Energy & Biosciences Institute
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Our Mission

Research toward a clean energy future

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02 03
Our Mission

Research toward a clean energy future

Learn more
03 03
Our Mission

Research toward a clean energy future

Learn more

Scientific Vision

We seek to balance society’s need to provide sustainable ecological protection with the obligation to maintain stable economic growth and development.

At the EBI, we believe that the vast scientific toolbox, combined with the human intellect and creative spark, can provide pioneering solutions to some of the pressing challenges we face today. The EBI combines a portfolio of industry-sponsored research, entrepreneurial support, and multi-leveled education to facilitate the advancement of clean energy technologies that lead to a reliable, economical, and sustainable energy future.

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“We apply the tools of today to provide sustainable solutions for the fuels of the future”
John D. Coates,Director

Research Areas

Advanced Energy Storage
Increasing energy density and cycle life in a safe and sustainable manner.
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Dense Energy Carriers
Discovery and fundamental understanding of energy carrying materials.
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Methane to Products
Conversion processes of great importance in reducing the carbon footprint of petrochemicals.
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Computational Materials Science & Chemistry
Theoretical prediction of the electronic and structural properties of advanced materials.
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Biosciences & Biosolutions
Harnessing biology to create green solutions for the fuels of tomorrow.
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Technologies for Improving Feedstock Production and Harvest
Developing concepts leading to more efficient production and safe harvesting of feedstocks.
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Waste Treatment
Advancing waste treatment through the study of microbial- and chemical-based decontamination methodologies.
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Metal Corrosion Biology
Preventing facility failure through understanding of detrimental microbial processes.
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Economic and Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA)
Understanding supply chain design and its implications for advanced energy technologies and their successful implementation through technoeconomic and social impact analyses.
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sq ft of lab space
Funded programs and projects
Funding since 2007
Researchers engaged in past investigations

What is the EBI?

The Energy & Biosciences Institute provides access for industrial sponsors across the energy, chemical, mining, and agriculture sectors.

Our partner network provides access to 7,500 faculty and PI’s combined, in addition to 100,000 student, postdoctoral, and professional researchers.

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Our Leadership

The EBI sits under the Vice Chancellor for Research of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The institute is advised by an executive advisory board, run by the directorate, and supported by staff. The EBI directorate consists of Director John Coates and Deputy Director Chris Rao, both highly recognized investigators in the field of energy sciences, who guide the institute’s core missions.

John D. Coates
Director
John D. Coates
Director
John D. Coates is a Professor of Microbiology at University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of the Energy & Biosciences Institute. He is also the Chair of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and holds a joint appointment as a Senior Scientist in the Environmental Genomics and System Biology Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Prof. Coates is co-founder of three startup companies: BioInsite LLC, a small consultancy company geared towards the use of microorganisms for solutions to environmental contaminant problems; Ogma Scientific Inc., a company applying high throughput technologies to the environmental industry; and Pow Genetic Solutions Inc., a company focused on the use of advanced technologies to reduce the need for antibiotic application, improve productivity, and decrease process costs for biotechnological industries. Dr. Coates’ research seeks to balance society’s need to provide sustainable ecological protection while maintaining stable economic growth and development. He achieves this through the application of a disparate range of technologies. His research interests include renewable clean energies and manufacturing processes, carbon sequestration, and remediation of diverse toxic compounds (metals, radionuclides, and organics).
Chris Rao
Deputy Director
Chris Rao
Deputy Director
Christopher Rao is a Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Donald and Dolores Morris Professional Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is currently the Deputy Director for the Energy & Biosciences Institute and serves on the executive committee for the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. Prior to his independent career at Illinois in 2005, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. He has received numerous awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2007, the inaugural High Impact Paper Award from IFAC in 2010, the Outstanding Young Research Award from the Computing and Systems Technology Division of AIChE in 2012, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research from the College of Engineering at Illinois. Dr. Rao works in the general areas of process systems engineering and applied microbiology, with a specific focus on utilizing microorganisms for sustainable energy and chemical production.

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