In the U.S., the production of industrial chemicals is a $400 billion-plus enterprise that impacts all aspects of society from personal care products to building materials. Unfortunately, this vital industry is not self-sustaining; its long-term future is predicated on transitioning from current nonrenewable, petroleum feedstocks to renewable biobased feedstocks. The development of conversion technologies needed to facilitate this transition is the focus of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC).