BERKELEY, Calif., Feb. 1 (UPI) -- A $500 million U.S. research project was announced Thursday by energy company BP to explore how bioscience can be used to increase energy production.
The University of California-Berkeley will lead the project, which also involves the University of Illinois and the Berkeley National Laboratory.
As part of the EBI project, some 340 acres of Illinois farmland will be devoted to the study and production of feedstock for biofuel production. Researchers will explore the potential benefits of using corn crop residues, switchgrass, and other herbaceous perennials as fuel sources.
BP said the institute will also pursue bioscience research in the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons into clean fuels and in carbon sequestration.
"The proposal from UC Berkeley and its partners was selected in large part because these institutions have excellent track records of delivering 'Big Science' -- large and complex developments predicated on both scientific breakthroughs and engineering applications that can be deployed in the real world," said BP Group Chief Executive John Browne.
"This program will further both basic and applied biological research relevant to energy," added Browne. "The institute will be unique in both its scale and its partnership between BP, academia and others in the private sector."
