Feedstock Production: Growing the Right Crops
The scientists in this theme will employ the “plants-as-factories” paradigm, in which biofuels, bioproducts, high-value molecules, and foundation molecules for conversion are synthesized directly in plant stems. This plants-as-factories approach circumvents the challenges of developing efficient lignocellulose deconstruction methods, while still retaining residual biomass for deconstruction by traditional or emerging methods.The main thrust of projects will be on high-yielding grasses throughout the rain-fed eastern U.S., including on marginal soils. CABBI will focus on Sorghum, Sugarcane, Energycane, and Miscanthus. Sorghum and Sugarcane are the world’s highest biomass producers with demonstrated potential for accumulation of oil in vegetative biomass after successful metabolic engineering.
STRAIGHT FROM THE SCIENTISTS: Research Profiles Offer Insight into CABBI Work
Stephen Moose: Theme Leader
Moose, a Professor of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has more than 20 years of experience directing projects from a wide range of funding institutions, including federal agencies such as DOE, NSF and USDA as well as from companies including Pioneer, BP, Hi Fidelity Genetics, and BASF. He develops new approaches to increase yields with lower input costs and to help mitigate environmental issues associated with nitrogen. His work reveals how genes cooperate to control plant traits important to both productivity and nutritional quality. He received his Ph.D. in Genetics and Crop Science in 1995 at North Carolina State University.
Matthew Hudson: Deputy Theme Leader
Hudson, a Professor of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, uses supercomputing and DNA sequencing to solve problems in plant, animal, and human genetics. He employs computational biology, bioinformatics, genome sequencing, and molecular biology to study crop breeding as well as ways to treat and prevent diseases. He is interested in the genetics of crop traits and the genetic and molecular interactions of crops with pathogens, pests, and other organisms. He got his Ph.D. in Biology in 1998 from the University of Leicester.
Kankshita Swaminathan: Deputy Theme Leader
Swaminathan, a Faculty Investigator at HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology in Huntsville, Ala., is an expert in in perennial grasses, phenotyping and applications of genomics for plant customization and modification. Her research focus is on genomic solutions to sustainable agriculture — with a particular interest in using genetics to understand the role of the rhizome (modified underground stems) in nutrient storage and reproduction, resource reallocation and perenniality in plants. Swaminathan received her Ph.D. in Biology in 2005 from Dartmouth College.
The Research Team
Lisa Ainsworth
Research Molecular Biologist, U.S. Dept. of Ag. Agricultural Research Service Global Change and Photosynthesis Research, Urbana, IL
The Research Team
Fredy Altpeter
Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Florida
The Research Team
Brian Baldwin
Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University
Edgar Cahoon
Professor of Biochemistry and Director of Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Li-Qing Chen
Assistant Professor of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Thomas Clemente
Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor of Biotechnology, Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Anna Hale
Research Geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Houma, LA
Andrew Leakey
Associate Professor of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chang-Jun Liu
Researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Stephen P. Long
Gutgsell Endowed Professor of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Amy Marshall-Colón
Assistant Professor of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jesse Morrison
Research Associate of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University
Donald Ort
Robert Emerson Professor of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nancy Reichert
Professor of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University
Daniel Rokhsar
Professor of Genetics, Genomics and Development, University of California at Berkeley
Erik Sacks
Associate Professor of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jörg Schwender
Researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory
John Shanklin
Researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Anthony Studer
Assistant Professor of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Changcheng Xu
Researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory
The Operating Team
An alphabetical listing of all postdocs, research technicians, and graduate students doing CABBI research in the Feedstock Production Theme.
A-F
Mohammad Belaffif, Genomics Postdoc (Swaminathan), HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology
Bryant Brown, Greenhouse Manager (Altpeter), University of Florida
Jessica Bubert, Crop Sciences Ph.D. Candidate (Moose), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Setu Chakrabarty, iSEE Postdoc (Leakey), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Prabin Dhungana, Plant Biology Ph.D. Candidate (Reichert), Mississippi State University
G-L
Zhengxiang Ge, Research Technologist (Clemente), University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Andrew Greenhaw, Field Technician (Baldwin), Mississippi State University
Sachin Heerah, Plant Biology Ph.D. Candidate (Marshall-Colón), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Jacob Heldenbrand, Research Programmer (Hudson), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Madara Hetti Arachchilage, iSEE Postdoc (Marshall-Colón), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Brandon James, Molecular Biology Postdoc (Swaminathan), HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology
Stephen Jinga, Crop Sciences M.S. Candidate (Moose), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Baskaran Kannan, Biological Scientist (Altpeter), University of Florida
Hae Jin Kim, Biochemistry Postdoc (Cahoon), University of Nebraska
Sang Yeol Kim, Plant Biology Research Scientist (Ort), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nicholas LaBonte, Crop Sciences Postdoc (Sacks), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dan Lanier, Crop Sciences Academic Hourly Researcher (Hudson), University of Ill. at Urbana-C.
Shuai Li, Plant Biology Postdoc (Ainsworth), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sarah Lipps, IGB Academic Hourly Researcher (Sacks), University of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign
Guangbin Luo, Agronomy Postdoc (Altpeter), University of Florida
M-R
Therese Mitros, Applications Programmer (Rokhsar), University of California at Berkeley
Himaya Mula-Michel, Agronomy Postdoc (Hale), U.S. Dept. of Ag. Agricultural Research Service
Hans Müller Paul, Animal Sciences Ph.D. Candidate (Hudson), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Tara Nazarenus, Plant Lipid Biology Research Technician (Cahoon), University of Nebraska
Tufan Oz, Agronomy Postdoc (Altpeter), University of Florida
Ki Youl Park, Plant Lipid Biology Postdoc (Cahoon), University of Nebraska
Truyen Quach, Plant Science Research Professor (Clemente), University of Nebraska
S-Z
Tony Trieu, Research Technician (Swaminathan), HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology
Robert Twohey, Crop Sciences M.S. Candidate (Studer), University of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign
Xueyi Xue, iSEE Postdoc (Chen), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Duoduo Wang, Agronomy Postdoc (Altpeter), University of Florida
Ya Chi Yu, Plant Biology Visiting Research Specialist (Chen), University of Illinois at Urbana-C.
Joe Zimmerman, iSEE Lab Technician (Sacks), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign