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Center for Biorenewables

Building a greener future through innovation and education relating to biorenewable food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, materials, and energy

Plants for People

Plants have been used by people for millennia to help meet the basic needs of food, clothing, warmth, and shelter, and have also provided a rich diversity of substances for human health. By harnessing solar power using photosynthesis and evolving a myriad of biosynthetic pathways, plants embody natural chemical factories that produce energy-rich and unique biomolecules.  

Our center seeks to bring together Penn State’s broad expertise in plant biology, genomics, microbiology, chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, bioengineering, and other related fields to make the discoveries that will enable to plants to meet the current and future needs of human society, sustainably. 

The Center for Biorenewables is jointly funded by Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

News

GAP funding awarded to 12 Penn State research commercialization projects

Twelve research projects have been selected for the 2026 Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund. Awarded projects receive $75,000 in funding and other support to develop promising proof-of-concept research into commercial ready technology. As the name suggests, GAP funding is targeted towards research projects that — despite exciting potential — are sometimes stuck in the funding gap between government grants and commercial investment. Attracting commercial attention often requires extensive development and testing to show that a product is safe, effective at scale and properly positioned within the marketplace.

Q&A: Are plants the key to solving energy and food crises worldwide?

Changing market conditions are increasing the need for cost-effective ways to produce biorenewable chemicals, biofuels and materials that can serve as alternatives to oil-based products. According to Costas Maranas, Robert V. & Gloria H. Waltemeyer Chair and Donald B. Broughton Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn State, solutions to these problems could come from applying tools used in synthetic biology to plants and their microbial partners across the globe.

Q&A: What can plant evolution teach people about breeding better crops?

May 22 is United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, drawing attention to a critical resource for developing crops that are resilient or resistant to extreme weather and other threats to their health, according to Jesse Lasky, associate professor of biology at Penn State.

News

GAP funding awarded to 12 Penn State research commercialization projects

Twelve research projects have been selected for the 2026 Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund. Awarded projects receive $75,000 in funding and other support to develop promising proof-of-concept research into commercial ready technology. As the name suggests, GAP funding is targeted towards research projects that — despite exciting potential — are sometimes stuck in the funding gap between government grants and commercial investment. Attracting commercial attention often requires extensive development and testing to show that a product is safe, effective at scale and properly positioned within the marketplace.

Q&A: Are plants the key to solving energy and food crises worldwide?

Changing market conditions are increasing the need for cost-effective ways to produce biorenewable chemicals, biofuels and materials that can serve as alternatives to oil-based products. According to Costas Maranas, Robert V. & Gloria H. Waltemeyer Chair and Donald B. Broughton Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn State, solutions to these problems could come from applying tools used in synthetic biology to plants and their microbial partners across the globe.

Q&A: What can plant evolution teach people about breeding better crops?

May 22 is United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, drawing attention to a critical resource for developing crops that are resilient or resistant to extreme weather and other threats to their health, according to Jesse Lasky, associate professor of biology at Penn State.

Kaye honored with Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award

Jason Kaye, distinguished professor of soil biogeochemistry in the College of Agricultural Sciences and chair of the Ecology Intercollege Graduate Degree Program, is the 2026 recipient of the Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Chair Leadership Award.