Development of a Bio-based Industry Utilizing Organic Waste Streams (Confined Animal Feedlot and biodielsel co-Products): Production of Biological Thermoplastics and Natural Fiber-Plastic Composites (NFPCs)

PI: Erik Coats, University of Idaho
Year 1 funding amount: $113,830

Biologically-derived polyesters known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent a potentially sustainable replacement to fossil-fuel based thermoplastics.  However, current commercial production of PHAs has high fossil fuel demands and generates carbon emissions, and is therefore not environmentally benign.  Dr. Coats and his co-PI seek to develop new biobased products and processes that utilize waste streams, improve waste management practices, enhance rural economic development opportunities, and ultimately, lead toward reduction in the dependence of petroleum-based feedstocks and products. The principal goal of their research will be to implement a PHA production and composting process utilizing biodiesel and manure waste streams.

Biofuels form Salt Basin Algae: A Renewable Energy Crop for Carbon Sequestration

PI: John Cushman, University of Nevada
Year 1 funding amount: $57,048

The long-term goal of this research and extension project is to optimize and implement the use of halophytic microalgae as a biofuel crop.  Halophytic algae are an ideal renewable energy resource because they grow on marginal lands with brackish or saline water and have been shown to be 30 times more productive than terrestrial feedstocks.  Dr. Cushman and his co-PIs will screen algae strains and mutants for high production of triacylglycerols (TAGs) under different growing conditions and identify genes related to oil production by microarray analysis.  Ultimately, this project will provide an assessment of the potential of algae as a biodiesel feedstock.  The PIs will educate the public of their results with a room-size “demonstration” production facility and develop a pilot-scale “proof-of-concept” algae-based biodiesel production system.

Regional Economic Analysis of Feedstock Production and Feedstock Processing for Biofuels in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska: Expected Economic Impact Under Possible Price and Productivity Scenarios

PI: David Holland, Washington State University
Year 1 funding amount: $135,420

Existing analyses of feedstock production potential and economic impacts have largely excluded Pacific Northwest (PNW) states. Drs. Holland and Painter, along with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, will examine crop and fuel production for biodiesel, corn ethanol, and cellulosic ethanol in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska using current IMPLAN data for each state. The team seeks to answer the following questions: 1) can in-state developed feedstocks and production industries compete with imported feedstocks, 2) will biofuel feedstocks be an attractive alternative crop across the varied production regions in the PNW region, and 3) how will increased biofuels production and utilization impact the broader regional economy. The researchers will develop Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) economic simulation models incorporating biofuel production activities into the regional economies of each state and the region as a whole. The resulting data will inform policymakers and elected officials as well as agriculture and industry sectors.

Hybrid Poplar as a Regional Ethanol Feedstock: Its Development, Production and Economics

PI: Jon Johnson, Washington State University
Year 1 funding amount: $218,003

Hybrid poplar is a well-known biomass feedstock in the Western U.S. and has a number of advantages over other feedstocks: fast-growing, widely adaptable to various soils and climates, and requires low energy inputs to grow. The goal of this research project is to couple hybrid poplar production with end-use ethanol production. Dr. Johnson, working in collaboration with industrial partners, will analyze feedstocks taken from selected hybrid poplar clones to develop ethanol yield data, which will then be used to determine breeding and selection criteria of hybrid poplar with specific feedstock characteristics. The team will also conduct an economic analysis of the process using the yield data. At project completion, the best performing hybrid poplar varieties, along with economic feasibility and planting recommendations, will be shared through a project website maintained by WSU.

Synergies between Heme Peroxidases and Cellulases in the Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks to Ethanol

PI: Christine Kelly, Oregon State University
Year 1 funding amount: $100,000

Forest thinnings, particularly forestry wastes composed of softwoods, in the Western region are a major potential source of biomass for biofuel production. However, softwoods, such as Douglas fir, tend to be more resistant to conversion processes due to the high presence of lignin. Dr. Kelly, along with her co-PIs, proposes to develop a new enzyme-mediated bioconversion process technology for more efficient separation of lignocellulosic biomass into its component parts for bioconversion to ethanol. The team will examine fungal heme peroxidases, which exist in pulp mill processes, to discover new “accessory” enzymes that function synergistically with the latest generation of commercially available cellulases to increase the rate and extent of conversion of softwoods to ethanol.

Bio-electrolysis: Novel Technology for Hydrogen Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass

PI: Hong Liu, Oregon State University
Year 1 funding amount: $99,938

Hydrogen, one of the cleanest and most desirable fuels, is expected to play an increasingly important role in our economy. At present, non-renewable fossil fuels are the main sources of hydrogen production. The overall goal of the proposed research is to develop a novel bio-electrolytic process to generate hydrogen directly from renewable, abundant and readily available lignocellulosic biomass in a cost-effective manner. Dr. Liu, along with her co-PI, will examine the factors affecting hydrogen production from complex lignocellulosic biomass in order to improve the overall efficiency of the process. The team will use pine wood flour as the model lignocellulosic biomass. The successful completion of the project will result in the development of a novel process for hydrogen production from woody biomass.

Development of Camelina as a Low-Input Oilseed Crop for Oregon, Idaho and Washington

PI: Don Wysocki, Oregon State University
Year 1 funding amount: $96,621

Camelina, a member of the mustard family, is a summer annual oilseed crop that has been used and cultivated by civilizations stretching back to the Bronze Age. Present-day preliminary research in Montana and Idaho has shown that this crop possesses unique agronomic traits which suggest that it may be well suited to the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and an ideal feedstock for biofuel production. Dr. Wysocki and his multi-state and multi-disciplinary team will conduct test trials, examining crop response to plant varieties, seeding rate, nitrogen rates, planting dates and rainfall. The ultimate goal of this research project is to develop agronomic practices to incorporate Camelina into PNW crop production systems and assist the fledgling oilseed industry’s understanding and utilization of this crop.