ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, U.S. — Gevo, Inc. and Land O'Lakes Purina Feed LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Land O'Lakes, Inc., said on May 1 they have expanded their joint development agreement on efforts to upgrade isobutanol distiller grains (iDGs) for special value-added applications in animal feed markets.

"We want to position ourselves as 'the' marketer of iDGs,” said Kevin Shriver, corporate vice-president of Sourcing and Commodity Merchandising for Land O'Lakes Purina Feed. “Our relationship with Gevo, their technological advancements and scientific acumen provide a unique opportunity to integrate sustainable raw materials into our products while positively improving the quality of our animal feed and bringing better products to our consumers."

"Land O'Lakes Purina Feed's willingness to help develop products formulated with Gevo iDGs provides validation of the potential opportunities and applications of our high-protein animal feed," said Dr. Patrick Gruber, chief executive officer of Gevo. "Our animal feed presents a unique opportunity for Land O'Lakes Purina Feed to develop new products with enhanced protein benefits. Land O'Lakes Purina Feed has consistently led the animal feed industry towards higher quality products, coupled with its scale and consumer reach, this agreement creates a wonderful opportunity for our Luverne operations.”

Gevo also announced that it has acquired a patent portfolio developed by AmbroZea, Inc., including U.S. Patent No. 7,309,602 entitled, "Compositions and Methods for Producing Fermentation Products and Residuals." The acquired technology covers compositions and methods designed to increase the value of animal feed. Working in conjunction with Land O' Lakes Purina Feed, Gevo believes this technology could further enhance the value of its iDGs in the animal feed market.