 | | Developing fruit of the burning bush |
Research collaboration leads to biofuel breakthrough at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Imagine if farmers could grow plants, press their seed to extract oil, and use that oil to sustain their farm operations rather than relying on fossil fuels. Building on 10 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.
The enzyme identified produces seed oil with unusual compounds called acetyl glycerides, or acTAGs, says Timothy Durrett, a plant biology research associate at Michigan State University (MSU). The seed oil comes from a common shrub, Euonymus alatus, also known as the burning bush. This ornamental shrub is extremely common throughout the United States, and has even been classified as an invasive species in some locations. Unusual aspects of seed oil synthesis in the burning bush made it a useful species to study.
"They have a lower viscosity which makes them more useful as an environmental biofuel compared to regular vegetable oils," Durrett says.
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 | | Foerster in summer 2008 with Shawn Kaeppler (right, GLBRC scientist) and Ian Prust (left, graduate student mentor) |
Shaping young scientists, one summer at a time
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.
"You could go make wine. You could go into bioinformatics. You could do all these different things," she says. "One of the things that interested me the most was renewable fuels. So I just sat at the computer and Googled bioenergy internships."
What came up was the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program offered by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLRBC). She applied right away.
Read the full story at GLBRC.org.
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Ask an Expert: What is Biodiversity and why is it important?
GLBRC project area leader Doug Landis talks about biodiversity, why it's important and why our researchers are looking at how it will affect the biofuels industry as a whole.
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Upcoming Events
Check out these upcoming events in the bioenergy industry. Biomass 2011: Replace the Whole Barrel, Supply the Whole Market July 26-27, 2011
National Harbor, MD The conference will focus on topics surrounding the use of biomass as a replacement for petroleum to supply the energy, products and power markets. Biomass '11: Renewable Power, Fuels, and Chemicals July 26-27, 2011
Grand Forks, ND This will be the ninth conference dealing with the real potential of biomass as a renewable resource. WPR's Larry Meiller Show GLBRC scientists frequently join Wisconsin Public Radio's Larry Meiller on the air to provide scientific updates on research and answer questions about bioenergy. Find more upcoming events on our website. |
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