Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC)

Scientists with the GLBRC have developed a genetic toolkit for engineering bioenergy microbes. Some bacteria have features that make them good for understanding biology and for developing new technologies. Many of the microbes we work with at GLBRC can convert carbon from plant fibers into liquid fuels and chemicals traditionally made from petroleum but need to be genetically modified to optimize their output. Researchers have now expanded the genetic toolkit for N. aromaticivorans and R. sphaeroides, making it easier to adjust the functions of individual genes. Read the full research highlight: https://buff.ly/4gMhhsb #bioenergy #genetics #CRISPR

Bigger is better! New research in bioenergy switchgrass carves a path for future breeding efforts with the goal of developing new high-yielding cultivars for different regions of the United States. Researchers with GLBRC, USDA, and other partners, conducted modeling that combined genome sequencing data with trait measurements in the field to predict the performance of different switchgrass genotypes across geographic space. Through these analyses, the researchers found that using traits, such as height and flowering time, at just a few sites could accurately predict general plant productivity. https://lnkd.in/gMcqZhqb #bioenergy #switchgrass #biofuel

GLBRC Associate Director Yiying Xiong spoke to PBS on a new Energy Switch episode about #bioenergy and the future of #biofuels! Featuring Valerie Reed of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and moderated by Scott W. Tinker, PhD, the episode is an accessible conversation about how biofuels work, their impact on our energy future, and the many pathways that scientists are exploring to reduce carbon emissions. Watch the half-hour episode: https://lnkd.in/gWK4q6Z5 #PBS #RenewableEnergy #sustainability #netzero

Researchers with GLBRC at the Wisconsin Energy Institute, led by Shannon Stahl and Thatcher Root, are using oxygen to weaken lignin molecules to produce valuable aromatic chemicals.    By creating a continuous oxidation process to remove the aromatic chemicals from petroleum, these scientists have taken an enormous step to finding alternatives to compete with the fossil fuel industry.   The scalability of this research not only has the potential to provide more sustainable building blocks for a variety of industrial processes, but also benefit communities most susceptible to industrial wastage. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gC8TaC23 #bioenergy #biofuels #lignin #sustainableenergy #cleanenergy #uwmadison

We are #Hiring a #PostDoc at Michigan State University! This position will focus on Ecosystem Studies and Ecosystem Modeling. We seek a motivated candidate to join the Chen Lab to study the net ecosystem exchanges of water, energy, CO2, CH4 and N2O at major #bioenergy and agricultural crops, primarily through establishment of eddy-covariance flux towers, and understand how these crops function toward our sustainability goals. More info and application instructions: https://lnkd.in/gHtN73zF #postdoc #research #ecosystemscience #msu #labjob #researchjob #postdoctoralresearch

We are #HIRING an Experimental Fermentation Lab (EFL) Leader at UW-Madison! Successful candidates will be creative #microbiologists, chemical or fermentation #engineers with a passion for tackling the world's energy issues through fundamental research and collaborations. The EFL provides important research tools and activities for solving challenges in sustainable #bioenergy and #bioproduct production. The EFL provides pretreatment and deconstruction of GLBRC plant #biomass to act as feedstocks for conversion into biofuels and bioproducts. The EFL performs small-scale and bioreactor-scale fermentations with yeast and bacteria in collaboration with GLBRC researchers. Apply before September 30: https://lnkd.in/gcZDhCmk #microbiology #sciencejob #research #researchjob #uwmadison #fermentation #biofuels

Bioenergy crops shape underground micro-ecosystems 🌱 🌍 plant systems were shown to alter the distribution and characteristics of soil pores, as well as the microbial communities and their carbon processing strategies. GLBRC researchers used X-ray computed microtomography to characterize soil pore structure and quantify the distribution of particular organic matter as well as pore-level water distribution in three vegetation systems: corn, monoculture switchgrass, and restored prairie. The results demonstrate striking differences between each vegetal system’s soil pore characteristics, connecting micro-level contrast between large and small soil pores in microbial diversity, composition, and carbon distribution strategies to the structure of hydraulic connections within each system. Read the full research highlight: https://buff.ly/4fXJZWD #bioenergy #switchgrass #biofuels #soilscience #msu

The biofuel-producing microbe Z. mobilis uses the MEP pathway to convert glucose into biofuels. GLBRC research investigates the function of two known bottlenecks in this MEP pathway, the oxygen-sensitive enzymes IspG and IspH, in order to shape future engineering. Many plants and bacteria use the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway to synthesize precursors for isoprenoids, a diverse class of hydrocarbons that includes natural products, industrial chemicals and biofuels. Results showed Z. mobilis IspG and IspH enzymes were more effective in the presence or absence of oxygen when they were contained in the same cell. The Z. mobilis IspG and IspH proteins were both more sensitive to oxygen than their E. coli counterparts both in vivo and in vitro, explaining why oxygen creates a bottleneck in the MEP pathway. This study shows that Z. mobilis IspG and IspH must be engineered in tandem to improve the activity of the MEP pathway, guiding future strain engineering projects. Read the Research Highlight: https://buff.ly/3MjvZsq

🚨 We have TWO Keegstra #Postdoctoral Researcher Positions available at MSU! 🚨 Join our team as part of the Keegstra Bioenergy Research Fellowship Program, where you will lead projects that cross the traditional bioenergy boundaries of plant feedstocks, biomass deconstruction, microbial conversion, and sustainability. 1. Keegstra Postdoctoral Researcher - Plant and Soil Sciences, Microbiology: Join the Kravchenko lab, in collaboration with the Lebeis Lab, to explore the impact of recently generated hybrids of bioenergy sorghum on root-soil interactions, soil microbiome, and soil carbon sequestration, combining greenhouse and field experimentation. More info: https://lnkd.in/g7sm-YQK 2. Keegstra Postdoctoral Researcher - Molecular Biology, Enzymology: Join the Brandizzi lab, in collaboration with the TerAvest lab to engineer plant enzymes responsible for the synthesis of cell wall glucans with the goal to increase the levels of C6 sugars in situ. More info: https://lnkd.in/gqRdNSsS #hiring #postdoc #grad #bioenergy #microbiology #enzymology #biofeuls #molecularbiology #msu #sorghum #engineering #postdoctoralresearcher #soilscience

GLBRC co-investigator Eric Hegg has been recommended to serve as the next dean of Michigan State University College of Natural Science. Hegg’s research is at the interface of chemistry and biochemistry, focusing on environmentally important processes, including biofuel production and enzymes involved in the global nitrogen cycle. He will serve as dean designee prior to the MSU Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 6. Pending board approval, Hegg will succeed Phillip Duxbury who has served as the college’s dean since August 2018. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzywu2MJ #msu #college #dean #chemistry #chem #biochem #biochemistry #highered