Mission:
The Sustainable Biofuels and CoProducts Research Unit develops methods to increase sustainability in biorefining and crop production. We develop chemical, catalytic, thermal, enzymatic, and fermentative technologies to convert low value agricultural materials into novel high value sustainable renewable bioproducts. We work with feedstocks including lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., crop residues, energy crops, biorefinery co-products) and lipids (e.g., vegetable oils, waste fats, oils, and greases) and produce products including advanced biofuels, antimicrobial biodegradable polymers, biosurfancts, lubricants, bio-chars, industrial carbons, food-grade emulsifiers and many others. We make crop production more sustainable via on-farm production and utilization of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to enhance the availability of mineral-nutrients. Our work supports the rural economy and helps to mitigate climate change by enhancing sustainable agricultural practices and reducing carbon emissions via production of economically sustainable bioproducts to replace those derived from fossil sources.