JBEI is a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center based in the San Francisco Bay Area. JBEI's mission is to advance the development of next generation biofuels – liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in the cellulosic biomass of non-food plants. The goal is to provide the nation with clean, green and renewable transportation energy that will create jobs and boost the economy. JBEI draws on the expertise and capabilities of four national laboratories, two University of California research universities and a leading scientific foundation. For a short video on JBEI go here >>
News and Highlights
In celebration of Women's History Month, the U.S. Department of Energy has posted "Women @ Energy," which showcases talented and dedicated employees at the Energy Department. This feature profiles women across the country who share insights on what inspired them to work in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). JBEI researcher Aindrila Mukhopadhyay is one of featured scientists. Read Aindrila's profile here.
Biofuels Blend Right In JBEI’s Blake Simmons and Seema Singh led a collaboration with the Idaho National Laboratory that showed blending different feedstocks and milling the mixture into energy-dense flour or pellets has significant potential for helping biofuels become a cost-competitive transportation fuel technology. more >>
Keasling Named Among Top 100 People in Bioenergy Jay Keasling, Berkeley Lab Associate Director for Biosciences and CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, has been named among the Top 100 People in Bioenergy 2012-2013 by editors and readers of Biofuels Digest. He was recognized for his work in engineering microorganisms to produce renewable, carbon-neutral biofuels as substitutes for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. At the top of the list was U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. At #38, Keasling was among the top scientists included on the list. more >>
Boosting Galactan Sugars Could Boost Biofuel Production JBEI's Henrik Scheller led a collaboration that identified the first enzyme linked to galactan synthesis. Galactan is a six-carbon sugar that can be readily fermented by yeast. Increasing its levels in biomass should boost production of advanced biofuels. more >>
