Depots Could Help Solve Biomass Supply Chain Challenges
September 2011
Creating biofuels from region-specific biomass could make a huge dent in fossil fuel use for transportation. But moving lightweight, bulky biomass from farms to factories could leave a large carbon footprint, and get expensive quickly. 

Building Biofuels for Land, Air and Sea
September 2011
In August, President Obama announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million over the next three years to produce biofuels for aviation and marine vehicles, making drop-in biofuels a national priority. 

To avoid carbon debt, CRP beats fields of corn, soybeans
August 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Farmers and policymakers should wait before converting Conservation Reserve Program land to corn and soybean production, according to a Michigan State University study. 

Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars
July 2011
MADISON - For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters.

Researchers find potential key for unlocking biomass energy using ammonia
July 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Pretreating non-edible biomass – corn leaves, stalks or switch grass – holds the keys for unlocking its energy potential and making it economically viable, according to a team of researchers led by Michigan State University.

Shaping young scientists, one summer at a time
June 2011
When Jillian Foerster started her freshman year at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, she had no idea she would end up in Wisconsin studying biofuels. What she did know was that as a cell and molecular biology major, she had several options for research exploration.

Collaboration leads to biofuel breakthrough at Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
June 2011
Imagine if farmers could grow plants, press their seeds to extract oil, and use that oil to sustain their farm operations rather than relying on fossil fuels. Building on ten years of research and collaboration, scientists at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) have isolated an enzyme that brings this scenario one step closer to reality.

New ‘corn atlas’ shows which genes are active during each stage of plant growth
May 2011
Just as a road atlas helps travelers find their way, a new corn atlas will help plant scientists navigate vast amounts of gene expression data from the corn plant, as described in the May 10 issue of The Plant Journal.

Biorefinery of the Future
January 2011
When a 100-ton supply of feedstock arrives at the biorefinery of the future, the plant manager could open the door to find cellulosic biomass in any number of forms — from corn stover to switchgrass to poplar or miscanthus or mixed prairie grasses and forbs.

Leaf-cutter Ants: Farmers, pharmacists and energy experts!
November 2010
Leaf-cutter ants put on quite a show. In established colonies, millions of "workers" cut and carry sections of leaves larger than their own bodies as part of a well choreographed, highly functioning society.

Freshman Bioenergy Course Offered for First Time
October 2010
For the first time ever, UW-Madison’s First-Year Interest Group (FIG) program is offering a bioenergy course this fall. Through a new partnership between the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative (WBI) and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), students in Bioenergy: Sustainability, Opportunities and Challenges are able to see research in the field and interact with researchers in GLBRC labs.

Building Bioenergy-Savvy Educators
August 2010
For most, the ideal summer vacation does not include donning lab goggles, performing hands on field research or analyzing data. The teachers who participated in the 2010 Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Bioenergy Institute for Educators, however, looked forward to being students again.

In Search of a More Perfect Microbe
August 2010
For thousands of years, beer and wine lovers have been thankful for yeast, the ethanol-producing microbe that makes their favorite fermented beverages possible. Now, scientists at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) are working to improve yeast strains that could help make better biofuels.

Bugs and Biofuels: Q&A with GLBRC Entomologist Claudio Gratton
June 2010
Entomologists have a long history in agriculture, offering expertise on biological control, insect-plant interactions, and integrated pest management. Now entomologists are being called upon to help design best practices in bioenergy crop systems.

A Summer in the Lab: Bringing Bioenergy into the Classroom
April 2010
At the front of her classroom, Rhonda Knapp holds up beakers full of decomposing biomass, explaining how enzymes are working to break down the material.

Great Lakes Bioenergy featured in special issue of BioEnergy Research
March 2010
MADISON – The March issue of BioEnergy Research exclusively focuses on the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) and bioenergy research topics ranging from arthropods to cell walls to hydrogen and enzyme improvement.