Research
Research projects coordinated by the Center focus on four major areas:
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering - development of biocatalysts for the production of fuel ethanol and other chemicals from renewable plant biomass
- Depolymerization of Cellulose and Hemicellulose - development of microbial enzymes systems to solubilize the carbohydrate polymers (cellulose and hemicellulose) in the cell wall of plants into sugars that can serve as inexpensive renewable source for conversion into fuels and chemicals
- Microbial and Plant Sensors - development of microorganisms and plants that can be used as bio-indicators of hazardous materials such as explosives and other chemicals
- Environmental Microbiology - development of processes and organisms to remove biological and chemical hazards in contaminated soil and water.
FCRC coordinates 18 grants with over $8M from extramural funding.
New Grant Awards
- Dr. Lonnie O. Ingram and Co-PI's Drs. K.T. Shanmugam, J.Maupin-Furlow and J.F. Preston, III were awarded $4.25M to set up a pilot plant to convert cellulosic biomass to ethanol. This project is part of the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy (FISE) program co-submitted by Eric Wachsman of the Engineering Department. Funding is for 3 years and started on April 1, 2007.
- Dr. Lonnie O. Ingram received $1,000,000 from Bioenergy International LLC to study and produce organic acids, polymers, and sugar-based specialty chemicals. The project is for 5 years, starting April 1, 2007.
- Dr. Lonnie O. Ingram likewise received $250,000 from Celunol-Diversa to continue improving the bacterial biocatalysts that convert biomass to biofuels. The project is renewable yearly with the same budget allocation. Start date of the project is August 21, 2007.
- Drs. Madeline E. Rasche and Nemat Keyhani were awarded $242,363 by the National Science Foundation to establish an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) site at UF . The project is for 3 years beginning March 1, 2007.
Pending Grants
Information coming soon...
Ongoing Research Projects
V. DC-Lagard
NIH- Biosynthesis of hypermodified guanosines.
NSF- Elimination of canonical amino acids from Escherichia coli.
NSF- From function to gene: tRNA modification in Archaea.
S.M. Farrah
Orange County- Virus monitoring of effluent from joint facility.
L.O. Ingram
US DOE- Genetic improvement of Escherichia coli for fuel ethanol production.
L.O. Ingram, K.T. Shanmugam, J.A. Maupin-Furlow
USDA and DOE Biomass RDI- Engineering thermotolerant biocatalysts for biomass conversion to products.
L.O. Ingram
Celunol Celunol Sponsored Ethanol Research
BioEnergy Production of organic acids, polymers, and sugar-based specialty chemicals.
L.O. Ingram, K.T. Shanmugam, J.A. Maupin-Furlow
Florida Board of Governors- Florida Institute for sustaniable energy (FISE): Energy Incubator, Center of Excellence
N.O. Keyhani
NSF- Comparative analysis of in vivo and in vitro transcripts.
J.A. Maupin-Furlow
NIH -Physiology of proteosomes in Haloferex volcanii
USDA Chicago- Identification of proteosome substrates of the Haloarchaea.
J.F. Preston, DW Dickson
U.S. Department of Agriculture; USDA CSRSVC TSTAR- The genome of Pasteuria penetrans: a blueprint for developiing pasteuria spp. for biocontrol of plant paratistic nematode
J.F. Preston, L.O. Ingram
Consortium for Plant Biotechology Research (CPBR)- Bacterial conversion of hemicellulose to ehtanol
J.F. Preston
NIH , Emory University -Biofilm formation and dispersal mechanisms in Escherichia coli.
M.E. Rasche
NSF- Methanopterin biosynthesis in archaea and methylotropic bacteria
M.E. Rasche, N.O. Keyhani
NSF REU- REU Site: Fueling microbiology research training network from The University of Florida
K.T. Shanmugam, L.O. Ingram
U. S. Department of Energy- Engineering thermotolerant biocatlysts for biomass conversion
E.W. Triplett
USDA CSREES- Nitogen fixation in wheat by Klebsiella pneumoniae 342
NSF- MIP: Analysis if endophytic colonization by Klebsiella pneumoniae.
CPBR- Analysis of a novel mechanism of plant growth promotion.
