|  | | | Bioeconomy: Plants | | Research Projects
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Recombinant Lignin Depolymerase with Enhanced Cataytic Properties
Date Approved: 12/6/06
Amount: $150,000
Leads: Simo Sarkanen, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Stephen Gantt, Department of Plant Biology
Benefits and Deliverables:
Produce a lignin-degrading enzyme that can be used in biorefinery applications.
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Liquid Fuels from Biomass: An Integrated Biorefinery Approach
Amount: $512,990
Leads: Vernon Eidman - Department of Applied Economics, Kenneth Valentas - BioTechnology Institute, Marc von Keitz - BioTechnology Institute, Steve Polasky - Department of Applied Economics, Ulrike Tschirner - Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Shri Ramaswamy - Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, Richard Cairncross - Drexel University
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Protecting Potential among Brown-rot Fungi for Enzymatic Hydrolosis of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
Date Approved: 11/21/06
Amount: $42,732
Leads: Johnathan Schilling and Ulrike Tschirner - Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Robert Blanchette, Department of Plant Pathology
Benefits and Deliverables:
Prospect brown rot cellulase activity and mode of action in traditional microcrystalline cellulose and in corn stover and wood feedstocks - resulting in characterization of potentially useful cellulases from brown rot fungi.
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Enzymatic Synthesis of Biomethanol
Date Approved: 11/21/06
Amount: $50,000
Leads: Ping Wang, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Michael Flickinger, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Benefits and Deliverables:
Promote efficient and clean synthesis of easy-to-handle liquid fuel, methanol, from nonfermentable Minnesota biomass-derived carbon sources. |
Biomass and Natural Fumigant Production with Renewable Brassica Crops
Date Approved: 1/21/05
Amount: $31,372 (Matching funds will provide an additional $15,710)
Leads: Dong Wang - Department of Soil, Water and Climate, Carl Rosen - Department of Soil, Water and Climate and Department of Horticulture, and Linda Kinkel - Department of Plant Pathology
Benefits and Deliverables:
- Biomass production of the candidate Brassica crops. The same growth condition would ensure a meaningful side-by-side comparison for biomass accumulation.
- Potential rate of natural fumigant ITC production from Brassica crops measured systematically and expressed on unit biomass basis.
- Effect of natural ITC fumigant produced by selected Brassica crops on suppression of potato vascular colonization by Verticillium dahliae.
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Production of Bioenergy and Bioproducts from Alfalfa and Willow
Date Approved: 12/05/03
Amount: $25,000
Leads: Gregg Johnson and Dean Current
Benefits and Deliverables:
- Identify potential marketable bio-energy products which can be elaborated from willow and alfalfa feed stocks.
- Identify and prioritize research gaps related to the production, processing and commercialization of biomass products.
- Identify landscape placement issues that lead to efficient production while maximizing environmental benefits.
- Identify processes needed to elaborate products identified as ³best bet² options for bioenergy and biomaterial products.
- Identify funding sources for research needed to produce, process and market bioenergy and biomaterial products.
- Process for evaluating plant materials from agronomic, economic and environmental standpoint will be in place.
- "Best bet" willow and alfalfa energy and bio-material options will be identified (Based on economic and ecologic criteria).
- Critical needs for commercialization of willow and alfalfa products will be identified
- Proposal to continue and expand work.
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