REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Codexis, Inc., a private biotechnology company, today announced the appointment of Michael J. Knauf as Vice President and General Manager, Bioindustrials. In this new position, Mr. Knauf will be responsible for the company's Bioindustrials Business Unit, which uses Codexis' proprietary biocatalyst technology to create novel, cleaner and more economical manufacturing methods for energy and industrial chemical products. One of his primary responsibilities will be to lead Codexis' strategic relationship with Shell in the area of biofuels. Mr. Knauf will report to Alan Shaw, Ph.D., President and CEO.
"We are delighted to bring Mike Knauf to Codexis to build and lead this important new business," Dr. Shaw said. "The generation of alternative, cleaner fuels and industrial products is an economic and environmental imperative. Our partnership with Shell puts us in the forefront of this research. Through Codexis Bioindustrials, we are focusing our substantial proven expertise in manufacturing process development on these major issues."
"Mike has more than 20 years experience in sustainable energy development operations, including management of high growth fuel ethanol enzyme and fermentation ingredient businesses and relationships with major industrial products manufacturers," Dr. Shaw added. "His experience and expertise will be invaluable as we expand application of Codexis technology in this significant worldwide market."
Mr. Knauf joins Codexis from Lallemand Specialties, where he was General Manager of the Ethanol Technology business unit. Previously, he served for nearly 20 years with Genencor, where he rose to Director and Industry Manager for Fermentation Alcohol Enzymes. While at Genencor, he was responsible for the company's fuel ethanol enzyme business, played a lead role in obtaining a $17 million U.S. Department of Energy contract for advanced cellulose development in 2000 and initiated Genencor's biomass applications program. Mr. Knauf holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and biophysics and a master's degree in food science from the University of California at Davis.
Codexis, Inc. is a leading developer of biocatalytic process technologies that can substantially reduce the cost of manufacturing across a broad range of industries. Codexis' proprietary directed evolution technologies enable novel solutions for efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes for pharmaceutical, energy and industrial chemical applications. In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Codexis with a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for developing an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative manufacturing process. Codexis began operations in 2002. Codexis is a registered trademark of Codexis, Inc. For more information, please visit www.codexis.com
Contact: Justin Jackson, jjackson@burnsmc.com or Tricia Morsch, tmorsch@burnsmc.com of Burns McClellan, 212-213-0006, or Lyn Christenson, Codexis, lyn.christenson@codexis.com, 650-298-5368.
Codexis, Inc.CONTACT: Justin Jackson, jjackson@burnsmc.com, or Tricia Morsch,tmorsch@burnsmc.com, both of Burns McClellan, +1-212-213-0006, or LynChristenson of Codexis, +1-650-298-5368, or lyn.christenson@codexis.com,
Web site: http://www.codexis.com/
