Advancing the Bioeconomy, Serving Society
The Iowa State University Bioeconomy Institute is a first-in-the-nation institute dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy while serving society. Established in 2007, we serve as the “front door” to biorenewables 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 whole value chains, research and demonstration of processing systems and conversion technologies, and scaling technologies toward 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
Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore Named Director
The leadership team also expands to include four new associate directors: Xianglan Bai, professor of mechanical engineering, John Crespi, director of ISU's Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Mark Mba Wright, professor of mechanical engineering, and Andy VanLoocke, associate professor of agronomy. Together, they are charting a new phase of growth for the institute.
New Slow-release Fertilizer Startup
Founded by Bioeconomy Institute principal scientist Dr. Santanu Bakshi and entrepreneur Kyle Anderson, Reform Bio is developing new technology that could help keep nitrogen fertilizers on farm fields out of waterways. Their technology is a stable, slow-release nitrogen fertilizer that feeds crops across an entire growing season.
Faces of Discovery: Dr. Mark Mba Wright
Dr. Mark Mba Wright, professor of mechanical engineering and associate director of the Bioeconomy Institute, leads research that spans a wide range of technologies. His team works on everything from biomanufactured aviation fuels to synthetic fibers made from environmentally friendly resources to electrochemical systems that use renewable energy.
VanLoocke Looks for New Crops that 'Pencil Out'
Bioeconomy Institute's Dr. Andy VanLoocke is developing Miscanthus as a crop for the Midwest on lands where corn and soybeans don't 'pencil out.' Miscanthus is a high-yielding perennial grass that helps hold soil in place and has lower fertility needs than annual crops.
New NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program Focused on Bioeconomy
ISU faculty will train graduate students in the biological sciences, focusing on both basic biological research and more applied aspects of biology that build the bioeconomy.
Prairie Strips Rapidly Improve Multiple Soil Health Measures
Important to farmers, a new study by Bioeconomy Institute affiliates Drs. Cole Dutter and Marshall McDaniel documents how prairie strips improve eight of 12 key soil health measures in nearly a decade.