B3I: Biofuels, Biopower, and Biomaterials Initiative

Anaerobic microorganisms, hermophiles, genetics, genomics, metabolic engineering, enzymology, hydrogen, ethanol, biomass conversion.

Enhancing the production of recombinant therapeutic and industrial enzymes and developing new fermentation approaches for commodity biochemicals such as ethanol, lactic acid, pyruvic acid succinic acid.

Control of feed intake and the regulation of energy balance in animals. A former founder and president of a startup company, Aureozyme, Inc., which was focused toward the discovery of highly active bio-catalytic proteins isolated from anaerobic fungi. Expected market for these hydrolytic enzymes was the growing demand for clean and green technologies.

The molecular basis for microbe-host interactions, with particular interest in structural features of bacterial cell wall carbohydrates that are required for infection of, and maintenance within, the host cell and the genetic basis for those structural features.

Biomass processing, fermentation process optimization, scale up and technology transfer in the biofuel, environmental biotechnology and pharmaceutical biotechnology areas. Interests in the development of second generation biofuels.

Fermentation and metabolic pathway engineering for the production of fuels and chemicals.

Application of lignocellulose degrading enzymes to textile processing.

Special interest in ethylaretate as an alternative fuel for cars. Lignocellulose degrading enzymes, organisms, pathway, novel microbes, and ethanol.

Designing novel organic semiconductors for thin film photovoltaic devices, and studying how nanostructure affects thin film morphology and charge separation in bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices.

Fungal geneticist working with Aspergillus species. Research interest is secretion and stability of fungal enzymes that degrade plant material.

Mining microbial diversity for novel organisms, enzymes, and antimicrobials; developing methods for biomass pretreatment; improving existing fermentation processes; and integrating all of these for specific applications.

Enzymes of Tryptophan metabolism, use of enzymes and microorganisms in organic synthesis, and synthesis of amino acid analogues.

Development and simulation of a kinetics-based model for the degradation process of pre-processed particulate lignocellulose by endo- and exo-acting non-complexed hydrolase systems. Related to an ongoing effort on the ensemble modeling approach and its application to biological circuit kinetics modeling of coupled gene-regulatory and metabolic pathways in living cells.

Associate Vice President for Research, UGA. Provides administrative and facilitative resources from the Office of the Vice President for Research for bioenergy collaboration. Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with research in the area of transcriptional regulation related to microbial stress response. Expertise in the fields of metallobiochemistry, biophysics, proteomics, genomics, and systems biology. Current bioenergy-related search involves the use of the marine hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus as a model organism to understand the metabolic and regulatory networks of hydrogen production in prokaryotes.

Bioconversion of organic matter to methane by micro-organisms.

Novel microorganism able to breakdown cellulosic material (especially halophobic, alkaliphilic thermophiles); Hemicellulolytic enzymes; ethanol fermentation by anaerobic thermophiles.

Computational characterization of fungal and microbial cellulolytic systems, mobile repetitive
elements and non-coding RNA genes.

Technical Director of the Analytical Services at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. Research and service includes structural elucidation of oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, polysaccharides and glycolipids by a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR and HPLC techniques.

Biosynthesis of wall precursors and metabolic pathway engineering leading to Bioenergy enhancement.

Understanding how higher plant genomes are structured and evolve. The application of this research will be to determine how genetic and genomic diversity can be used for crop improvement.

Soybean breeding and genetics, including investigation of the genetics of disease, and nematode and insect resistance, with emphasis on the use of marker-assisted selection.

Breeding switchgrass and other bioenergy crops, with a goal of increasing yield and improving compositional quality.

The molecular basis for microbe-host interactions, with particular interest in structural features of bacterial cell wall carbohydrates that are required for infection of, and maintenance within, the host cell and the genetic basis for those structural features.

Dean, UGA Warnell School of Forest Resources.

The study of the structure and function of plant cell walls. A member of the DOE BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) management team.

Functional genomic approaches to understanding and manipulating development and formation of woody tissues in pines, conifers, and other forest tree species.

Developing and exploiting genetic/genomic tools for switchgrass that can be used to breed switchgrass with a higher conversion to ethanol potential.

Interested in collaborations inside and outside UGA, especially regarding forestry, plant sciences, genetics, and legislation.

Cell wall biology and polysaccharide biosynthesis. Has developed an antibody toolkit against cell wall polysaccharide structures. Looking at selected glycosyltransferase gene families thought to be involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis.

Development of best management practices for the production of duel-use switchgrass (biomass and forage) and training producers how to effectively incorporate switchgrass into their farm enterprises.

Broad interests in terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling with a focus on forest soils and soil-site productivity relationships.

In vitro mass propagation of southern hardwood species (sweetgum, eastern cottonwood, American chestnut) and southern pines for cellulosic biomass production and genetic modification of these species to improve productivity. Our lab routinely genetically transforms and regenerates forest species with potential for short rotation woody biomass plantations, and is working on mass clonal propagation of elite genotypes of these species.

Understanding how plant cell wall synthesis affects plant cell wall structure and in determining how to use this information to modify plant cell wall structure to improve the efficiency of conversion of wall biomass into biofuel. Current emphasis is on pectin and hemicellulose synthesis and on determining wall biosynthetic pathways and mechanisms.

Wood growth and development in Loblolly pine. Current emphasis on secondary cell wall biosynthesis and transcription factors regulating vascular development.

Developing chemical and enzymic methods to structurally characterize cell wall polysaccharides, and techniques to investigate polysaccharide synthesis.

Application of plant cell culture and gene transfer techniques for the genetic modification and improvement of crop plants.

Genetics/genomics of crop plants, including several leading bioenergy crops (sugarcane, sorghum, maize) and candidates (Miscanthus, switch grass). Activities range from applied plant breeding support, through molecular tool development, to addressing fundamental questions related to plant evolution.

Mining microbial diversity for novel organisms, enzymes, and antimicrobials; developing methods for biomass pretreatment; improving existing fermentation processes; and integrating all of these for specific applications.

Development and simulation of a kinetics-based model for the degradation process of pre-processed particulate lignocellulose by endo- and exo-acting non-complexed hydrolase systems. Related to an ongoing effort on the ensemble modeling approach and its application to biological circuit kinetics modeling of coupled gene-regulatory and metabolic pathways in living cells.

Genetic diversity and improvement of switch grass disease resistance.

Transposable elements in plants with a focus on the characterization of active transposable elements and a determination of how they contribute to genome evolution and adaptation. Uses a combination of genetic, biochemical and genomic approaches to address these questions.

Computational prediction of genes involved in plant cell wall synthesis, elucidation of metabolic and regulatory pathways of plant cell-wall synthesis, elucidation of degration pathways of celluloses and hemicellulose in microbes.

Specializes in plant cell wall characterization and the mechanisms of plant cell wall biogenesis. Funded in part by the Department of Energy Bioenergy Science Center (BESC).

Computational characterization of fungal and microbial cellulolytic systems, mobile repetitive
elements and non-coding RNA genes.

Biomass processing, fermentation process optimization, scale up and technology transfer in the biofuel, environmental biotechnology and pharmaceutical biotechnology areas. Interests in the development of second generation biofuels.

Fermentation and metabolic pathway engineering for the production of fuels and chemicals.

Development of state biodiesel program; capacity, research, and feedstocks. Expertise in general biofuel research experiences focused on diesel fuel substitutes.

Engineering outreach and biodiesel research.

Catalytic reactor engineering, industrial biocatalysis, fermentation, and thermochemical conversion.

Special interest in ethylaretate as an alternative fuel for cars. Lignocellulose degrading enzymes, organisms, pathway, novel microbes, and ethanol.

Mining microbial diversity for novel organisms, enzymes, and antimicrobials; developing methods for biomass pretreatment; improving existing fermentation processes; and integrating all of these for specific applications.

Developing biomass processing to fuels and energy at pilot development stages. Working directly with policy makers at state and federal level to educate them on Bioenergy issues.

Program Coordinator of the Georgia Agricultural Center of Innovation, which connects industry, academia and federal and state resources to agribusiness.

Dean, UGA Warnell School of Forest Resources.

Director of Federal Relations, Governmental Affairs, UGA.

Interested in collaborations inside and outside UGA, especially regarding forestry, plant sciences, genetics, and legislation.

Director of Research Communications, UGA. Expertise in communicating complex subject matter to diverse audiences.

Efficient harvesting methods and equipment for woody biomass and the economic analysis of both.

Vice President for Research, UGA. Oversees organization and advancement of research.

Associate Vice President for Economic Development, UGA. Links UGA bioenergy resources with economic development opportunities in Georgia.

Development of a collaborative clearing house for bioenergy projects at UGA, which will help in guiding Georgia entrepreneurs and agribusiness owners to the best sources of assistance at UGA in this growing area.

Linking UGA resources with business needs. Works with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and other statewide organizations in business recruitment and expansion, identifying resources and areas of expertise that can serve to establish relationships with businesses and make the state more competitive.

Director of State Relations, Governmental Affairs, UGA. Serves as the primary liaison between the University of Georgia and the legislative and executive branches of Georgia government, including the Georgia General Assembly, Office of the Governor, the University System of Georgia, and other relevant units of state government. The State Relations team also works closely with other universities and higher education groups in Georgia.

Involved in K-12 Education Outreach and programs to put teachers and students in direct contact with current UGA research.

Economic feasibility analysis, feedstock and biofuels market analysis, policy.

Dean, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, UGA.

Director, Faculty of Engineering, UGA. Administration of engineering biorefinery and carbon cycling programs.

Director, CAES Office of Envrionmental Sciences. Extensive experience spearheading environmental programs, with an interest in lending experience in communications and fundraising to this important effort.

Economics of alternative fuels; economic feasibility and policy analysis of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel).

Use of nanotechnology-based methods for energy storage and production.

Designing novel organic semiconductors for thin film photovoltaic devices, and studying how nanostructure affects thin film morphology and charge separation in bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices.

Research centers around the merging of Nanotechnology with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), specifically for biomedical and bioenergy applications. Interested in the development of micro/nano technologies for future power conversion system.

Nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires and nanobelts: rational synthesis, structural characterization, properties measurements, device fabrication, and potential applications. Also, functional nanomaterials with potential applications in energy, national security and biology as photocatalysts, phosphors, detectors, markers, and sensors.

Head, Department of Chemistry, UGA.

Micro/nano technologies and multiphysics modeling to contribute to the exploration of bioenergy sources, particularly in the development of efficient and effective means for producing such new forms of energy.

Design of nanometer scale catalyst for energy storage and generation, and energy-related device fabrication. Hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructure may be useful for bioenergy application.

Anaerobic microorganisms, hermophiles, genetics, genomics, metabolic engineering, enzymology, hydrogen, ethanol, biomass conersion.

Thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis and gasification) of biomass to biofuels and products. Research includes process development, assessment of products (BioOil, BioChar, and chemical extracts), pretreatment of biomass for enhanced conversion, and development of microalgae-based biofuels.

Catalytic reactor engineering, industrial biocatalysis, fermentation, and thermochemical conversion.

Biomass collection, harvesting, and transport systems; chemical and physical pretreatments; thermochemical processing of biomass; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of bioproducts; and bioenergy.

Control of feed intake and the regulation of energy balance in animals. A former founder and president of a startup company, Aureozyme, Inc., which was focused toward the discovery of highly active bio-catalytic proteins isolated from anaerobic fungi. Expected market for these hydrolytic enzymes was the growing demand for clean and green technologies.

Evaluation of the feeding value and practical issues associated with use of by-products for poultry diets, including corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles, and new by-products from the expanding and maturing ethanol industry. Also is evaluating the feeding value and issues associated with the use of glycerin, a by-product of bio-diesel production.

The molecular basis for microbe-host interactions, with particular interest in structural features of bacterial cell wall carbohydrates that are required for infection of, and maintenance within, the host cell and the genetic basis for those structural features.

The mechanisms of ecological restoration in the context of conservation ecologyand on watershed management.

Over 20 years of experience in forest biometrics related research in federal research, private industry, consulting, and academia. 

Bioenergy economic development impact and commercialization.

Understanding the regulation of microbiological metabolism, with emphasis on processes that produce and consume radiative trace gases (nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide);  understanding the impact of microorganisms and their metabolisms on ecosystem function and sustainability.

Broad interests in terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling with a focus on forest soils and soil-site productivity relationships.

Anaerobic microorganisms, hermophiles, genetics, genomics, metabolic engineering, enzymology, hydrogen, ethanol, biomass conversion.

Developing biomass processing to fuels and energy at pilot development stages. Working directly with policy makers at state and federal level to educate them on Bioenergy issues.

Enhancing the production of recombinant therapeutic and industrial enzymes and developing new fermentation approaches for commodity biochemicals such as ethanol, lactic acid, pyruvic acid succinic acid.

Technical Director of the Analytical Services at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. Research and service includes structural elucidation of oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, polysaccharides and glycolipids by a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR and HPLC techniques.

Control of feed intake and the regulation of energy balance in animals. A former founder and president of a startup company, Aureozyme, Inc., which was focused toward the discovery of highly active bio-catalytic proteins isolated from anaerobic fungi. Expected market for these hydrolytic enzymes was the growing demand for clean and green technologies.

Biosynthesis of wall precursors and metabolic pathway engineering leading to Bioenergy enhancement.

Evaluation of the feeding value and practical issues associated with use of by-products for poultry diets, including corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles, and new by-products from the expanding and maturing ethanol industry. Also is evaluating the feeding value and issues associated with the use of glycerin, a by-product of bio-diesel production.

Understanding how higher plant genomes are structured and evolve. The application of this research will be to determine how genetic and genomic diversity can be used for crop improvement.

Soybean breeding and genetics, including investigation of the genetics of disease, and nematode and insect resistance, with emphasis on the use of marker-assisted selection.

Program Coordinator of the Georgia Agricultural Center of Innovation, which connects industry, academia and federal and state resources to agribusiness.

Breeding switchgrass and other bioenergy crops, with a goal of increasing yield and improving compositional quality.

The molecular basis for microbe-host interactions, with particular interest in structural features of bacterial cell wall carbohydrates that are required for infection of, and maintenance within, the host cell and the genetic basis for those structural features.

The mechanisms of ecological restoration in the context of conservation ecologyand on watershed management.

Over 20 years of experience in forest biometrics related research in federal research, private industry, consulting, and academia. 

Dean, UGA Warnell School of Forest Resources.

The study of the structure and function of plant cell walls. A member of the DOE BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) management team.

Thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis and gasification) of biomass to biofuels and products. Research includes process development, assessment of products (BioOil, BioChar, and chemical extracts), pretreatment of biomass for enhanced conversion, and development of microalgae-based biofuels.

Biomass processing, fermentation process optimization, scale up and technology transfer in the biofuel, environmental biotechnology and pharmaceutical biotechnology areas. Interests in the development of second generation biofuels.

Functional genomic approaches to understanding and manipulating development and formation of woody tissues in pines, conifers, and other forest tree species.

Developing and exploiting genetic/genomic tools for switchgrass that can be used to breed switchgrass with a higher conversion to ethanol potential.

Use of nanotechnology-based methods for energy storage and production.

Director of Federal Relations, Governmental Affairs, UGA.

Fermentation and metabolic pathway engineering for the production of fuels and chemicals.

Development of state biodiesel program; capacity, research, and feedstocks. Expertise in general biofuel research experiences focused on diesel fuel substitutes.

Bioenergy economic development impact and commercialization.

Dean, UGA Odum School of Ecology.

Engineering outreach and biodiesel research.

Interested in collaborations inside and outside UGA, especially regarding forestry, plant sciences, genetics, and legislation.

Cell wall biology and polysaccharide biosynthesis. Has developed an antibody toolkit against cell wall polysaccharide structures. Looking at selected glycosyltransferase gene families thought to be involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis.

Development of best management practices for the production of duel-use switchgrass (biomass and forage) and training producers how to effectively incorporate switchgrass into their farm enterprises.

Application of lignocellulose degrading enzymes to textile processing.

Director of Research Communications, UGA. Expertise in communicating complex subject matter to diverse audiences.

Efficient harvesting methods and equipment for woody biomass and the economic analysis of both.

Understanding the regulation of microbiological metabolism, with emphasis on processes that produce and consume radiative trace gases (nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide);  understanding the impact of microorganisms and their metabolisms on ecosystem function and sustainability.

Catalytic reactor engineering, industrial biocatalysis, fermentation, and thermochemical conversion.

Vice President for Research, UGA. Oversees organization and advancement of research.

Special interest in ethylaretate as an alternative fuel for cars. Lignocellulose degrading enzymes, organisms, pathway, novel microbes, and ethanol.

Designing novel organic semiconductors for thin film photovoltaic devices, and studying how nanostructure affects thin film morphology and charge separation in bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices.

Provide leadership and education related to the Energy Title and Energy Tax Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. Assist in providing economic and feasibility analysis related to a biobased economy in the state.

Biomass collection, harvesting, and transport systems; chemical and physical pretreatments; thermochemical processing of biomass; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of bioproducts; and bioenergy.

Broad interests in terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling with a focus on forest soils and soil-site productivity relationships.

Associate Vice President for Economic Development, UGA. Links UGA bioenergy resources with economic development opportunities in Georgia.

In vitro mass propagation of southern hardwood species (sweetgum, eastern cottonwood, American chestnut) and southern pines for cellulosic biomass production and genetic modification of these species to improve productivity. Our lab routinely genetically transforms and regenerates forest species with potential for short rotation woody biomass plantations, and is working on mass clonal propagation of elite genotypes of these species.

Development of a collaborative clearing house for bioenergy projects at UGA, which will help in guiding Georgia entrepreneurs and agribusiness owners to the best sources of assistance at UGA in this growing area.

Research centers around the merging of Nanotechnology with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), specifically for biomedical and bioenergy applications. Interested in the development of micro/nano technologies for future power conversion system.

Linking UGA resources with business needs. Works with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and other statewide organizations in business recruitment and expansion, identifying resources and areas of expertise that can serve to establish relationships with businesses and make the state more competitive.

Understanding how plant cell wall synthesis affects plant cell wall structure and in determining how to use this information to modify plant cell wall structure to improve the efficiency of conversion of wall biomass into biofuel. Current emphasis is on pectin and hemicellulose synthesis and on determining wall biosynthetic pathways and mechanisms.

Fungal geneticist working with Aspergillus species. Research interest is secretion and stability of fungal enzymes that degrade plant material.

Wood growth and development in Loblolly pine. Current emphasis on secondary cell wall biosynthesis and transcription factors regulating vascular development.

Developing chemical and enzymic methods to structurally characterize cell wall polysaccharides, and techniques to investigate polysaccharide synthesis.

Nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires and nanobelts: rational synthesis, structural characterization, properties measurements, device fabrication, and potential applications. Also, functional nanomaterials with potential applications in energy, national security and biology as photocatalysts, phosphors, detectors, markers, and sensors.

Application of plant cell culture and gene transfer techniques for the genetic modification and improvement of crop plants.

Genetics/genomics of crop plants, including several leading bioenergy crops (sugarcane, sorghum, maize) and candidates (Miscanthus, switch grass). Activities range from applied plant breeding support, through molecular tool development, to addressing fundamental questions related to plant evolution.

Mining microbial diversity for novel organisms, enzymes, and antimicrobials; developing methods for biomass pretreatment; improving existing fermentation processes; and integrating all of these for specific applications.

Enzymes of Tryptophan metabolism, use of enzymes and microorganisms in organic synthesis, and synthesis of amino acid analogues.

Director of State Relations, Governmental Affairs, UGA. Serves as the primary liaison between the University of Georgia and the legislative and executive branches of Georgia government, including the Georgia General Assembly, Office of the Governor, the University System of Georgia, and other relevant units of state government. The State Relations team also works closely with other universities and higher education groups in Georgia.

Involved in K-12 Education Outreach and programs to put teachers and students in direct contact with current UGA research.

Development and simulation of a kinetics-based model for the degradation process of pre-processed particulate lignocellulose by endo- and exo-acting non-complexed hydrolase systems. Related to an ongoing effort on the ensemble modeling approach and its application to biological circuit kinetics modeling of coupled gene-regulatory and metabolic pathways in living cells.

Associate Vice President for Research, UGA. Provides administrative and facilitative resources from the Office of the Vice President for Research for bioenergy collaboration. Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with research in the area of transcriptional regulation related to microbial stress response. Expertise in the fields of metallobiochemistry, biophysics, proteomics, genomics, and systems biology. Current bioenergy-related research involves the use of the marine hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus as a model organism to understand the metabolic and regulatory networks of hydrogen production in prokaryotes.

Economic feasibility analysis, feedstock and biofuels market analysis, policy.

Genetic diversity and improvement of switch grass disease resistance.

Head, Department of Chemistry, UGA.

Dean, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, UGA.

Director, Faculty of Engineering, UGA. Administration of engineering biorefinery and carbon cycling programs.

Director, CAES Office of Envrionmental Sciences. Extensive experience spearheading environmental programs, with an interest in lending experience in communications and fundraising to this important effort.

Transposable elements in plants with a focus on the characterization of active transposable elements and a determination of how they contribute to genome evolution and adaptation. Uses a combination of genetic, biochemical and genomic approaches to address these questions.

Economics of alternative fuels; economic feasibility and policy analysis of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel).

Bioconversion of organic matter to methane by micro-organisms.

Novel microorganism able to breakdown cellulosic material (especially halophobic, alkaliphilic thermophiles); Hemicellulolytic enzymes; ethanol fermentation by anaerobic thermophiles.

Computational prediction of genes involved in plant cell wall synthesis, elucidation of metabolic and regulatory pathways of plant cell-wall synthesis, elucidation of degration pathways of celluloses and hemicellulose in microbes.

Specializes in plant cell wall characterization and the mechanisms of plant cell wall biogenesis. Funded in part by the Department of Energy Bioenergy Science Center (BESC).

Micro/nano technologies and multiphysics modeling to contribute to the exploration of bioenergy sources, particularly in the development of efficient and effective means for producing such new forms of energy.

Design of nanometer scale catalyst for energy storage and generation, and energy-related device fabrication. Hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructure may be useful for bioenergy application.

Computational characterization of fungal and microbial cellulolytic systems, mobile repetitive
elements and non-coding RNA genes.