Spring Break
A&M system receives energy research grant
By: Chris Hokanson
Issue date: 7/11/07 Section: News
A $5 million grant to the Texas A&M System's Agriculture and Engineering BioEnergy Alliance allows A&M to stay on the cutting edge on energy research, said Bill McCutchen, deputy associate director of the Texas Agriculture Experiment Station.
Gov. Rick Perry announced Monday that the alliance would receive the grant from Texas's Emerging Technology Fund, an initiative started in 2006 to help turn research into commercial products.
"[The grant] allows us and our partners a competitive advantage," McCutchen said. "It allows us to create intellectual property, as well as a marketable product."
Focusing research on crops like sorghum and sugarcane will provide tremendous benefits to the state, said Elsa Murano, the vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences. The grant enables the alliance to bring in world-class scientists who can accelerate the research and development of biofuels, she said.
"This grant will allow A&M and the Agriculture Experiment Station to recruit at least one top notch scientist, and potentially his colleagues, to focus on the genetics to improve bioenergy crops," McCutchen said, "It places us in a fairly enviable position."
The alliance, a cooperative venture between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Texas Agriculture Experiement Station and the Texas Engineering Experiement Staion, focuses its research on crops and plants used for biofuels and bioenergy products.
Gov. Rick Perry announced Monday that the alliance would receive the grant from Texas's Emerging Technology Fund, an initiative started in 2006 to help turn research into commercial products.
"[The grant] allows us and our partners a competitive advantage," McCutchen said. "It allows us to create intellectual property, as well as a marketable product."
Focusing research on crops like sorghum and sugarcane will provide tremendous benefits to the state, said Elsa Murano, the vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences. The grant enables the alliance to bring in world-class scientists who can accelerate the research and development of biofuels, she said.
"This grant will allow A&M and the Agriculture Experiment Station to recruit at least one top notch scientist, and potentially his colleagues, to focus on the genetics to improve bioenergy crops," McCutchen said, "It places us in a fairly enviable position."
The alliance, a cooperative venture between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Texas Agriculture Experiement Station and the Texas Engineering Experiement Staion, focuses its research on crops and plants used for biofuels and bioenergy products.
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