BER Science Highlights
U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Science | Biological and Environmental Research Program

Bioenergy

  • A woman holds a plant in a field.

    Miscanthus Plot

    Caption from 2010 publication: Joint Bioenergy Institute’s director of Grass Genomics, Pam Ronald, in the Miscanthus plot at the University of California, Davis.

  • Marginal Lands with Flowers

    Flower-dotted marginal land in the foreground contrasts sharply with more uniform traditional croplands of corn and alfalfa in the distance. Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) scientists have shown that perennial crops grown on marginal lands not currently in use for food production could provide large quantities of biomass and major ecological and environmental benefits.

  • As described in caption.

    Microfibril Bundles

    Atomic force micrograph showing nanometer-scale detail of interwoven rope-like, lignocellulosic microfibril bundles in a switchgrass cell wall.

  • Lignin Cross-Section

    Stained lignin in cross-section of a cell wall in straw.

  • Small plant buds sit on a clear tray.

    Petri Dish with Switchgrass

    Improving Tools for Studying Switchgrass. BioEnergy Science Center–developed genetic transformation protocols and databases for switchgrass are helping accelerate research of this bioenergy feedstock.

  • A researcher injects a plant while a second researcher gives instructions.

    Plant Scientists in Laboratory

    Crosscutting and Multiscale Approach. Biodesign lies at the core of the Genomic Science Program’s three primary research focus areas: Bioenergy, Environmental Microbiome, and Biosystems Design. Plant scientists tend to tobacco plants, an important research tool for transient genetic transformation and protein expression. Pictured are Jillian Curran and her mentor Chien-Yuan “Kevin” Lin from the Biotech Partners Student Interns at Emery Station East.

  • A small plant grows out of the dirt.

    Plant Seedling

    Plants as Factories. CABBI is creating crops that can make ready-to-use fuels and other high-value chemicals directly in their bodies. The goal is to simply squeeze these ready-made products out of a plant’s stems and leaves.

  • Modeling and Engineering Complex Biological Systems in Bioenergy Research

    Numerous outcomes (circles at top) can be realized by pursuing fundamental and applied artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) research and tool development specific to the bioenergy research paradigm, including high-quality data, AI/ML algorithms, and laboratory automation (green box at center). Successful projects will include transferability and human centricity features (yellow left and right boxes) which are fundamental to disruptive changes in the bioenergy field.

  • Two scientists in a laboratory with instrument.

    Researchers with BioLector Instrument

    Joint Bioenergy Institute scientists work with the BioLector instrument to understand the microbial production of biofuels and bioproducts.

  • A man leans over to pick up stalks of cane cut down from a row of plants to his right.

    Oilcane Harvest

    CABBI researcher Scott McCoy harvests a Saccharum line, engineered to hyperaccumulate oils in its vegetative biomass, for bioprocessing.