South Central Region

Sun Grant Program

Dr. Hasan Atiyeh, Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Stillwater, OK, received a two-year USDA-NIFA Award ($292,721) through the South Central Sun Grant Program’s Center Competitive Grants Program to conduct a study on “Development of Clostridium carboxidivorans as a platform for butanol production via co-fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass.” Dr. Atiyeh collaborates with Dr. Thaddeus Ezeji from The Ohio State University’s Department of Animal Sciences.

 

The project aims is to develop a novel C. carboxidivorans based platform coupled with compatible process technology for producing butanol from switchgrass and fermentation gas. The long-term goal is to develop viable alternative biobased building blocks for efficient and economically viable biorefinery operation to enhance economic opportunities in rural areas of the U.S.