DOE awards $13.8 million to 10 universities to boost sorghum for biofuel production

In Washington, the Department of Energy has awarded 10 universities $13.8 million to improve sorghum’s productivity using less water and nitrogen by using a systems approach. The aim is to develop a crop that is better suited than corn to produce the bulk of the US’s starch-based ethanol production as well as provide significant cellulosic feedstock for second-generation ethanol. The research grant was awarded to Colorado State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Boyce Thompson Institute, Clemson University, Iowa State University and the DOE-Joint Genome Institut