Green Energy
How does one liquefy hard woods and coax a microbe to turn it into jet fuel?
This question exemplifies the fundamental problems in the green energy research field. There are a number of university, government agencies and other public organizations that have set up centers of excellence in to improve feedstock and identify a suitable microorganism with the ultimate goal of energy independence.
An opportunity for WPI’s green energy cluster is to bridge a substantial gap in the field by addressing the scale-up process - a beta test sites to validate processes (feedstock preparation, hydrolysis and fermentation) that are developed in a lab. The investments are large and the potential risk is high but bolsters WPI’s existing capabilities and complements other initiatives in the area. Given WPI’s commitment to entrepreneurship, such a facility should attract start-up companies making it a hub for green energy research.
The Biology and Biotechnology department has a group of faculty who are engaged in developing new technology and testing proprietary technology all related to production of biofuels. Current faculty include:
Alex DiIorio, Director of WPI Bioprocess Lab, in optimization of fermentation processes.
Ted Crusberg, Associate Professor Biology & Biotechnology, Bioremediation. (link to web page)
Reeta Prusty Rao, Assistant Professor Biology & Biotechnology, improving yeast for more efficient fermentation. (link to web page)
Pam Weathers, Professor Biology & Biotechnology, large and small-scale studies of biofuel production from algae. (link to web page)
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: October 23, 2008 16:43:21