PI:  Kenneth Bryden
Co-PIs:  Francine Battaglia

Summary: Biomass conversion to fermentable sugars for the purpose of producing fuels, chemicals and other industrial products is well understood. Most bioenergy strategies rely on low-cost fermentable sugars for sustainability and economic viability in the market place. Exploitation of the "whole crop," specifically, wheat straw or other plant material currently regarded as residue or waste, is a practical approach for obtaining a reliable and low-cost source of sugars. However, industrial-scale production of sugars from wheat straw, while technically feasible, is plagued by obstacles related to capital costs, energy consumption, waste streams, production logistics, and the quality of the biomass feedstock. The collective impact of these obstacles negatively impacts the economic viability of wheat straw (and other crop residue biomass) as an inexpensive source of commodity sugars. This project addresses a priority set of issues within three of the barrier areas identified by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in relation to the exploitation of biomass as a source of commercial energy: plant science, crop production, and biomass processing.