First PNNL joint staff appoint to foreign R&D institution aims at bioenergy
In Washington state, PNNL Scientist Alex Beliaev will receive a joint appointment to the Queensland University of Technology, the institutions advise.
The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, have collaborated on bioenergy and microbial biotechnology in the past. Now they are formalizing their relationship to enhance their bioenergy research, promote education, and develop industry around and viable bioenergy solutions in their respective countries — with special emphasis on adaptive bioprocesses.
Beliaev’s team led developed the novel photobioreactor systems that have been successfully applied to photosynthetic microbes and their potential as bioenergy producers. Capabilities developed at PNNL in controlled cultivation and systems microbiology not only enable alternative fuel research but also outline a path toward mass-production of biomass and its conversion to biofuels.
This is the first time PNNL has entered into a MOU involving joint staff appointments with a research institution outside the U.S. PNNL microbiologist Alex Beliaev is expected to hold the first joint research appointment between the two organizations. The agreement will also involve collaborative research and academic exchange including staff and students. The memorandum of understanding was signed by PNNL Director of Strategic Partnerships, Doug Ray and QUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Commercialisation, Arun Sharma.
PNNL brings expertise in systems biology, including fungal, algal and microbial genomics, computational biology and an array of cutting-edge multi ‘omics capabilities. The field of ‘omics explores how genes, proteins and various metabolic products interact. QUT’s expertise lies with plant biotechnology, consolidated bioprocessing and process modeling.
Category: Research
