Winter Break Hours
CBiRC administrative offices will be closed the following dates in observance of university holidays and the winter break:
- Dec. 23 and 26-30, 2022 (Christmas)
- Jan. 2, 2023 (New Year’s Day)
- Jan. 16, 2023 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
We want to take this opportunity to thank all our ISU colleagues and external collaborators, sponsors and other stakeholders for their contributions to the center’s successes in 2022, and we wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!
Funding Opportunities
Fall 2022
The Iowa Economic Development Authority and Governor Kim Reynolds have identified four bioscience platforms as key growth engines for Iowa’s economy. Iowa State University is uniquely positioned to provide innovation leadership for three of the platforms – Biobased Products, Digital & Precision Agriculture, and Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. ISU is working in partnership with the Iowa Innovation Corporation to establish nationally renowned innovation ecosystems in these Iowa-advantaged bioscience platforms, foster commercialization of new technologies and innovations, and help the state continue to grow and diversify its economy. To support these efforts, the State of Iowa has provided new funds to ISU to work across university, industry and government partners to accelerate transfer of technologies to commercial product development in these three large and growing markets.
In FY23, the Biobased Products platform is offering two funding opportunities. For more information on its Seed Grant and Technology Demonstration Grant programs, including focus areas, eligibility requirements, and guidance on proposal preparation and submission, visit the Grants Hub Internal Funding web page. Note proposals are due 10/15/2022.
Honors and Awards
November 2020
Congratulations to ISU student James Trettin and his mentor, CBiRC affiliate Jean-Philippe Tessonnier. James was recently awarded a “Best Presentations – Materials” award from the Rice University 2020 Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS) for his presentation Synthesizing Novel Biobased Molecules for Enhanced Polymer Properties. GCURS provides current undergraduates the opportunity to present their original research discoveries to scholars from around the world.
October 2020
CBiRC affiliates Eric Cochran and George Kraus received $2,165,00 from the U.S. DOE for their project titled Trojan Horse Repeat Sequences for Triggered Chemical Recycling of Polyesters for Films and Bottles. The project was one of 12 funded through the DOE’s $27MM Plastics Innovation Challenge. Project partners include 3M, Archer Daniels Midland, and Diageo. More…
September 2020
Several CBiRC affiliates were honored at the September 2020 Iowa State University College of Engineering Convocation.
- Laura Jarboe, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering – Outstanding Achievement in Teaching
- Luke Roling, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering – Michael and Denise Mack 2050 Challenge Scholar
Patents Received
- Eric Cochran, R. Chris Williams, and Nacu Hernandez: Thermoplastic elastomers via atom transfer radical polymerization of plant oil
- Eric Cochran and Nacu Hernandez: Reagent purification systems, methods and apparatus
- R. Chris Williams, Joseph Podolsky, and Eric Cochran: Asphalt products and materials and methods of producing them
- R. Chris Williams, Joseph Podolsky, Nacu Hernandez, Austin Hohmann, Eric Cochran, and Mohamed Elkashef: Asphalt products and methods of producing them for rejuvenation and softening of asphalt
- Jean-Philippe Tessonnier, Nacu Hernandez, and Eric Cochran: Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of muconic acid
- Jean-Philippe Tessonnier and Brent Shanks: Electrochemical isomerization of muconic acid