Great Lakes Bioenergy is Gaining Momentum

Tim Donohue
Director, Great Lakes
Bioenergy Research Center

As you read our 2011 Science Report, you will get a glimpse of the high-quality research that is underway along every stop in our biofuels research pipeline—from growing plants to converting sugars to generating fuels.

Our researchers are investigating a variety of bioenergy crops that could fuel our trips around town, across the country or around the globe. We are beginning efforts to make biofuels from both crop residues and dedicated energy crops to improve the energy efficiency, cost and sustainability of the entire process. With this big picture in mind, our scientists are exploring ways to provide fuels that are capable of burning in a variety of engines.

We can now deconstruct corn stalks into a sugar stream and feed that material to microbes and catalysts to make fuel. By understanding the conversion and fuel synthesis process at a molecular level — and seeing the parts work in real time — we can identify the elements that can be improved to increase the efficiency and sustainability of this conversion.

We also know that cellulosic biofuels will be more easily adopted by consumers if they connect as seamlessly as possible with the large and complicated infrastructure that connects pipelines, tankers, trucks and even jets.

Consequently, research within our Center considers all factors that go into developing cellulosic biofuels. Our strategy, call it comprehensive, holistic or “field to pump,” integrates numerous approaches and disciplines to improve cellulosic biofuels production economically, environmentally and energetically.

By harnessing the expertise of scientists and staff to solve Center-wide goals, we have evolved into a tightly knit research community. And our collective effort is paying dividends. We are generating new technologies (~40 patents in the works), publishing trans-disciplinary research (almost 300 papers) and training aspiring bioenergy scientists (from undergraduates to the next generation of faculty members or industry leaders).

Given the path we are traveling, the expert team we have assembled, and the insight that our collaborative approach affords us, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center is well positioned to generate basic science breakthroughs that will help make cellulosic biofuels a cost-effective, energy-efficient and sustainable substitute for fossil fuels.