Bug Power: Fueling our Future with Microorganisms

Rowan University, Glassboro NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Interdisciplinary (99) The faculties of the Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Biology Departments in an interdisciplinary effort are applying engineering principles to living systems. The framework for the project, modeled after a Michigan State University program, is the process by which ethanol is produced from biomass by the action of microorganisms and/ or enzymes. This process is comprised of a series of unit operations that are being developed into modules that emphasize the connection between engineering systems and biological systems and require a multidisciplinary approach for successful completion. Undergraduate students are being engaged in research requiring teamwork among individuals from different disciplines, thereby improving the understanding of fundamental physical, biological, and chemical processes.