News

A young poplar plant growing in a greenhouse
Sustainable cropping systems

Engineered poplar lignin has more of valuable “clip-off” chemical

Scientists at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center engineered a new type of poplar with more of a valuable platform chemical and less lignin overall, resulting in wood that is easier to deconstruct and more valuable.

Read more

| Chris Barncard

Thirteen University of Wisconsin­–Madison scholars have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

| Igor Houwat and Kara Headley

MSU scientists have developed a new gene discovery method that is helping them to understand how plants recover from stressful situations in their environments. The approach, which covers big data sets spanning thousands of genes and hundreds of interactions between DNA and proteins, has long-term implications for agricultural productivity and the breeding of more resilient crops.

| Olga Kuchment

The world faces an increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and a shortage of carbon in the soil. However, bioenergy sorghum can provide meaningful relief from both problems, according to a new study by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists.

Julia Martien’s philosophy in life is to have fun while trying to make the world a better place. That includes the work she did for her graduate study as part of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.

| Mary Riker
This week we spoke with Leta Landucci, an undergraduate researcher in John Ralph's lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to talk about her research into popular tree enzymes, how her research connects with plant engineering, and her experience working with talented scientists.
| Mary Riker
This week we spoke with Yanhua Xie, a postdoctoral researcher in the Holly Gibbs lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to talk about why he came to UW-Madison, his recent publications on cropland and irrigation distribution in the U.S. and his plans for the future.
| Natasha Kassulke
Tim Donohue, UW–Madison professor of bacteriology, has been named director of the Wisconsin Energy Institute. WEI provides leadership in energy and clean technology research, scholarship, education and outreach. The research institute administers collaborative research grants to develop sustainable alternatives to meet society’s ever-growing need for energy and ways to source it.
| Mark E. Griffin
Bioenergy carbon capture and sequestration can increase biorefinery size and economy when incorporated with energy production factors in the making of biofuels and bioproducts.

Entomology doctoral student Allison Zahorec has found meaning through researching tiny arthropods, helping children overcome fear of insects and experiencing scientists opening up to social justice.

| Jill Sakai
Chemists at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have developed a new technology that converts biomass into both carbohydrates and lignin-derived aromatic monomers in a single step.

Media Coverage