> May 6, 2008
>
> To: Reporters, news directors
> FROM: Michael Penn, (608) 262-2679, mpenn@wisc.edu
> RE: TIP/UW-MADISON EXPERTISE ON BIOENERGY, SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
>
> In recent months, some media reports have been highly critical of biofuels, in some cases calling for an end to federal pro-ethanol mandates. In these stories, however, it often seems as if there's only one kind of biofuel: ethanol derived from corn kernels.
>
> A variety of promising biofuels are currently being researched, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is helping to lead the way. The university received a $125 million grant in 2007 from the U.S. Department of Energy to speed development of a range of promising technologies, including so-called cellulosic ethanol, which is ethanol derived from plant matter such as wood chips, grasses and other sources of "waste" biomass.
>
> This grant supports the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), which brings together scientists from across the nation to study sustainability issues related to biofuels and to actively pursue next-generation biofuel technologies.
>
> Researchers affiliated with the GLBRC are available to answer these and other questions about biofuels:
>
> - What are the sustainability issues related to corn ethanol and cellulosic ethanol?
>
> G. Philip Robertson, a professor of crop and soil sciences at Michigan State University, focuses much of his research on the role that agriculture plays in greenhouse gas dynamics, and he is internationally known for his expertise in this area. In leading the GLBRC sustainability program, Robertson will collaborate with agricultural researchers, ecologists, economists, and producers to develop the most economically viable and environmentally sustainable bioenergy practices. Contact Robertson at (269) 671-2267 or robertson@kbs.msu.edu.
>
> - How is cellulosic ethanol different from corn ethanol, and is it a feasible substitute?
>
> Bruce Dale, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University, is an expert on making ethanol from cellulose, plant stalks, grass, corn cobs and other woody plant parts. He has developed a patented process called ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), which makes the breakdown of cellulose more efficient, thus tackling one of the thornier problems of producing cellulose-based ethanol. Contact Dale at (517) 353-6777 or bdale@egr.msu.edu.
>
> - What might next generation biofuels look like?
>
> Tim Donohue is the GLBRC principal investigator and director, as well as a professor of bacteriology at the UW-Madison. He is an expert in applying the latest genomic and systems biology approaches to understanding how genetic pathways and networks in microorganisms are used to generate cell biomass or biofuels from sunlight. Contact Donohue at (608) 262-4663 or tdonohue@bact.wisc.edu.
>
> - How is ethanol affecting food prices?
>
> Randy Fortenbery, a professor of agricultural and applied economics and director of UW-Madison's Renk Agribusiness Institute, has studied the effect of increased ethanol demand on corn prices. He says that ethanol demand accounts for only about one third of the increase in corn prices. Increased demand for food and animal feed in emerging markets and market speculation are also significant factors. Contact Fortenbery at (608) 262-4908 or trforten@wisc.edu.
>
> - What are scientists exploring as next-generation biofuel technologies?
>
> Dan Noguera, a UW-Madison professor of civil and environmental engineering, is part of a team developing photosynthetic microbial fuel cells-systems that use bacteria to turn wastewater and sunlight into electricity. The technology has already been shown to work in the lab, and the team is now optimizing reactor configurations, electrode materials and biological catalysts in an effort to scale up the system. Contact Noguera at (608) 263-7783 or noguera@engr.wisc.edu.
>
> John Ralph, a UW-Madison biochemistry professor, studies lignin-a component of plant cell walls that helps strengthen a plant's overall structure. Currently, lignin is a major barrier in the bioconversion of trees and other plants into ethanol. Ralph and his colleagues recently developed an innovative method to analyze the lignin present in samples of "whole" plant cell wall. This technology will help speed the search for plants-conventionally bred and transgenic-that are most suitable for cellulosic ethanol production. Contact Ralph at (608) 890-0071 or jralph@wisc.edu.
>
> Brian Holmes, a professor and extension specialist in the UW-Madison Department of Biological Systems Engineering, is a farmstead engineering specialist working in the areas of livestock housing, feed storage and manure management. Holmes can talk about methane digesters-devices that turn manure into methane gas and then into electricity (in most cases). He is monitoring the push for smaller digesters appropriate for small-scale dairy farms. Contact Holmes at (608) 262-0096 or bjholmes@wisc.edu.
>
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A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies. *Update 2014: Just do it everywhere - Dan*
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