SEES Fellows: Multi-scale Analysis of Lignin for Drop-in Biofuels: From quantum chemical analysis of pretreatment methods to life cycle assessment of feedstocks

在NSF科学，工程和教育可持续发展研究员（SEES研究员计划）的这个奖项中，来自西北大学的Adam佩尔泽博士将研究使用纤维素生物质中的木质素作为直接生物燃料的可行性。 工作范围从预处理方法的量子化学分析到原料的生命周期评估。 该奖项得到了数学和物理科学理事会化学处的支持。这项工作中提出的研究的目的是开发方法，将化学上不稳定但富含能量的生物质成分木质素转化为液体燃料。佩尔泽博士将与合作者西北大学化学和生物工程系的琳达布罗德贝尔特教授和Virent创始人兼首席技术官兰迪·科朗博士合作。佩尔泽博士还将与西北大学的教师和芝加哥社区学院系统的教师和学生合作，开展一系列以可持续发展问题为中心的教育活动。（SEES研究员）计划，其目标是帮助实现所需的发现，为导致环境，能源和社会可持续性，同时创造必要的劳动力来应对这些挑战。在SEES研究员的支持下，该项目将使一个有前途的早期职业研究人员能够在与可持续发展相关的独立研究生涯中建立自己的地位。

In this Award from the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows Program) Dr. Adam Pelzer from Northwestern University will investigate the feasibility of using lignin from cellulosic biomass as a drop-in biofuel. The work will range from quantum chemical analysis of pretreatment methods to life cycle assessment of feedstocks. This award has support from the Chemistry Division of the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.The aim of studies like that proposed in this work is to develop methods to turn a chemically recalcitrant, but energy-rich, component of biomass, lignin, into a source of liquid fuel. Dr. Pelzer will be working with collaborators Prof. Linda Broadbelt of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University and Dr. Randy Cortright, founder and Chief Technology Officer at Virent. Dr. Pelzer will also work with faculty at Northwestern University and faculty and students in the Chicago Community College system on a series of educational activities centered on sustainability issues.This project is supported under the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows) program, with the goal of helping to enable discoveries needed to inform actions that lead to environmental, energy and societal sustainability while creating the necessary workforce to address these challenges. With SEES Fellows support, this project will enable a promising early career researcher to establish themselves in an independent research career related to sustainability.