GLBRC two-year review held at MSU

Department of Energy officials conducted the two-year review of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Sept. 8-9 in East Lansing.

Steve Pueppke, MSU OBT director; Molly Jahn, UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences dean; and Doug Gage, assistant to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, welcome alumni to the reception.

MSU and the University of Wisconsin-Madison partnered to establish the GLBRC, one of three Department of Energy bioenergy research centers. The GLBRC, based in Madison, was funded with $125 million over five years. MSU is using approximately $50 million for basic science research aimed at solving some of the most complex problems in converting natural materials to energy.

In August, the GLBRC was allocated about $8 million in additional funding by the DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. MSU scientists are using approximately $2 million of the new money to study the environmental benefits and consequences of cellulosic biofuel crops.

The night before the first day of the review, MSU hosted a reception for MSU and UW alumni involved in the GLBRC.

"The reception was a good way to celebrate the grant and partnerships with UW-Madison," said Steve Pueppke, Office of Biobased Technologies director. "We were very pleased to host the event in conjunction with the annual review of the GLBRC."