The UI will receive a grant of $3.2 million from the state of Illinois to plan and design the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory at the UI’s Urbana campus.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced June 28 that funds would be allocated for planning the facility through the Opportunity Returns program, an economic development program to spur job growth throughout Illinois by pairing companies and communities.
In a news release announcing the grant, Blagojevich said: “Post-harvest research is critical to growing the agricultural economy and creating more jobs in Illinois. This state-of-the-art facility will encourage even more research discoveries and the education of future generations that will help Illinois’ food and agriculture industries thrive and put more people to work.”
Hans-Peter Blaschek, a professor of food microbiology, is coordinating development of the laboratory. Blaschek also is assistant dean in the Office of Research for the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and is a faculty member in the department of food science and human nutrition and in the Institute for Genomic Biology.
The 60,000-square-foot facility will support multistage processing that converts soybeans, corn and other grains, lignocellulosic-based co-products and food processing byproducts into new and improved feeds, foods, energy sources, industrial feed stocks and chemicals. The multi-disciplinary facility will focus on the chemical, physical and biological conversion of renewable feed stocks into biofuels and will provide opportunities for developing new production processes for biofuels, industrial chemicals and nutraceuticals.
Often referred to as phytochemicals or functional foods, nutraceuticals are natural, bioactive chemical compounds that promote health, prevent disease or have medicinal properties.
The United States is increasing use of biobased materials and bioenergy, and corn and soybeans could serve as the plant technology platforms for a new biobased economy, said David Chicoine, UI vice president for technology and economic development. The new laboratory also presents the opportunity to make the state of Illinois, already one of the largest producers of corn and soybeans, a leader of a new bio-based economy by building upon earlier discoveries and creating jobs and industries.
“The time is ripe for development of a unique bioprocessing facility since the chemical industry is expected to transition from petroleum-based processes to bio-based technology,” Blaschek said. “The IBRL will allow translational research to be carried out from the laboratory bench to the pilot-scale level in anticipation of commercialization.”
Robert Easter, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and Blaschek have talked with officials at Archer Daniels Midland Co. in Decatur and other agricultural companies about joining the UI in the IBRL. ADM is one of the world’s largest processors of corn, soybeans, wheat and cocoa.
The IBRL also will be a “green building” with energy efficient and environmentally friendly design features. The IBRL, along with a Workforce Development Center at Heartland Community College in Bloomington, Ill., will be one of at least three state construction projects that will be used for case studies of green building materials and techniques.
The facility is expected to cost about $20 million and construction may begin later this fiscal year or in FY2008, once funding is secured and a site is selected. The planning and design work will provide for site improvements, including extending utilities and roadways.
The facility is part of the first phase of a six-phase plan to modernize the South Farms, which began in September 2003 with the groundbreaking for the new beef and sheep complex, a $10 million complex of livestock barns, offices and facilities for mixing feed and storing machinery that was constructed near the intersection of Race Street and Old Church Road between Urbana and Savoy.
Like the new beef and sheep facilities, which opened in 2004, the IBRL will replace outdated facilities and will accommodate the technologies needed for research.
The modernization plans for the South Farms also include construction of facilities for swine and horses, an 82,000-square-foot Natural Resources Facility that will support research and education on vegetable and fruit crops as well as forestry and natural systems, and a Crops Complex that will serve as headquarters for the Crops Section and house the UI Plant Diagnostic Clinic.
