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Beth Conerty

By: Vijay Singh, Joel Stone, Jeffrey P. Robert, Sundeep N. Vani

Cereal Foods World, Vol. 64, No. 4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/CFW-64-4-0062

Bio-based markets, enabled by synthetic biology and increased emphasis on sustainability, are growing in the United States and around the world. Over the last five years, an exponential increase in investments in synthetic biology has been observed. Large amounts of renewable carbon in the form of fermentable sugars will be required to enable the production of next-generation biopolymer, biochemical, biofuel, and food products. In North America, sugars from corn (maize) will be the most abundant carbon source available to drive the industrial biotechnology engine. The demand for renewable carbon will improve stability in agricultural economies and support regional agricultural job creation. Traditional corn processing facilities are responding to this need by retrofitting their processing facilities to produce low-cost sugars or redirecting sugars from shrinking high-fructose corn syrup and dextrose markets to high-growth industrial biotechnology markets. However, there are still challenges that must be overcome to convert this opportunity into commercial reality. To succeed, new product and process development initiatives must meet economic, regulatory, quality, and other requirements within budget and time constraints. Translational research facilities that are specifically intended to accelerate commercialization and reduce the risk of utilizing new technologies will play a crucial role in realizing the opportunities offered by industrial biotechnology.

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By Stephanie Henry

URBANA, Ill. – A new extrusion line installation at the University of Illinois will usher in new research capabilities and industry partnerships. The equipment is housed in the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), in partnership with the Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN-PPP) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES).

Read more: https://aces.illinois.edu/news/new-ibrl-extrusion-equipment-allows-more-research-opportunities-industry-partners

Promoting the use of artisan grains

URBANA, Ill. – Food system professionals working to promote local and artisanal grain use recently attended a unique tour  at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) and the Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN-PPP), in the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

The Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC) funded the tour. Amy Cook, executive director of The Farmer Chef Alliance and a member of the AGC, worked with Brian Jacobson, assistant director of Food and Bioprocessing Pilot Plant operations, and Beth Conerty, business development manager of IBRL, to coordinate and promote the tour.

Adam Davis, department head for crop sciences opened the day with remarks. Jessica Rutkoski, an assistant professor of small grains breeding provided an overview of genetics and environmental effects on grain quality and research programs focused on artisanal grains.

In the afternoon, Ece Gulkirpik, a FSHN doctoral candidate, and representatives from Perten Instruments gave a demonstration of grain testing equipment. Perten provides a variety of testing equipment used by the FSHN-PPP and IBRL. Participants were able to watch a demonstration of equipment such as the Inframatic 9500, which analyzes grain and flour composition, and the Doughlab, which tests for dough quality. They also learned about Falling Number, a test for an enzyme that can significantly reduce grain quality when present.

“We’re all too much in our own little worlds sometimes,” says Cook. “It’s eye-opening for a baker to see the equipment that does the testing. It helps them understand the numbers they read in the reports they get from the miller or the farmer.”

Jill Cummings, head miller for The Mill at Janie’s Farm, demonstrated the grain milling operation that included mill operations and settings, flour quality, sifting on both an 8-inch test mill, as well as a 20-inch production mill. Demonstrations on packaging included semi-automatic filling equipment, plastic pouch sealing, and bag sewing.

“Harold Wilkens, the owner of Janie’s Farm,  has over 2,000 acres and has farmed organically for more than 15 years. His son Ross is an Illinois alumnus, and was my first student worker in the Pilot Plant, so we know that group well.”

Cook says, “One of our participants was an instructor from National Louis University and was very excited to take this information back to her students. She’s talked about all these things in the class room, but now she’ll have photographs to share and a more in-depth knowledge of the things she’s been teaching.”

Jacobson says both demonstrations were very well received, and an added bonus for the participants was the lunchtime roundtable discussion. Carrie Anderson, the administrative executive chef for residential dining at Illinois, and members of her staff spoke with participants about the challenges of using small grains in an institutional setting, and addressed how farmers and institutional chefs could develop stronger relationships. The Illinois catering team provided the lunch using locally sourced ingredients including some grown at the Sustainable Student Farm.

“It was very interesting for our participants to get the perspective of a group that does thirty-some thousand meals a day,” says Jacobson.

“They were able to talk with the food service director of a large institution and ask how they could get more local foods into those institutions,” Cook says. “One of the greatest benefits was having everyone in the same room sharing information.”

Jacobson adds, “This was the first time we offered a comprehensive tour of this type and I’m sure we’ll do it again. It might not be exactly the same, because the area of artisanal grains grows and changes all the time. But if an opportunity arises, we’ll take advantage of it.”

 

Source:

News writer: Leanne Lucas, llucas@illinois.edu

 

IBRL Hosts Dry Grind Corn Ethanol Workshop

On Wednesday, January 30, IBRL hosted Dr. Vijay Singh’s Industry Short Course on Dry Grind Ethanol. Despite wind chill temperatures of -40˚F, and the University of Illinois canceling classes, the short course continued. Attendance remained high, and participants enjoyed to spend the extra time in IBRL.

The IBRL team hopes that industry-focused short courses will continue to grow in the facility.

Full Article: http://www.ccur.iastate.edu/news/newsletters/2019/jan-feb/tray-dryer-donation.html

An industrial tray dryer once housed at the Center for Crops Utilization Research (CCUR) will now have a new life at the University of Illinois Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab (IBRL).

The IBRL, a Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation facility, enables researchers to focus on commercialization and de-risking of processes using chemical, physical and biological conversion of feedstocks into fuels and other byproducts. The donation of the tray dryer by CCUR will increase IBRL’s drying capacity.

The IBRL does a variety of bioprocessing projects, and the tray dryer will be used in many applications, but one specific example that they are excited about is the ability to dry larger quantities of corn fiber or corn starch coming off of their pilot-scale corn processing lines.

“We are happy to receive this dryer from our sister bioprocessing facility and will shortly start using it to support industrial projects in IBRL,” said Vijay Singh, director of the IBRL. “This equipment will supplement our much needed pilot-scale drying capacity.”

CCUR purchased the TY-3 Tray Dryer from the National Drying Machinery Company in 1994 and it was installed in the Dry Processing Pilot Plant. CCUR used the dryer to dry food materials, including one project focused on drying water-extracted crambe meal. In 2015 the dryer was decommissioned and relocated to the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) for possible future use there.

Unfortunately, there was no research program at Iowa State University needing this piece of equipment and it was taking up valuable space at the BCRF. It was suggested to ask the IBRL if they would have a need for a dryer at their newly constructed facility. The IBRL was interested and CCUR decided to donate the equipment.

Andy Suby, manager of the BCRF, organized the donation and made the arrangements for moving the tray dryer to the IBRL.

“We are happy to provide the tray dryer to the IBRL to help support their biofuels and bioproducts research program,” said Suby. “We also look forward to future collaborations between Iowa State and the IBRL.”

 

September 28, 2018By Anna Casey

The University of Illinois has a new research center dedicated to bioprocessing, a broad term that essentially means turning plants into products – ranging from food to fuel, even cosmetics.

The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, a 42,000-sqaure-foot facility, aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industry.

Read more: https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/decades-in-the-making-new-bioprocessing-research-lab-celebrates-grand-openi

U.S. Grains Council – Identifying how U.S. feed grains and co-products can meet the specific demands of a local market is the specialty of the U.S. Grains Council’s staff around the world. In Ecuador, the Council is successfully helping swine and poultry producers improve their feed formulations using U.S. distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and is exploring how U.S. ethanol can help the country meet its blend mandate.

Read more: http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/15297/usgc-helps-expand-export-potential-for-ddgs-ethanol-to-ecuador

With a collaborative relationship spanning 3 decades, University of Illinois and Japan Corn Starch have worked together on many projects. Most recently, IBRL director Dr. Vijay Singh helped with the design of Japan Corn Starch’s new corn wet milling plant. To celebrate the opening of the plant, College of ACES Dean Kim Kidwell and Assistant Dean of Advancement Kimberly Meenen joined Dr. Singh on a trip to Kimura, Japan where they stood side by side with Japan Corn Starch President and CEO Soichiro Kurachi to commemorate the opening as well as the ongoing relationship between Japan Corn Starch and University of Illinois research.