# Lee Lynd

> Lee Rybeck Lynd is a biochemical engineer and microbiologist who has spent four decades figuring out how to make plants pay for themselves as fuel. He is the Paul E. and Joan H. Queneau Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth, co-founder and CTO of Terragia Biofuel, and the scientist most associated with consolidated bioprocessing, the one-pot fermentation idea that uses heat-loving bacteria like Clostridium thermocellum to chew through crop residue and spit out ethanol.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Terragia Biofuel; Paul E. and Joan H. Queneau Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth
- **Organizations:** Terragia Biofuel, Dartmouth College (Thayer School of Engineering), Center for Bioenergy Innovation (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), University of Campinas (Brazil), Mascoma Corporation (co-founder)
- **From:** Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS, Biology, Bates College, MS, Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS, Engineering Sciences, Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering, DE/PhD, Engineering, Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering
- **Known for:** 300+ peer-reviewed publications and 42,000+ citations, h-index of 88; 23 granted patents, Defined and championed consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) as the low-cost configuration for cellulosic biofuels

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Joined Dartmouth faculty after completing his doctorate at Thayer School of Engineering
- **1989** — Named NSF Presidential Young Investigator
- **2005** — Received the Charles D. Scott Award for Distinguished Contributions to Biotechnology
- **2006** — Co-founded Mascoma Corporation to commercialize cellulosic ethanol
- **2007** — Won the inaugural $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability
- **2012** — Elected AAAS Fellow
- **2020** — Received Thayer Distinguished Research Award for Faculty
- **2021** — Received the Charles Thom Award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
- **2023** — Co-founded Terragia Corporation (originally Terragia Biofuel)
- **2024** — Terragia closed $6M seed round led by Energy Impact Partners and The Engine

## Achievements

- 300+ peer-reviewed publications and 42,000+ citations
- h-index of 88; 23 granted patents
- Defined and championed consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) as the low-cost configuration for cellulosic biofuels
- Director of the Advanced Second Generation Biofuel Laboratory at the University of Campinas, Brazil
- Consolidated Bioprocessing Team Leader for the DOE Center for Bioenergy Innovation
- Testified before the US Congress and advised the Clinton White House on transportation emissions

## Latest updates

- **2024-03** — Terragia announced $6M seed financing led by Energy Impact Partners and The Engine.
- **2024** — Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Bioenergy Innovation published findings supporting Terragia's CBP-with-co-treatment approach.

## Links

- Website: https://terragia.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-lynd-bb303a11

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lee-lynd
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-29