Ceres chief executive Richard Hamilton (right) and Dr. Richard Flavell, chief scientific officer, evaluate improved switchgrass plants in a Ceres greenhouse.
Photograph: Ceres, Inc.
$5m grant to help Ceres improve energy crop yield 40%
California energy crop developer Ceres, one of 37 companies picked in a recent Department of Energy (DOE) funding round, says its share will help with development of grasses that are higher-yielding and require less nitrogen fertilizers.
The company was selected for a $5m grant by the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) programme, which handed out $151m to 37 projects across a range of technologies.
Ceres, based in Thousand Oaks, California, intends to begin expanded experiments next month on crops including switchgrass, sorghum and miscanthus. It aims to develop advanced traits in crops that could increase yields as much as 40% and require less fertilizer. It expects the trials to take three years.
“Low-input traits developed through modern genetics can provide wide-reaching benefits to the energy and agricultural sectors as well as the environment — just the type of transformational impact energy officials are looking for,” states Ceres chief scientific officer Richard Flavell.
Ceres was one of five projects selected by ARPA-E in the biomass energy category. Others are studying cellulosic biofuels; algae harvesting; and new biocrude and bio-butanol production technologies.
Published: Thursday, November 12 2009
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