"This formal agreement is groundbreaking and exciting because it provides the infrastructure to better align and prioritize our research initiatives and leverage our unique and cutting-edge research in the areas of biomass and biofuels," said Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering and director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. "Ultimately, this alliance will accelerate our abilities to transfer new technologies from the lab to the marketplace, which means providing the public real solutions that are economical, sustainable and environmentally friendly."
"There are two key components required to unlock the possibilities of biofuels: agriculture and engineering. The A&M System will utilize capabilities that no other program can match. The potential of combining these capabilities is staggering, and we are ready to take a leadership role in the research and development of biofuels," said Dr. Elsa Murano, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences and director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
For example, chemical engineering professor Mark Holtzapple has developed the MixAlco process, which converts biodegradable material into alcohol for fuel. "We can use anything biodegradable," Holtzapple said. "Trees, grass, manure, sewer sludge, garbage -- if you put it outside and it rots, we can use it."
The process can also use high-productivity feedstocks, such as sugar cane and sorghum, a crop that can be grown extensively in Texas. The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station is recognized as the world leader in sorghum-based research, and germ plasm de
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Contact: Dave Mayes
d-mayes@tamu.edu
979-492-3975
Texas A&M University - Agricultural Communications
28-Jul-2006