The Conversations in Science series brings together UW-Madison science researchers and Dane County science teachers. Designed to stimulate discussion between scientists and science educators at all levels, these conversations connect high-, middle-, and elementary school classrooms with the University's cutting-edge research. Questions and ideas are freely exchanged between expert and an audience of K-12 educators.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is an emerging leader in using interdisciplinary, genomics-based methods to build a biofuels economy. The GLBRC is housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; working with university, national laboratory and corporate partners. The GLBRC goals are to:

• Improve biomass plants. GLBRC research programs will improve the energy density of crops by increasing the amount of easily degraded plant polymers and boosting levels of hydrocarbons.
  
  
• Improve plant biomass processing. The GLBRC will develop new physical and biological treatments to economically process the plant biomass needed for a bioenergy pipeline.
  
  
• Improved conversion of plant biomass into fuels. The GLBRC will improve chemical and biological methods for converting biomass into ethanol, H2, electricity, or chemical feedstocks that can replace fossil fuels.
  
  
• Improve sustainability of the biomass to biofuel pipeline. The GLBRC will monitor agricultural, industrial, and behavioral systems and develop economically and environmentally responsive practices for a biomass-to-bioenergy pipeline.
  

To function as a center of excellence, the GLBRC will develop programs to bring bioenergy breakthroughs to members of the agricultural and private sector; stakeholders in the scientific, business, or academic community; and the public.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Tim Donohue is a Professor of Bacteriology, who has been a faculty member at UW-Madison for over 20 years. During this time his research program has focused on solar energy utilization by photosynthetic bacteria, studying the process and control of photosynthesis and how cells divert the energy captured from sunlight into different pathways. He has been a member of various federal research panels, has served on several editorial boards and advisory committees in microbiology, and helped author reports for the Department of Energy on solar energy generation and the conversion of plant biomass into biofuels. He has experience in leading cross-disciplinary research programs like the NIGMS Biotechnology Training Program. More recently he has been named head of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative and the new DOE-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. Click here to visit his website.