Oregon Public Broadcasting

The federal government is giving Oregon State University millions of dollars to lay the foundation for new research into ethanol. Rob Manning explains.

Biofuels have attracted some criticism, because when farmers turn crops into fuel instead of into food – it can raise food prices.

Many renewable energy advocates say that the solution is cellulosic ethanol, which would use inedible plant material. But the technology isn’t ready.

Now, Oregon State University has gotten a nearly $2.5 million federal grant to develop a genetic template that researchers could use all over the world, in hopes of developing cellulosic ethanol.

Oregon State researcher, Todd Mockler, says his lab will be working with a plant that could unlock information about a wide array of plants. It’s called “brachypodium.”

Todd Mockler: “Because brachypodium is a model for all of these important crops, this resource needs to be available, and there’s a big demand for it.”

Mockler says OSU researchers will work with a bio-tech company in California to disseminate brachypodium’s genetic material.