Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Department of Energy-funded research center led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

GLBRC scientists are investigating how sorghum survives abiotic stresses such as drought and high temperatures. By mappi...
05/11/2026

GLBRC scientists are investigating how sorghum survives abiotic stresses such as drought and high temperatures. By mapping the genes and molecular networks that contribute to stress tolerance, they aim to develop more resilient crop varieties.

Why does it matter? Climate change poses growing challenges for agriculture, making it essential to breed crops that can withstand environmental extremes. Stress-resilient sorghum supports both food security and the production of sustainable biofuels.

Learn more about this research: https://www.glbrc.org/research/highlights/decoding-abiotic-stress-resilience-sorghum

Dr. Holly Gibbs, GLBRC investigator and environmental scientist, has been elected to the American Association for the Ad...
05/07/2026

Dr. Holly Gibbs, GLBRC investigator and environmental scientist, has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This distinction highlights her contributions to understanding land use, agriculture, and their impacts on climate.

Her research informs sustainable policies and practices that balance human needs with environmental health.

Learn more about her work: https://www.glbrc.org/news/glbrc-investigator-holly-gibbs-elected-aaas

GLBRC scientists are investigating how the membranes of Z.mobilis interact with inhibitors in plant biomass. Their model...
05/05/2026

GLBRC scientists are investigating how the membranes of Z.mobilis interact with inhibitors in plant biomass. Their modeling work provides insights that could help microbes withstand harsh conditions during fermentation.

Why does it matter? Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource for biofuels, but inhibitory compounds reduce microbial efficiency. Understanding these membrane interactions enables the development of stronger, more resilient microbes, making biofuel production more sustainable and cost-effective.

Learn more about this research: https://www.glbrc.org/research/highlights/modeling-zymomonas-mobilis-membrane-interactions-lignocellulosic-inhibitors

At the GLBRC, scientists are studying how different cattle diets affect gut microbes and methane production. Their resea...
05/01/2026

At the GLBRC, scientists are studying how different cattle diets affect gut microbes and methane production. Their research aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock while promoting healthier digestion in cows.

It’s a win-win: smarter feeding strategies, healthier animals, and a smaller environmental footprint.

Discover how microbes and cattle diets could help tackle climate change: https://www.glbrc.org/news/lighter-fare-cattle-and-microbes

Scientists at the GLBRC are rethinking how we turn plants into sustainable products.By engineering microbes that can “mu...
04/21/2026

Scientists at the GLBRC are rethinking how we turn plants into sustainable products.

By engineering microbes that can “multitask,” researchers created a system where a single bacterium produces two valuable products at once from plant waste, one used in plastics and another in nutritional and industrial applications.

Why does it matter? Getting more value from every part of biomass could lower costs, reduce emissions, and make biofuels more competitive with fossil fuels.

Read more: https://www.glbrc.org/news/hybrid-reactor-system-optimizes-production-multitasking-microbes

Researchers at the GLBRC studied how diluting organic solvents with water affects the conversion of plant biomass into v...
04/15/2026

Researchers at the GLBRC studied how diluting organic solvents with water affects the conversion of plant biomass into valuable chemicals. Their findings show that an optimized solvent mixture can improve efficiency and lower production costs.

Why does that matter? High costs and processing challenges are major barriers to scaling up sustainable, plant-based alternatives to petroleum-derived products.

This research demonstrates how small changes in process design can make bio-based manufacturing more economically viable and widely accessible.

Read more: https://www.glbrc.org/news/just-add-water-diluting-organic-solvent-can-lower-cost-bioproducts

Congratulations to GLBRC researcher Brandon Kristy on being selected for a U.S. Department of Energy graduate student re...
04/09/2026

Congratulations to GLBRC researcher Brandon Kristy on being selected for a U.S. Department of Energy graduate student research program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory!

This highly competitive program will give Kristy the opportunity to study mutually-beneficial relationships between plants and microbes using cutting-edge nanoscale ion mass spectrometry.

Experiences like this are critical for preparing the next generation of scientists working on sustainable energy and innovative bioproducts.

Learn more about the Kristy and his work: https://www.glbrc.org/news/glbrc-researcher-selected-doe-grad-student-program

Researchers with the GLBRC analyzed data from more than 200 plantings of switchgrass and miscanthus across Michigan and ...
03/23/2026

Researchers with the GLBRC analyzed data from more than 200 plantings of switchgrass and miscanthus across Michigan and Wisconsin to better understand how yields change over time. Their findings show that replanting these perennial grasses at the right stage in their lifecycle can help farmers maintain productivity and maximize profits.

Why is this important? Switchgrass and miscanthus are promising bioenergy crops because they can grow on lower-quality land not used for food production. They also add carbon to soils and can be converted into renewable fuels and chemicals that replace petroleum-based products. Understanding long-term yield patterns helps farmers and researchers design cropping systems that support both economic returns and sustainable energy production.

Read more: https://www.glbrc.org/news/replanting-bioenergy-crops-right-time-maximizes-profits

How can scientists help microbes produce more biofuel?Researchers at the GLBRC are developing genetic toolkits that allo...
03/19/2026

How can scientists help microbes produce more biofuel?

Researchers at the GLBRC are developing genetic toolkits that allow scientists to explore and fine-tune microbial DNA in organisms used for biofuel production.

The team, led by UW-Madison researcher Jason Peters, patented new tools that combine Mobile-CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) with synthetic promoters to precisely control gene activity in bacteria such as Zymomonas mobilis. These microbes convert plant biomass into fuels and chemicals, but toxins released during biomass processing can limit their growth and productivity.

By identifying genes that influence toxin resistance and metabolic performance, scientists can engineer microbes that are more resilient and efficient in industrial fermentation processes. These advances could help improve the economics of producing renewable fuels and bio-based products from plant materials.

Learn more about their research methodology: https://www.glbrc.org/news/genetic-toolkits-boost-biofuel-production

Researchers with the GLBRC studied efflux pumps, which are proteins that act like tiny gatekeepers in cell membranes, re...
03/17/2026

Researchers with the GLBRC studied efflux pumps, which are proteins that act like tiny gatekeepers in cell membranes, removing toxins from the cell. Their work shows that pumps that use energy more efficiently can expel a wider variety of chemicals.

Why is this important? This insight could help scientists engineer microbes that are better suited for industrial processes, such as converting plant biomass into renewable fuels and chemicals. Toxins produced during biomass processing often slow microbial growth or stop fermentation altogether, so improving these cellular “pumps” could make bio-manufacturing more efficient.

Read more: https://www.glbrc.org/news/energy-efficient-proteins-expel-more-types-toxins

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