University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers score $12.8M DOE grant for camelina and pennycress

In Nebraska, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln researcher is leading a team working to unlock the full potential of two oilseeds that may help meet the escalating demand for renewable fuels, industrial chemicals and other bioproducts. The team will produce genetically enhanced oilseeds, establish the “rules” of oilseeds’ metabolic circuitry and develop synthetic biology tools for crop improvement that could help scientists across the country.

With a five-year, $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy an interdisciplinary team representing eight institutions in exploring how camelina and pennycress, which contain the fatty acids necessary for producing biofuels and biomaterials, could help replace petroleum-based products and mitigate the effects of climate change. The project will pave the way for wider use of oilseeds in environmentally friendly and sustainable applications.