A planned NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) between three Ohio Universities: The Ohio State University, The University of Akron and The University of Toledo. CSUG2 will focus on C1 conversion platforms to produce higher value industrial chemicals, fuels, and materials at competitive market prices.
The Center’s mission is to create environmentally friendly, low cost sources of fuels, chemicals, and materials needed to maintain and improve our 21st Century standard of living through the development of cost effective and sustainable methods of capture, conversion, and utilization of lower value (C1) carbon including wasted CH4 and CO2. At its core, the I/UCRC will be industry driven, and will address scientific and technical challenges along the full supply chain from wasted carbon recovery through primary conversion to fuels, platform chemicals, advanced materials, and eventually to products.
News: German and Canadian technologies capturing CO2 straight from the air and converting into diesel fuels. Read more here!
Who Will Benefit & Why You Should Join?
9-Slide Overview of Center
University Partners:
Site Director: Jon Parquette
Center Coordinators:
William D. Timmons
Barbara Vieira
Facilities:
The resources made available by the Center's three institutions are cutting edge and bountiful. View a scientific poster highlighting some of our most impressive facilities. You may also take a virtual tour of the University of Akron, presented by Site Director Steven Chuang.
Past Events:
First Ohio Conference on the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases:
August 2014
On August 18, 2014, the Center for Applied Plant Sciences hosted the First Ohio Conference on the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases at Ohio State’s Ohio 4-H Center. This new Center would address the necessity to cope with increasing projections of CO2 and CH4 emissions by researchers from a global welfare perspective, while the abundance of these resources for industry could translate into affordable chemical and fuel synthesis. Dr. Lawrence Hornak served as Keynote Speaker, bringing his experience as Program Officer for the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program at the National Science Foundation. His keynote gave participants from Ohio State University, University of Toledo, University of Akron and Ohio University the unique opportunity to hear about all of the ways faculty can benefit from the I/UCRC program.
Multi-PI abstracts and supplemental posters were presented to our committee of industry liaisons with the purpose of industry perspective and project pitch feedback. This set of 45 project proposals was then down-selected by our ILOs and Site Directors to a group of 15 to be highlighted during the next phase of the I/UCRC proposal process; I/UCRC NSF Planning Conference for the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases (CSUG2).
I/UCRC Planning Conference for the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases (CSUG2):
Novermber 2014
On November 4-5, 2014, the Center for Applied Plant Sciences with the University of Toledo, University of Akron and Ohio University hosted the I/UCRC Planning Conference for the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases (CSUG2) at Ohio State’s Fawcett Center. This two-day event was facilitated by our four site directors Erich Grotewold (OSU), Maria Coleman (UT), Steven Chuang (UA), Ben Stuart (OU), Center Coordinator, Bill Timmons as well as Shashank Priya (NSF Evaluator/Moderator) and Teri Behrens (Grand Valley State Faculty and NSF Consultant). Industry representatives were presented with the vision, capabilities and value proposition of this proposed Center with ten faculty oral abstracts and fifteen postdoctoral/graduate student posters, illustrating how the main project thrusts (Capture, Concentration and Purification; Catalysis; Polymers and Materials; Biomass) could align with their research needs. A significant amount of time was allotted to industry feedback, through the use of NSF Executive Summaries and LIFE Forms, detailed evaluations of our science and its application to the industries represented were collected. The event concluded with on-site facility tours, showcasing the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Center for Automotive Research and the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis.
A stronger industry recruitment effort has been established and will take place over the next seven months. On June 24-25, 2015 another planning conference will be held, following the same two-day format. This event will be used to finalize industry commitments to membership of the I/UCRC, propelling a full NSF proposal submission in September of 2015.
I/UCRC Industry Planning Conference for the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases (CSUG2):
June 2015
On June 24-25, 2015, faculty members from The Ohio State University, The University of Akron and The University of Toledo hosted an Industry Planning Conference in support of a new Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC). OSU’s LEED certified Nationwide/Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center proved to be the perfect venue to highlight the planned center’s mission to create environmentally friendly, low cost sources of fuels, chemicals and materials through pre-competitive technologies that involve the sustainable utilization of wasted carbon (such as provided by carbon dioxide and methane). Over a twelve month collaborative effort (and two previous conferences on the topic), these self-selected institutions recruited thirty-one industry and government agency representatives to attend the Center for the Sustainable Use of Greenhouse Gases (CSUG2) planning event. Under the umbrellas of “Capture, Concentration and Purification”, “Carbon Conversion” and “Chemicals, Polymers and Materials”, sixty-seven participating faculty submitted forty-seven team abstracts to be considered as possible projects within the scope of the center’s focus to utilize wasted carbon. Ten projects were then selected by our industry liaison team to be orally featured, in addition to another seven poster presentations. These project pitches, facilities/instruments, and center structure were then rigorously evaluated by the participants by way of closed and open door feedback sessions. These appraisals enabled our faculty and center coordinators to identify the most viable connections that could result in full industry/government memberships (investments). The call to engagement and membership is now at an all-time high as the center coordinators will spend the next few months confirming letters of commitment and completing the writing of the final full NSF proposal due in January 2016.
Industry/Government Attendance List:
NSF, USDA, Rural Development, Ohio Development Services Agency, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, SABIC, American Electric Power, M&G Polymers USA, Algae Biomass Organization, PolymerOhio Inc., Dow AgroSciences, EnergyEne, Elmer's Products, Inc., Praxair, Glatfelter , Ohio Soybean Council, M&G Polymers USA, LLC, SuGanit Bio-Renewables LLC, Owens Corning, Det Norske Veritas (USA), Calysta, Braskem America, TDA Research, Inc., Glatfelter, Kuraray America, Inc., Cooper Tire, American Electric Power, IRConsultants, Capitol Integrity Group