The GLBRC is led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with Michigan State University as the major partner.  Additional scientific partners are DOE National Laboratories, other universities and a biotechnology company. The expertise of GLBRC researchers spans a wide array of disciplines, from microbiology to economics to engineering. The only academically-based DOE Center, the GLBRC is guided by an educational philosophy that emphasizes understanding the complex relationships among energy production, technology, economics, society and the environment.  By combining this philosophy and expertise in a collaborative atmosphere, GLBRC is positioned to move promising developments and technology through the biofuels pipeline more quickly. A summary of the initial GLBRC partner institutions and their expertise is presented here. More institutions may be added, as appropriate.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI

Provides expertise in genome-enabled analysis of plant and microbial pathways, networks, and systems; computational analysis of bioenergy proteins, organisms, and ecosystems; biosynthesis and chemistry of lignin and plant cell wall cross-linking; and discovery, production, and improvement of bioenergy enzymes.

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Provides expertise in the biosynthesis and breakdown of plant cell walls, oils, and other polymers; the breakdown of cellulose in plant stems, stalks, and leaves, including grasses, trees and other woody plants; and in development of biofuel production practices that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

Individual researchers at Cornell provide expertise in the design and creation of microorganisms with new or improved protein machinery, specifically extracellular secretion of cellulases by engineered bacteria.

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

Provides expertise in plant cell and developmental biology.

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

Provides expertise in economic modeling of biomass utilization.

Lucigen Corporation
Middleton, WI

Provides expertise in functional screening for cellulases and other enzymes, isolation and growth of thermophiles, ethanol production and molecular cloning techniques.

University of Minnesota
St.Paul, MN

Individual researchers at the University of Minnesota provide expertise on complex global environmental systems and their interactions with human societies, focusing on the global land resource base for bioenergy feedstocks. 

Oak Ridge National Lab
Oak Ridge, TN

Provides expertise in modeling ecosystem and land use change.

Pacific Northwest National Lab
Richland, WA

Provides capabilities in high-throughput analysis of bioenergy proteins and in modeling alternative biofuel scenarios from the field to the globe.

University of Toledo
Toledo, OH

Individual researchers at the University of Toledo provide expertise on biophysical constraints and resource use limitations in regards to maximizing biofuel production.