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WEI investigator Rebecca Smith joined the UW–Madison faculty in August 2024 as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, where she is applying her knowledge of cell wall and lignin structures to challenges in dairy sustainability, including ways to improve plant digestibility, reduce methane emissions, and increase carbon sequestration.

Women in STEM, Biofuels & Bioproducts, Plant Genetics & Breeding

| Renata Solan

An international team of researchers, led by University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemistry professor Rick Amasino, was awarded $1.47 million to enhance plants’ abilities to mine metals from naturally enriched soils.

Materials, Storage, Sustainable Agriculture

| Renata Solan

Vatsan Raman, a researcher with the Wisconsin Energy Institute, has been named the first S.C. Fang Professor of biochemistry. 

| Nalina Cherr

In this series, we learn more about what inspired our talented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, what brought them to their field of study, and the questions that drive their work as part of the Wisconsin Energy Institute and Great Lakes Bioenergy Researc

Biofuels & Bioproducts, Conversion

| Chris Hubbuch

A UW–Madison graduate student had developed software to help millions of people who rely on prepaid electricity plans make better choices when rationing their energy use.

Electricity Systems, Microgrids, Storage, Energy & Society

| Jason Daley

Loo, the Conway Assistant Professor in chemical and biological engineering, has received a prestigious 2024 Early Career Research Program award from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund her project is aimed at engineering a new type of electrolyte, which could lead to safer, cheaper and more energy-dense battery chemistries.

Storage

| Chris Hubbuch

Some bacteria have features that make them good for understanding biology and for developing new technologies. For example, Zymomonas mobilis, Novosphingobium aromaticivorans, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides can convert carbon from plant fibers into liquid fuels and chemicals traditionally made from petroleum but need to be genetically modified to optimize their output. While straightforward genetic tools have been developed to modify Z. mobilis, it has been more challenging to modify the other two. In this study, researchers expanded the genetic toolkit for N. aromaticivorans and R. sphaeroides, making it easier to adjust the functions of individual genes. 

Biofuels & Bioproducts, Conversion