**Research Activity: Energy Biosciences Research**

Division: Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences

Primary Contact(s): Gregory L. Dilworth
([Greg.Dilworth@science.doe.gov](mailto:greg.dilworth@science.doe.gov);
301-903-2873)

James E. Tavares
([James.Tavares@science.doe.gov](mailto:greg.dilworth@science.doe.gov);
301-903-6190)

Sharlene C. Weatherwax
([Sharlene.Weatherwax@science.doe.gov](mailto:greg.dilworth@science.doe.gov);
301-903-6165)

Team Leader: James E. Tavares

Division Director: Walter J. Stevens

**Portfolio Description:**

The Energy Biosciences program supports fundamental research in the
plant and microbial sciences. The mission of the program is to create a
science base to inspire future energy-related biotechnologies. This
includes:

-   Mechanistic studies on solar energy capture by plants and microbes
    through photosynthesis;

-   Research on the mechanisms and regulation of carbon fixation and
    carbon/energy storage;

-   Examination of metabolic pathways for biological synthesis,
    degradation and molecular interconversions;

-   Experimental activities focused on the regulation of plant growth
    and development;

-   Studies on novel biosystems and their potential for material
    synthesis and catalysis; and

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Coordinate and collaborate with other DOE and federal funding
    programs to assure rapid scientific advances related to
    energy-related biotechnologies.

**Unique Aspects:**

The Energy Biosciences program is the sole federal program devoted to
the fundamental science underlying the use of biological systems to
produce and conserve energy.

-   Prime provider of funding for molecular research on plants without a
    focus on traditional crops and agricultural bioprocesses.

-   Major supporter of research on microbial systems that have broader
    emphases than model systems currently used in the biomedical
    community.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Energy Biosciences occupies an unusual niche within DOE at the
    interface between the life sciences and physical sciences that can
    promote multi- and cross-disciplinary research activities to study
    biological systems.

**Relationship to Others:**

# The program strives to support fundamental research that may influence the directions of the biotechnology-related programs in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Office of Fossil Energy; and the Office of Environmental Management. The program collaborates and coordinates its activities with NSF, USDA and NIH in areas of mutual interest where there are multiple benefits.

**Significant Accomplishments:**

The program has had a significant impact on the scientific disciplines
supported. Among the longer term accomplishments are determining the
biosynthetic pathway for biological methane production from CO~2~ and
molecular hydrogen; the elucidation of the biochemistry and genetic
regulation of plant lipid synthesis; determining the carbohydrate
chemistry and structure of plant cell walls; and providing a central
role in developing *Arabidopsis thaliana* as a model plant experimental
system. Scientists supported by the program have received numerous
awards and prizes including the 1997 Nobel Prize to Dr. Paul Boyer for
his work on ATP, the energy currency of living systems.

**Mission Relevance:**

The program focuses on plants and microbes as biological systems that
capture solar energy through photosynthesis, store
photosynthetically-fixed carbon into a variety of organic compounds
including potential as fuels and chemical feedstocks, or can convert
plant-derived or industrial waste materials into useful chemicals and
fuels. The program strives for mechanistic understanding that will
provide potential technical options to use whole plants and microbes or
their components in energy-related processes. New commercial activities
in ethanol production, pulp and paper manufacturing, and *in planta*
production of oils are examples of technical options built on the
foundations laid by the Energy Biosciences program.

A goal of the Department of Energy by the year 2050 is to dramatically
increase the utilization of bioenergy resources. Renewable resources
(agricultural, industrial and forestry wastes and specialty energy crops
and trees) currently supply three percent of the nation's total current
energy consumption. A major increase in bioenergy production is an
extremely ambitious goal with anticipated societal benefits of enhanced
national energy security, improved environmental protection involving
carbon neutral processes, improved rural economic growth, and long-term
sustainable global development. There is considerable bipartisan support
for expanded use of sustainable and renewable energy resources and it is
likely to remain a focal point of the Department's activities in the
future. A major role of the Energy Biosciences program is to provide the
fundamental knowledge base for achieving these goals.

**Scientific Challenges:**

Traditionally, mechanistic biology has been summarized and catalogued in
relatively simple linear models. Analysis of both spatial and
time-dependent dynamics and its subsequent integration in a coherent
fashion represents a significant challenge, but also new opportunities.
Another enormous scientific challenge facing all biology is to
assimilate the vast amounts of genomic-sequence data and associate them
with specific biochemical, physiological and developmental processes.
Studies specific to energy-related organisms and processes must be
rationally integrated with the broader biological efforts. Whole genome
analysis of plants and microbes may reveal unknown genetic capacity with
relevance to energy-related processes and potential biotechnological
applications and thus represents another important challenge. The vast
majority of metabolic studies have focused on hydrocarbons and the major
nutrient elements nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorous. There are other
elements that are metabolized extensively by microbes. Microbial mineral
respiration offers unique challenges on the interface of several
traditional disciplines.

**Funding Summary:**

**Dollars in Thousands**

**[FY 2002]{.underline}** **[FY 2003 Request]{.underline}** **[FY 2004
Request]{.underline}**

Molecular Mechanisms 12,060 12,150 12,133

Metabolic Regulation of Energy Production [19,130]{.underline}
[19,224]{.underline} [19,195]{.underline}

TOTAL Energy Biosciences Research 31,190 31,374 31,328

> **[Performer]{.underline} [Funding Percentage]{.underline}**
>
> DOE Laboratories 20.3%
>
> Universities 74.0%
>
> Other 5.7%

These are percentages of the operating research expenditures in this
area; they do not contain laboratory capital equipment, infrastructure,
or other non-operating components.

The program is providing support for 259 specific activities in FY2002.

-   22% of the research funds are allocated to the National Laboratories
    and 78% of the funds are provided to academic, federal and other
    non-profit institutions.

-   The research programs cooperate with many private companies;
    however, the only direct financial support provided to the
    industrial sector is through the SBIR/STTR program.

-   The program provides substantial funding for two dedicated
    institutes, the Michigan State University/ Department of Energy
    Plant Research Laboratory and the Complex Carbohydrate Research
    Center at the University of Georgia.

**Projected Evolution:**

The plant sciences research supported at DOE has evolved considerably
from the late nineteen forties where the emphases were on radiation
damage and breeding to demonstrate the peaceful use of the atom. Recent
advances in sequencing plant genomes (e.g. *Arabidopsis* and rice)
provide new opportunities to leverage traditional strengths of the
program in genomics and biochemistry against powerful capabilities in
imaging and computation. This new focus on systems plant biology will be
especially useful to identify global networks of genes involved in
specialized plant processes in growth, development or metabolism.

Research opportunities in the microbial sciences are also evolving as
technologies evolve and the large-scale genome projects in microbiology
yield rapid identification of genetic material. Gene identification is
critical if one wants the full set of tools needed to study the role of
proteins and their mechanism of function in microbes, plants or any
other life form. The rapidly developing information on microbial genes
and the proteins they encode can provide insights on protein processing
and assembly, pathway delineation and metabolic regulation. The research
supported during the next five years is expected to reflect these new
opportunities and a systems biology approach.

Research activities at the interface between biology and the physical
sciences, earth sciences and engineering will continue to be explored
based on the philosophy that the best interdisciplinary studies are true
partnerships where all participating communities benefit.

November 13, 2023