NSF EPSCoR: Powering the Kentucky Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

The mission of the Kentucky NSF EPSCoR Program is to accelerate the transition of Kentucky to a new energy and bioeconomy that is knowledge-based, renewable, environmentally sound, and economically sustainable by addressing socio-economic barriers in parallel with technological development. The overarching goal of our science proram is to discover and develop engineered biosystems for energy, environmental and industry applications in an inclusive, statewide program that encourages interdisciplinary problem solving across the biological, chemical and engineering sciences and in research areas that will increase the competitiveness of our scientific research community across sectors. Our first research pillar, Chemical Biology for Advanced Materials, will focus on the development of a robust and chemically optimal biomass crop for materials and fuels and bioprospecting to amass a knowledge base of novel, commercially valuable biological technologies and biosystems that include organisms, genes, plant phytochemical synthesis pathways, chemicals and natural products, enzymes, transporters, and redox systems applicable to industry processes and fundamental processes such as membrane separations and energy storage. Our second research pillar, Advanced Bio-Inspired Membrane Technologies, will enable cost effective, multi-product biomanufacturing through the engineering of bio-inspired nanocomposite membranes that possess enhanced properties that permit continuous extraction and downstream conversion, and has broad application to energy production, water purification, and environmental remediation challenges. Likewise, the third research pillar, Electrochemical Energy Storage, holds the potential to improve the energy and environmental footprints of integrated manufacturing facilities as well as contributing to the evolution of automobile batteries. Each of the three pillars has a primary research focus that will provide students with an educational foundation in problem-based science, and integrate with the other research pillars through sharing or information, materials, and components. Each pillar holds the potential to be transformative in advancing next generation technology and providing the Commonwealth of Kentucky with a clear path to a new economy.