Bacteria and other microbes can convert plant fibers into sustainable fuels and chemicals used to make plastics, medicines, and other products. But chemicals used in processing or in the plants themselves are an obstacle because they can kill the cells or slow fermentation. Researchers are looking for ways to modify natural efflux pumps to selectively remove these toxins, but testing the vast number of possible variations is impractical using traditional lab techniques. Data generated for this project are being used to train artificial intelligence models to predict which mutations are most likely to be effective.
Chris Kucharik, professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences and investigator with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI),
An autonomous experimentation platform at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center is poised to accelerate discoveries that will harness the power of microbes to advance U.S. leadership in the developing bioeconomy. With the ability to design and run multiple concurrent experiments, Proteus expands the scope and pace of exploration, potentially increasing the rate of discovery.
Scientists in Jason Peters' lab have patented genetic tools used to study and modify bacteria that power production of biofuels and chemicals made from plant fiber.
A research assistant in Victor Ujor’s lab, Eric Agyeman-Duah is a doctoral student in the food science program at UW Madison.
Building on previous work evaluating stepwise processing, scientists with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center sought to improve the results with a biorefinery design that combines the first two steps, separating lignin from sugars and breaking into useable pieces with the help of a metal catalyst.
From microbes to cement and atomic-scale modeling to statewide weather monitoring, Wisconsin Energy Institute researchers use both cutting edge and tried-and-true technologies to expand basic knowledge and apply it to real-world problems. Here are a few of the highlights from 2025: