

11:15 – 11:30
Scaling high-performance material production from wood using aldehyde-assisted fractionation

Remy Buser, Bloom Biorenewables

Part 3
Start-ups in focus, moderated by Monica Ek
11:30 – 11:45
Lignin: Next generation of renewables in plastics Used in PE, PP and ABS applications

Christopher Carrick, Lignin Industries

11:45 – 12:00
High performing batteries with lignin based graphene

Malin Alpsten, Bright Day Graphene

12:00 – 12:15
Bringing nature’s binder back to wood

Bitta Nilsson, Stora Enso

12:15 – 12:30
Summary

Monika Ek

12:30
Lunch & networking
For more information
Shiva Telavari, Coordinator of the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation
Mail: shiva.telavari@mwp.org Tel: +46 72 572 58 50.
 

The purpose of the Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate pathbreaking scientific achievements which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within the fields of importance to forestry and forest industries.
Learn more: mwp.org