Biofuels

The high living standard much of the world enjoys today is due in large part to the availability of inexpensive sources of energy, chiefly in the form of carbon-based fossil fuels. However, it is clear that reliance on these fuels is becoming more and more problematic, due to profoundly negative environmental effects, cost instability, and dwindling supply, especially of liquid fossil fuels. One of the most promising new sources of energy are biofuels, a term describing any fuel source from living organisms. Ethanol, the most widespread biofuel today, has significant disadvantages: it is not energy-dense, its production requires substantial resources, and it is currently derived from food crops, leading to supply constraints and higher food prices.

One of the most promising next-generation biofuels is oil derived from plant sources. Plant oils are more similar in composition to current petroleum fuels, are energy dense, can be obtained from non-food sources such as algae, and can more readily replace fossil fuels in the production of plastics and specialty chemicals. Members of the Center’s Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels are using multidisciplinary, integrated approaches to characterizing algae and terrestrial biomass production systems at the molecular level. The results of these efforts are being used to develop informed strategies for engineering advanced biofuel production.

Labs conducting research in this area include:

Douglas Allen Lab
Roger Beachy Lab
Leslie Hicks Lab
Jan Jaworski Lab
Toni Kutchan Lab
Todd Mockler Lab
James Umen Lab
Sam Wang Lab
Oliver Yu Lab
Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility