The Institute for Massachusetts Biofuel Research

The development of alternative, renewable fuel sources to reduce or replace our dependence on fossil fuels has emerged as a paramount challenge for maintaining the economic security of the United States. An essential component of the quest for energy independence is to develop renewable, environmentally friendly sources of energy via the conversion of biomass (agricultural and forestry residues) to biofuels (e.g. ethanol and biodiesel). An interdisciplinary team of reseachers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been assembled to establish The Institute for Massachusetts Biofuels Research (TIMBR) with the goal of developing cost-effective technologies for producing ethanol, alternative fuels, and value-added materials from biomass. The TIMBR team consists of experts in all areas of biofuels research and development. TIMBR is vertically integrated to span the areas of biomass feedstock development, biological and chemical conversion to fuels, and process development, by combining expertise in plant biology, microbiology, chemical catalysis, biorefinery engineering and design, and economic and environmental analysis. TIMBR provides a highly collaborative environment for accelerated biofuels research and development by building on this established base of excellence and vision.