Mission:
The Bioproducts and Biocatalysis Research Unit (BBC) conducts microbial, biochemical, and genetic research that addresses America's needs for new environmentally acceptable practices to increase the use of agricultural crops as feedstocks for biofuels and other value-added products. The overall mission of BBC is to develop new microorganisms and biocatalysts that can be employed in the bioconversion of renewable agricultural materials into high value products. Research focuses on the discovery of novel microorganisms, or the improvement of existing ones, for production of a variety of bioproducts including novel carbohydrates, polysaccharides, enzymes, fuels, and chemicals.