BERI

BERI – the BC Bio-Energy and Refining Initiative is the knowledge and innovation arm of the BC Bioenergy Network (BCBN) recently funded by the Province. Spearheaded by BCBN, the Faculties of Forestry, Applied Science, and Science, and the Michael Smith Laboratories, BERI seeks to create scientific, engineering and policy advances that expand and improve our current portfolio of technologies and strategies for deriving energy, liquid fuels, materials and specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals from ligno-cellulosic biomass. The intent is to establish a potent, close-knit, BC-focused research network that combines our Province’s most productive forest and life-science specialists with a dynamic group of physical scientists and engineers capable of developing new technologies that offer dramatic improvements in manufacturing of clean energy and other sustainable products, and therefore of generating important and profitable intellectual property and industry for BC in the rapidly emerging bioenergy and refining sector. BC’s forest reserves represent one of its most valuable assets, and realizing the full potential of ligno-cellulose as a sustainable feedstock is therefore a stated priority of our government. As part of its recently announced Bioenergy Strategy (see http://www.energyplan.gov.bc.ca/bioenergy), the government of British Columbia seeks to develop new technology to exploit ligno-cellulosic biomass as a renewable feedstock to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen our long-term competitiveness and electricity self-sufficiency. Bioenergy is also central to achieving B.C.’s climate goals and economic objectives by, for instance, converting the challenges of the mountain pine beetle infestation into new opportunities and new industry.

BC has already established a leadership position in the development and marketing of clean burning solid fuels, including wood-pellet technology. Bioethanol, hydrogen and biodiesel from ligno-cellulosics or waste materials are also feasible through a variety of technologies, including pyrolysis, gasification, and fermentation. However, there is an urgent need for further technology development to streamline these processes and decrease the cost, while at the same time opening pathways to co-produce in a sustainable manner a range of high-value materials and chemicals. The intent is to provide innovations for a sustainable World, including necessary advances in technology, policy and social awareness.

BERI Membership and Research Teams

While researchers at UBC-Vancouver (UBC) are leading BERI, the network includes a key set of research scientists recently hired at UBC Okanagan, as well as leading bio-energy researchers from other Universities, stake-holding companies, and government labs from across BC. Current BERI research nodes include:

Plant Cell Wall Molecular Biology, Characterization and Engineering Team
Carl Douglas (UBC Botany) – Team Co-leader
Brian Ellis (UBC MSL) – Team Co-leader
Shawn Mansfield (UBC Wood Science)
Joerg Bohlmann (UBC MSL)
Steve Lund (UBC Agricultural Science)
Lacey Samuels (UBC Botany)
Geoff Wasteneys (UBC Botany)

Biomass Pretreatment and Wood-Pellet Technology Team
Shahab Sokhansanj (GS Bioresource Systems Inc.) – Team Leader
Xiaotao Bi (UBC CHBE)
Jack Saddler (UBC Forestry)

Ethanol Fermentation and Bioprocess Engineering Team
Jack Saddler (UBC Forestry) – Team Leader
Sheldon Duff (UBC CHBE)
Charles Haynes (UBC MSL)
Susan Baldwin (CHBE)
Steve Helle (UNBC, Engineering)

Microbial Molecular Biology, Metabolic Flux Analysis, and Genetic Engineering Team
Lindsay Eltis (UBC Microbiology) – Team Leader
Bill Mohn (UBC Microbiology)
Hennie van Vuuren (UBC WRC)
Tom Beatty (UBC Microbiology)

Biohydrogen and Thermochemical-Based Biorefining Team
John Grace (UBC CHBE) – Team Leader
Jim Lim (UBC CHBE)
Madjid Mohseni (UBC CHBE)
Paul Watkinson (UBC CHBE)
Naoko Ellis (UBC CHBE)
Francis Nano (UVic, Biochemistry)

Glycosyl Hydrolase Engineering and Cellulosome Proteomics Team
Steve Withers (UBC Chemistry/Biochemistry) – Team Leader
Charles Haynes (UBC MSL)
Leonard Foster (UBC Biochemistry)
Alisdair Boraston (UVic, Biochemistry)
Harry Brumer (UBC MSL)
Doug Kilburn (UBC MSL, Emeritus)
Tony Warren (UBC Microbiology, Emeritus)

Green Chemicals and Materials from Lignocellulose Team
Joerg Bohlmann (UBC Forestry/MSL) – Team Leader
John Kadla (UBC Wood Science)
Frank Ko (UBC AMPEL)
Deborah Roberts (UBC Okanagan, Civil Engineering)

Forest Products Management and Policy Team
Paul McFarlane (UBC Wood Science) – Team Leader
Warren Mabee (McGill University Public Policy Dept.)
Taraneh Sowlati (UBC Wood Science)
Xiaohua (Adam) Wei (UBC Okanagan, Environmental Science and Engineering)
Thomas I. Gunton (SFU, Social Policy and Environment Management)
Mark Jaccard (SFU, Social Policy and Environment Management)

Local and National Industries and Government Lab Representatives
Don Roberts (CIBC World Markets)
Alex Berlin (Novozymes)
Phil Beaty (Nexterra Inc.)