We rely on a stable national electric grid to keep power flowing reliably in homes, businesses and factories across the country. But a sudden change in supply or demand—such as from a lightning strike, malfunctioning power plant or heat wave—can disrupt normal patterns of power flow.
Researchers in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Biochemistry and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) will utilize a $2.1 million grant from the United States Department of Energy to elucidate the properties of a potentially useful and understudied class of genes and enzymes in important bioenergy crops, such as poplar, sorghum, and switchgrass. The project is led by professors Brian Fox and John Ralph.
Media coverage of WEI this month focused on energy efficient electronics, current water management practices in Dane County, and the history of solar power and its corresponding future in our energy portfolio.
During summer 2019, blackouts struck both Madison, Wisconsin, and Midtown Manhattan in New York, leaving thousands of people in each city without power for hours on end.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison effort to launch a shared cryo-electron microscopy facility for the bioscience community is gathering momentum, with two new faculty hires and key technology investments this summer.
In the 1970s, rising Brazilian sugar prices opened the door for domestically produced high fructose corn syrup to gain a foothold in the American food manufacturing industry. The sweetener was initially made with the intent of substituting it for sugar in existing applications.
Media coverage of WEI this month focused on the production of acetaminophen using plants, CO2 air capture, and sustainability in the city of Madison and beyond.