An
internationally recognized microbiologist, Brigitte Ahring, was
one of the first two STAR researchers recruited by the
Washington State STAR researcher program. Located at
Washington State University as the director of the
Center for Bioproducts and Bioenergy and as
a Battelle Distinguished
Professor, Dr. Ahring is based at WSU Tri-Cities.
Birgitte Ahring, received her Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Ahring leads WSU’s interdisciplinary center focused on research and academic programming in the use and conversion of biomass into bioproducts and biofuels.
“This is another example of Washington leading the way on clean energy and scientific research,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “Dr. Ahring’s scientific expertise will help our state develop bioproduct technologies that will drive innovation globally and job growth locally.”
The Center for Bioproducts and Bioenergy director position received about $1 million in “star researcher” funding from Washington state’s Economic Development Commission and the Higher Education Coordinating Board in FY2007-2009. BESL will continue to receive funding through the STARs program through FY2010.
Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, a 57,000-square-foot, $24.8 million facility openingthis spring at WSU Tri-Cities. BSEL is a partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and will include 10 jointly appointed scientists who will conduct cutting edge research and development in bioenergy. PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.
“The new Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory is a cornerstone of the efforts by ouruniversity and our state to take a leadership role in the areas of sustainability and clean energy,” saidElson S. Floyd, president of Washington State University. “Attracting a world-class researcher such as Dr.Ahring is an outstanding endorsement of that initiative. Clearly, this is a sign of great things to come.”
WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Vicky L. Carwein said Ahring brings teamwork skills in addition to her scientific talents, with an established track record for transformational research that has led to demonstration projects in Oregon and Denmark.
“Dr.
Ahring’s diverse background includes public-private
partnerships, academic and industrialcollaboration,
high-level research, and a passion for educating
others,” Carwein said. “This is the kind of
world-class leadership we need to grow the WSU Center
for Bioproducts and Bioenergy into a major research and
development enterprise.”
Ahring received her Ph.D. in microbiology in 1986 from the University of Copenhagen and taught as a professor at The Technical University of Denmark. She is an internationally recognized authority in using anaerobic bacteria — bacteria that exists in an oxygen-free environment — to biodegrade waste.
She
also is founder and Chief Executive Officer of BioGasol,
an engineering and technology company that designs and
develops technologies for second generation bioethanol
production. Her company is a partner in the Pacific
Northwest’s first ethanol plant, which is funded with
$24 million by the U.S. Department of Energy. This plant
is being built in Boardman, Ore., about 70 miles
southwest of
WSU Tri-Cities.
The WSU-PNNL partnership brings together WSU expertise in agriculture research and PNNL proficiency in conversion technologies to create a world-class center to tackle the type of multidisciplinary research challenges that will be critical in the development of cost-effective bioproducts and biofuels.
“If a regional biofuels industry is to draw on locally produced resources and achieve any significant production volume, the development of new process technologies is vital," said Jud Virden, energy market sector manager at PNNL. “Dr. Ahring will provide the scientific leadership needed to maximize the foundation of capabilities that exists within the region to address these challenges using world-class science and new biotechnology tools.”
Washington State University Tri-Cities (www.tricity.wsu.edu)
is an urban campus along the Columbia River in Richland,
Wash. Established in 1989 with upper division and
graduate programs, WSU Tri-Cities offers 17
baccalaureate, 14 graduate, and five doctoral degree
programs. The campus added freshman and sophomore
courses in fall 2007 to become a true four-year public
university, extending the WSU land-grant mission of
providing affordable, accessible higher education. For
more information, call 509-372-7250.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (www.pnl.gov) is a DOE Office of Science national laboratory that solves complex problems in energy, national security and the environment, and advances scientific frontiers in the chemical, biological, materials, environmental and computational sciences. PNNL employs 4,000 staff, has a $750 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965.
