Tags: biofuels

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), a multi-institutional initiative based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and co-led by University of Georgia researchers, has been renewed by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of four bioenergy research centers across the nation that advance robust, economical production of plant-based fuels and chemicals. According to its announcement, DOE will provide $590 million to the centers over the next five…

Debra Mohnen, Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Complex Carbohydrate Research and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has made internationally recognized contributions to the field of plant cell-wall glycobiology with significant impacts on biomass and bioenergy research. In 75 peer-reviewed publications, which have generated more than 500 citations annually since 2013, she has advanced understanding of…

As reported Jan. 27 in Nature, a nationwide team that includes UGA faculty member Katrien Devos has produced a high-quality reference sequence of the complex switchgrass genome, marking a critical step for a plant species that has long been studied for its potential application in the production of biofuels. The team was led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the U.S. Department…

Michael W.W. Adams, Distinguished Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is co-recipient of the 2018 DuPont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology from the American Society for Microbiology: He shares the award with Robert Kelly of North Carolina State University. They were recognized for their groundbreaking use and genetic manipulation of…

A research team led by professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Debra Mohnen has discovered that manipulation of the same gene in poplar trees and switchgrass produced plants that grow better and are more efficiently converted to biofuels: Due to the composition of plant cell walls, plant material is not efficiently broken down or deconstructed to the basic sugars that are converted to biofuels. In a paper published today in Nature…

Franklin College faculty provide a variety of expert and background source material to reporters and editors around the world. A sampling from the past month: Why you shouldn’t be proud to be a workaholic – Inc.com reports on research by UGA assistant professor of psychology Malissa Clark: “Scientists to busy professionals: You really need to stop humble-bragging about your insane schedule.” U.S. weather satellite network hacked – China recently…

The end of the year and early 2014 has been a very active time for Franklin College faculty work and expertise. Their contributions to the public discussions on a range of subjects remains an important aspect of our work. Here are a few recent instances: As we noted, Georgia Athletic Association Professor J. Marshall Shepherd of the department of geography was part of panel on the Polar Vortex convened by the White House Office of Science and…