Project Grant 20091000405132

This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $198,114 supports collaborative research at Michigan State University to develop a low-energy tandem process for fractionating and reversibly preserving lignocellulose using multifunctional aldehyde sulfonic acids. The research will test the hypothesis that aldehyde sulfonic acids can more effectively and selectively fractionate lignocellulose than current mineral/organic acid and aldehyde combinations under mild conditions. It aims to maximize...

This $591,500 federal Project Grant award from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) aims to develop two energy-efficient and atmospheric-pressure biomass fractionation platforms that can stabilize and functionalize carbohydrates and lignin from lignocellulosic biomass. The principal awardee, Michigan State University, is conducting research to advance technologies for utilizing forestry and agricultural biomass in bioenergy, chemicals, and bioproducts. MSU will...

Integrated Lipid Biofuels LLC was awarded a $650,000 Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The two-year award will support the company's efforts to develop a process for converting organic waste into biopolymers by synergizing anaerobic digestion and synthetic biology techniques. The SBIR Program aims to stimulate technological innovation through the investment of federal...

The National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) awarded a $3,000,000 project grant to the University of New Mexico (UNM) to develop a groundbreaking new approach for degrading lignin, a key barrier to the full utilization of woody biomass. The project, titled "TRAILBLAZER: Overcoming the Lignin Barrier for Valorization of Forest Biomass-- A New Paradigm for Mitigation of Catastrophic Wildfires", aims to unlock the potential of wood as a green chemical feedstock by...

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded $175,000 under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to KSE, Inc. of Sunderland, Massachusetts. The award will support KSE's efforts to develop and scale an integrated process for converting lignocellulosic waste streams into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) at high selectivity without pre-treatment of biomass compounds. Key activities include improving reactive...

This $300,000 Project Grant awarded by the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) aims to demonstrate the feasibility of producing chirally pure (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-3HB) from plant waste materials, such as wood and crop leftovers, by modifying Clostridium pathways. The research will create and test two different R-3HB production pathways in Clostridium, then combine and further optimize the approaches to boost R-3HB yields in the bacterium. If successful, this work...

The National Science Foundation awarded a $130,000 Project Grant to The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York (SUNY ESF) to support collaborative research titled "LOW-ENERGY TANDEM PROCESS FOR FRACTIONATION AND REVERSIBLE PRESERVATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSE USING MULTIFUNCTIONAL ALDEHYDE SULFONIC ACIDS." The award was made under the NSF's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop new techniques for fractionating and preserving lignocellulose using multifunctional...

This $300,000 award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) will fund the development and field testing of elite poplar tree varieties with reduced lignin content for more sustainable and efficient wood fiber production. The project aims to establish a short-rotation agroforestry system utilizing these genetically engineered poplar trees with enhanced traits for increased pulp yield and reduced carbon...

This $650,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.212) to Kse, Inc. (dba KSE Inc.), a self-certified small disadvantaged business, aims to evaluate, optimize, and demonstrate novel technology to selectively convert lignocellulose waste streams into the value-added chemical 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) at pilot-scale. The project involves improving processes for converting...

This $2.4 million project grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Bioproduct Pilot Program (CFDA #10.236) supports the development of a modular bioprocessing system to produce bioplastics from food waste. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will lead a consortium including Quasar Energy Group LLC, University of Missouri System, and Iowa State University to establish a 100-liter scale pilot facility. Over three years, the team...