Research Highlights
Great Lakes Bioenergy researchers and collaborators engineered softwoods to incorporate a key feature of hardwoods. The resulting pine (shown here) processes more easily into pulp and paper.
Great Lakes Bioenergy research consistently results in new discoveries and new technologies. Here, we highlight high-impact research from all three of our research areas.
Machine learning models guide genetics research
Machine learning (ML) is a powerful tool for finding and analyzing relationships in large, complex biological datasets. ML works by identifying patterns in data and using those patterns to create models that can make predictions about new data. Although powerful, ML models cannot be easily understood by humans due to their complexity. Luckily, strategies to demystify the logic of ML models are available and continually improving.
Synthetic hybrids combine genomes of six yeast species
GLBRC researchers developed an iterative method of Hybrid Production (iHyPr) in yeasts that allows the genomes of up to six different species to be combined into a single strain. Hybrids initially grew slowly but rapidly regained fitness and adapted, even as they retained traits from multiple species.
Using coproducts from lignin to increase value from biorefineries
In this highly collaborative Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study, researchers in plant biology, lignin chemistry, microbial fermentation, and technoeconomic modeling tackled the question of how to improve the economics of liquid fuel biorefineries.
Triple-transgenic trees show altered lignin composition and better deconstruction
In this collaborative paper, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) scientists and colleagues at North Carolina State University produced triple-transgenic poplar with reduced expression of three lignin biosynthetic cytochrome P450 genes. Lignin from these transgenics had significantly higher levels of monolignol benzoates (ML-BA) as well as additional desirable traits, including reduced lignin content and improved saccharification efficiency.
Optimizing biorefinery strategies for use with lignin valorization
In this paper, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) scientists studied biorefinery strategies that couple lignin valorization subsystems with the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels, with a goal of exploring the advances and conditions necessary to make lignin valorization technically and economically viable
Nitrate leaching in perennial systems compare favorably to corn crops over time
From 2009 through 2015, GLBRC scientists compared nitrate leaching from five perennial systems to that of corn. Perennial crops were found to leach similar levels of nitrate to corn in the first two years after planting, and far less over the course of the seven-year trial.
Different biomass pretreatment strategies give different hydrolysis, lignin yields from woody biomass
Scientists at the three original Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs) – Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Joint BioEnergy Institute, and BioEnergy Science Center (now the Center for Bioenergy Innovation) – collaborated to compare the performance of three pretreatment strategies on woody biomass.
Yield stability analysis reveals sources of large-scale nitrogen loss from the US Midwest
GLBRC investigators have developed an approach to classify croplands across the Midwest depending on yield, making it possible to estimate the amount of nitrogen loss in areas of high, low or unstable yield due to over-fertilization. The team recommends a variable rate of nitrogen application depending on field quality to prevent these losses.
Studying local adaptation in switchgrass
Understanding local adaptation in switchgrass could lead to development of higher-yielding varieties.
Hydrogenolysis offers an improved method to break down lignin
In a new study, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the University of Wisconsin–Madison describe a lignin digestion method that can be coupled with existing biomass treatment processes to yield high levels of lignin-derived monomers, which can serve as feedstock for a wide range of industrial processes.
