Bioeconomy Institute
The Iowa State University Bioeconomy Institute is a first-in-the-nation institute dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy while serving society. Establised in 2007, we advance and coordinate biorenewables research, education, and engagement at Iowa State University. We provide resources and services for over 130 faculty and staff across the university. We engage with over 50 industry partners. Our strengths include transdisciplinary collaboration across entire value chains, research and demonstration of processing systems and conversion technologies, and scaling technologies toward the commercialization of biobased products and associated services. We are located in the Biorenewables Research Laboratory, where we host state-of-the-art analytical facilities and instrumentation.
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Bioeconomy Institute Highlights
$15M to Fuel Rural Growth Through Biomanufacturing
RuralSTAMINA – Ascending Rural communities through Sustainable, Transformative, Advanced Manufacturing INnovations and Alliances – is focused on creating new value-added products through the discovery and commercialization of innovations in biomass conversion and biomanufacturing.
Director Lisa Schulte Moore Named Big 12 Faculty of the Year!
The Big 12 has announced its 2026-27 Faculty of the Year Award honorees, recognizing one faculty member from each of the Conference’s 16 member institutions for excellence in innovation and research. The Award also showcases research breakthroughs and educational opportunities at Big 12 campuses.
Biobased Carbon Fiber To Move From Lab To Market
Dr. Bai and her research group have researched biobased carbon fiber production since 2015. A new 4-year, $2 million NSF grant will allow the researchers and their industry collaborators, such as Harper International, Latis, and Rise Energy, to move from batch production in a lab to commercially-relevant production.
VanLoocke touts the bioeconomic benefits of miscanthus
Andy VanLoocke, Associate Professor of Agronomy and Associate Director at the Bioeconomy Institute, recently presented his research on miscanthus, showing that the perennial tall grass can protect soils and produce biomass for bioenergy and other bioproducts.
Rise Energy Selected for DARPA Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative
Rise Energy, a company founded by Bioeconomy Institute staff members Ryan Smith, Tannon Daugaard, and Jordan Funkhouser, has secured $340,000 to accelerate the commercialization of its Autothermal Pyrolysis technology developed at Iowa State University (ISU).
SILPH Database
Did you know that some of the data collected through Bioeconomy Institute projects is publicly available? SILPH (Scientific Information Launching Perennial Horizons) is a database hosted by the Institute for sharing, documenting, and preserving data from agroecosystem and regenerative agriculture research.