# Presentation: 804755

## DOE Bioenergy Initiative

***Dr. Raymond L. Orbach***
**Under Secretary for Science**
**U.S. Department of Energy**
**October 12, 2006**

** ****Joint DOE/USDA Conference**
**“****Advancing Renewable Energy”**
**St. Louis, MO**

## BASIC TRANSFORMATION:
CELLULOSE 	→ 	SUGARS 	→ 	ETHANOL

**BASIC TRANSFORMATION:**
**CELLULOSE ****	****→ ****	****SUGARS ****	****→ ****	****ETHANOL**

**Biomass-to-Biofuels: Cellulosic Ethanol Example**

## The Promise of Biofuels
The U.S. is capable of producing 1 billion dry tons of biomass annually (agricultural and forestry wastes, grains, and 55 million acres of perennial bioenergy crops) – enough for 60 billion gallons of ethanol per year, or ~30% of today’s transportation fuel usage – and continue to meet food, feed, and export demands

Includes specialized perennial feedstock crops:  e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, willows, hybrid poplar

- The U.S. is capable of producing 1 billion dry tons of biomass annually (agricultural and forestry wastes, grains, and 55 million acres of perennial bioenergy crops) – enough for 60 billion gallons of ethanol per year, or ~30% of today’s transportation fuel usage – and continue to meet food, feed, and export demands
- Includes specialized perennial feedstock crops:  e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, willows, hybrid poplar

## How Nature Does It:Powerful Capabilities of Microbes

**Enzymes that break down**
**cellulose and hemicellulose**

**Methane production**

**Fermentation**
**pathways**

*"Candidatus Endomicrobium *
*trichonymphae"*

**Hydrogen production**

- The termite’s gut contains about 200 different species of bacteria, some of which are “experts” at breaking down cellulose and helping transform it into fuel in the form of hydrogen and methane.

## Funding: $250 million to be provided over five years to establish and operate two new Bioenergy Research Centers
Goals: transformational discoveries in basic science to make production of cellulosic ethanol, sunlight-to-fuels, and other biofuels truly cost-effective and economically viable
Method: advanced systems biology research on microbes and plants - to learn to exploit nature’s own conversion methods, plus develop a new generation of optimized bioenergy crops
Understand metabolic pathways in microbial bioconversion processes
Analyze plant cell wall structure and assembly
Fine-tune microorganisms and plants to each other
Pursue both microbial and bio-mimetic conversion methods

- Goals: **transformational discoveries** in **basic science** to make production of **cellulosic ethanol**, sunlight-to-fuels, and other biofuels **truly cost-effective** and **economically viable**
- Method: **advanced systems biology research** on _**microbes**_ and _**plants **_- to learn to **exploit nature’s own conversion methods**, plus develop a **new generation of optimized bioenergy crops**
- Understand metabolic pathways in microbial bioconversion processes
- Analyze plant cell wall structure and assembly
- Fine-tune microorganisms and plants to each other
- Pursue both microbial and bio-mimetic conversion methods

**How DOE Does It:****DOE Bioenergy Initiative**

## Purpose: Produce “microbial machines” for energy production through re-engineering of microbes
Understand metabolic pathways
Metabolic pathway = a series of biochemical reactions in cell, using enzymes (proteins) as catalysts, to produce products
Key challenge:  to analyze and tweak the cellular regulatory mechanisms so as to produce an outcome tailored to bioenergy mission

- Understand metabolic pathways
- Metabolic pathway = a series of biochemical reactions in cell, using enzymes (proteins) as catalysts, to produce products
- Key challenge:  to analyze and tweak the cellular regulatory mechanisms so as to produce an outcome tailored to bioenergy mission

**Harnessing the Capabilities of Genomics: Microbes**

## Purpose: Develop a new generation of optimized “bioenergy crops”
In contrast to food crops, which have been hybridized over many generations, many bioenergy crops remain in wild state
Work needs to be done to optimize crops for bioenergy conversion
Enhance crop yield  
Reduce the inputs necessary for growth
Ensure sustainability 
Optimize crops for fuel production 
Each plant has a different lignocellulose composition to which microbes and processes will need to be tailored
Regional effort:  different crops suitable to different regions based on climate, soil, and other environmental variables.

- In contrast to food crops, which have been hybridized over many generations, many bioenergy crops remain in wild state
- Work needs to be done to optimize crops for bioenergy conversion
- Enhance crop yield
- Reduce the inputs necessary for growth
- Ensure sustainability
- Optimize crops for fuel production
- Each plant has a different lignocellulose composition to which microbes and processes will need to be tailored
**Regional **effort:  different crops suitable to different regions based on climate, soil, and other environmental variables.

**Harnessing the Capabilities of Genomics: Plants**

## This week, DOE and USDA announced $4 million in FY2007 research grants for genomics of bioenergy feedstock crops.
Designed to help lay groundwork for optimizing a new generation of plants for biofuels.
Pre-applications due November 13, 2006.  Final proposals due January 30, 2006. 
For more information, visit www.grants.gov and www.doegenomestolife.org

- Designed to help lay groundwork for optimizing a new generation of plants for biofuels.
- Pre-applications due November 13, 2006.  Final proposals due January 30, 2006.
- For more information, visit www.grants.gov and www.doegenomestolife.org

**Joint DOE/USDA Program on ****Plants Genomics Research**

## Biofuels represent an enormous economic opportunity for U.S. agriculture, providing farmers with a major new “cash crop.”

**Biofuels represent an enormous economic opportunity for U.S. agriculture, providing farmers with a major new “cash crop.”**
**Different crops are suitable to different regions based on climate, soil, and other environmental variables.**

## 
Provides $250 million over five years.  Two to be awarded.
Open competition:  universities, national labs, nonprofits, private firms, and partnerships of such entities invited to compete to establish a Center
Private sector participation encouraged
Innovative multidisciplinary approach: no construction, rapid start-up – utilizing latest biotechnology advances plus world-class instruments in DOE complex (high-intensity light sources, etc.)
Timetable: applications due on February 1 - Centers established in 2008 - Centers fully operational by 2009

- Provides $250 million over five years.  **Two to be awarded.**
- Open competition:  universities, national labs, nonprofits, private firms, and **partnerships** of such entities invited **to compete to establish a Center**
- Private sector participation encouraged
- Innovative **multidisciplinary** approach: **no construction, rapid start-up** – utilizing latest **biotechnology advances **plus **world-class instruments in DOE complex** (high-intensity light sources, etc.)
- Timetable: applications due on February 1 - Centers established in 2008 - **Centers fully operational by 2009**

**DOE Bioenergy Initiative**