2026 Biobased Surfactants: Short Course Description
This in-person, two-day short course provides a clear, structured foundation in biobased and biosurfactant technologies, linking fundamental surfactant science with production pathways, formulation considerations, performance expectations, and regulatory drivers that influence today’s sustainable chemical and consumer products industries.
Designed for professionals across research and development, formulation, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and sustainability functions, the program emphasizes practical understanding of renewable surfactant systems and the technical, economic, and environmental factors that shape successful development and scale-up.
Attendees will gain insight into:
- How biobased and biosurfactant systems differ from conventional petrochemical surfactants,
- How feedstock selection and production pathways impact performance and scalability, and
- How these considerations intersect with formulation, regulatory, and sustainability requirements across various end-use markets.
Across two days, the curriculum covers the full lifecycle of renewable surfactants—from fundamental structure and function through feedstocks, fermentation and chemical synthesis routes, formulation and production realities, environmental and toxicological evaluation, and industrial and consumer applications—while tying each topic to real-world decision-making.
The inclusion of case studies from established manufacturers and emerging innovators ensures participants leave with a practical understanding of the technical, economic, and regulatory factors shaping the adoption of biobased surfactants today.
Whether you work in research and development, formulation, engineering, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, sustainability, or organizational leadership, this course equips you with a deeper, more integrated understanding of biobased surfactant technologies and their implications for product performance, scale-up, compliance, and long-term portfolio strategy.
2026 Instructors
Brian Grady
Professor and Douglas and Hilda Bourne Chair in Chemical Engineering; Director, Institute for Applied Surfactant Research
University of Oklahoma (United States)
Brian Grady is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, where he holds the Douglas and Hilda Bourne Chair and serves as Director of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research, an industry-focused consortium supporting applied surfactant science. His work bridges fundamental research and practical industrial applications.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois and began his career as a Project Engineer at Procter & Gamble before returning to academia to complete his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin. Since joining the University of Oklahoma in 1994, Brian has maintained close ties to industry through research collaborations, consulting, and professional education. He is a principal at Surfactant Associates, which delivers advanced surfactant short courses and applied research projects for industry clients.
Lucas Moore
Vice President of R&D
Colonial Chemical, Inc. (United States)
Lucas Moore is Vice President of R&D and Regulatory Affairs at Colonial Chemical, Inc., where he leads the company’s global innovation, technical service, and regulatory strategy. His work focuses on the development and application of specialty surfactants for personal care, HI&I and car care, oil and mining, metalworking fluids, and related markets. He joined Colonial Chemical in 2022.
Lucas brings nearly 20 years of experience in the specialty chemicals industry, with prior roles at Arkema–ArrMaz, Kemira, and Ciba Specialty Chemicals. He is the author or co-author of more than 80 publications and conference presentations and is a co-inventor on more than 30 patent applications. He earned his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alabama and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Arkansas, focusing on ligand design and organometallic chemistry.
Zhenyu (Jason) Zhang
Professor of Soft Matter Engineering
University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Jason Zhang is a Professor of Soft Matter Engineering in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on controlling the physicochemical behavior of soft matter systems—including polymers, proteins, fibers, and bacteria at interfaces—to enable innovative and sustainable formulations.
His work emphasizes interfacial phenomena, structure–property relationships, and responses to external stimuli, with applications spanning surfactants, coatings, and formulation science. Jason serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents and Frontiers in Coatings, Dyes and Interface Engineering. In 2023, he was awarded the McBain Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemical Industry in recognition of his contributions to colloid and interface science.
Images and bios coming soon:
Wanglin Yu, R&D/TS&D Fellow – Dow
Jose Carlos Garcia-Garcia, R&D Senior Director, Research Fellow – Disruptive Platforms, Synthetic Biology, Biotechnologies and Microbiome – P&G
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the fundamental structure, function, and classification of surfactants, including key differences between conventional and biobased systems.
- Describe how renewable feedstocks and molecular architecture influence surfactant performance, compatibility, and application suitability.
- Compare fermentation-based and chemically synthesized biobased surfactant production pathways and identify the advantages and limitations of each.
- Evaluate the roles of feedstock selection, processing conditions, and scale-up constraints in the manufacture of biobased and biosurfactants.
- Assess formulation considerations such as phase behavior, rheology, stability, and temperature sensitivity across ionic and nonionic surfactant systems.
- Interpret environmental and toxicological metrics, including biodegradability, ecotoxicity, and life cycle assessment, in the context of regulatory requirements.
- Identify regulatory frameworks affecting surfactant development and use, including key considerations related to REACH, EPA, and regional compliance.
- Recognize major classes of biobased surfactants, including alkyl polyglucosides, glycolipids, lipopeptides, and ester-based systems, and their industrial applications.
- Analyze case studies from established manufacturers and emerging companies to understand real-world performance, cost, and adoption challenges.
- Connect surfactant science and production principles to formulation strategy, product development, and cross-functional decision-making within industrial and commercial environments.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Map the full lifecycle of biobased and biosurfactant development, from feedstock selection and production through formulation, application, and regulatory evaluation.
- Select appropriate biobased surfactant systems based on performance requirements, formulation constraints, sustainability goals, and cost considerations.
- Assess technical, formulation, and environmental data to diagnose common performance or scale-up challenges and suggest targeted improvements.
- Reduce development risk by understanding the tradeoffs associated with fermentation-based and chemically synthesized surfactant pathways.
- Improve cross-functional communication by understanding the scientific, engineering, regulatory, and sustainability rationale behind surfactant selection and use.
- Support innovation and product development through a stronger understanding of interfacial behavior, molecular structure, and formulation dynamics.
- Understand regulatory and environmental requirements affecting surfactant commercialization, enabling better alignment with compliance and sustainability objectives.
- Evaluate application-specific surfactant considerations across industrial, home, and personal care markets.
- Make more informed technical and strategic decisions related to formulation performance, scalability, and portfolio development.
- Apply practical, industry-relevant knowledge immediately within research, formulation, engineering, regulatory, sustainability, or leadership roles.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for professionals across the surfactant, oleochemical, and consumer products industries who need a clear, practical understanding of biobased and biosurfactant systems and their impact on formulation performance, scalability, regulatory compliance, and sustainability objectives. Whether your role is technical, commercial, operational, or strategic, this program strengthens your ability to evaluate surfactant technologies and apply that knowledge to product development, formulation optimization, portfolio planning, and organizational decision-making.
The course is especially relevant for individuals working in research and development, formulation, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and sustainability who want to deepen technical knowledge, improve cross-functional communication, and stay current with evolving renewable feedstocks, production pathways, and regulatory expectations.
Participants will gain practical insight to evaluate biobased surfactant options, manage performance and cost tradeoffs, reduce development risk, and better understand the variables influencing successful adoption across industrial and consumer applications.
Roles that benefit include:
Technical & Research Roles:
-Research Scientists
-Formulation Scientists
-Applications Chemists
-Process Engineers
-R&D Managers
Operations & Production Roles:
-Manufacturing Engineers
-Production Managers
-Process Development Scientists
-Operations Managers
Business, Commercial & Strategic Roles:
-Product Managers
-Technical Sales Representatives
-Sustainability Program Managers
-Regulatory Affairs Managers
-Business Leaders and Executives
Location & Pricing
Non-Member: $1,250
AOCS Member: $950
AOCS Student Member: $500
All standard short course registrations (excluding student rates) will receive a $200 discount for the 2025 AOCS Annual Meeting registration. The short course will be held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans | 601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113
Instructor(s)
Brian Grady
University of Oklahoma, USA
Lucas Moore
Colonial Chemical, Inc., USA
Zhenyu Zhang
University of Birmingham, UK
Wanglin Yu
Dow, USA
Jose Carlos Garcia-Garcia
P&G, USA
Registration & Access
Registration opens January 12, 2026.
Related Resources & Education
Webinars
February 17, 2026
Rotunda Sponsored Webinar: Tracking Edible Oil Quality with Magnetic Resonance
Free Webinar – Sponsored by Rotunda Scientific Technologies LLC Webinar Description: Join us for a focused webinar designed for scientists, quality teams, and producers across the food and edible oils industry. Learn how benchtop magnetic resonance is transforming routine and advanced oil analysis—bringing fast, actionable insights directly to the lab bench. See how you can…
Webinars (On-Demand)
Advancing Protein Engineering for Industrial Applications On-Demand Webinar
This content is an exclusive benefit for Society members. If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access. If you’re not yet a member, join today to get access to top-notch resources like this one. You’ll also receive invitations to members-only events, access to exclusive publications, discounts on AOCS technical products, and more….
Masterclasses
Insights into the MOSH&MOAH Analytical Workflow
The masterclass will cover the topic of MOSH&MOAH from an analytical viewpoint, steering the audience from the basic to more advanced approach by provided a general insight on the main challenges that the analysis present.