Research

JBEI researchers are developing scientific breakthroughs to produce clean, sustainable, carbon-neutral biofuels and bioproducts.

An inter-disciplinary team of scientists is using the latest techniques in molecular biology, chemical and genetic engineering to develop new biological systems, processes and technologies to convert biomass to biofuels and bioproducts.

In the lab, JBEI researchers are engineering microbes to transform sugars into energy-rich fuels that can directly replace petroleum-derived gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Advanced biofuels can also be dropped into today’s engines and infrastructures with no loss of performance.

Harnessing the solar energy in biomass  from grasses and other non-edible plants could meet much of the nation’s annual transportation energy needs without contributing to global climate change.

 

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Feedstocks

Developing specialty bioenergy crops or “feedstocks” that are more readily converted into biofuels and bioproducts, and are robust to environmental impact.

visit page Biofuels and Bioproducts

Biofuels and Bioproducts

Engineering microbes to convert sugars and aromatics from lignocellulosic biomass into advanced biofuels and bioproducts.

visit page Life-Cycle, Economics and Agronomy

Life-Cycle, Economics and Agronomy

Perform field trials of engineered and wild type energy crops, and analyze the cost and environmental impacts of routes to biofuels and bioproducts.

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Technology

Accelerating discovery by developing high throughput laboratory technologies, computational and information systems.

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Deconstruction

Discovering more energy-efficient and cost-effective means of deconstructing lignocellulosic biomass into high yields of fermentable sugars and lignin monomers.