The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation recently received more than $3 million to conduct research as part of the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center (OBC), the state's first coordinated biofuels initiative.

Signed into law in 2007, the OBC brings together Oklahoma's comprehensive higher education institutions - the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) - with the world-class plant and agricultural research of the Noble Foundation to initiate a biofuels industry within the state. Together, the OBC institutions address the entire production value chain for biofuels - from growing bioenergy crops in the field through the biorefining process. Specifically, the OBC has divided such value chain into four key research areas: the development of crops that will fuel tomorrow's biofuels industry; crop production; harvest, collection and material transportation; and conversion.

"By organizing the research within our state into one seamless effort, Oklahoma is stepping to the forefront of the bioenergy revolution and showing that we are prepared to lead," said Michael Cawley, President and CEO of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. "The Noble Foundation is proud to work with its collaborators at OU and OSU to overcome the challenges that face this emerging industry."

During its meeting last week, the OBC governing board allocated $3,030,740 to the Noble Foundation and $3.2 million to both OU and OSU. The allotments represent the first $10 million of the 4-year, $40 million project, which requires legislative action each year to continue the funding for this initiative.

"We have taken a bold first step in making Oklahoma a primary contributor in the biofuels effort and assisting in our country's overall effort to find energy independence," said Oklahoma Secretary of Energy David Fleischaker. "However, it will take a sustained commitment from our state to continue the work of the OBC, and those scientists, researchers and agricultural specialists who are making the breakthroughs that will lead to the ultimate success of the biofuels industry."

The OBC seeks to harness the existing resources and world-class expertise from each of these Oklahoma institutions and focus it to enable the competitive and sustainable production of liquid biofuels in Oklahoma, as well as contribute to the national bioenergy effort.

The OBC further is investing in production-scale demonstration fields totaling more than 1,300-acres - the first of their size in the world - to provide researchers a "living laboratory" to better understand the production and long-term impact of bioenergy crops. These demonstration fields will also serve as a "living classroom" where agricultural producers, policymakers and the general public can see and experience the role these crops will have in the U.S.'s energy future. These demonstration fields further will enable new collaborations between state researchers and industry and government laboratories outside the state, which will increase new opportunities for in-state economic development.

The Noble Foundation's portion of the research within the OBC focuses on six research or evaluation projects, which tap into the institution's unique ability to move plant science from the laboratory to the field and its generational relationships with Oklahoma's agricultural producers. These projects include the following:

• Assess the efficiency of nitrogen and water uptake in a variety of potential bioenergy crops, including switchgrass, and assess the impact of environmental conditions, for example, water usage, on production potential;
• Evaluate, as part of a national, public evaluation effort, regionally adaptive varieties of switchgrass for Oklahoma;
• Establish productive plans to enable the productive integration of switchgrass into existing agricultural systems, such as stocker cattle operations, allowing the dual use of this new crop for both cattle and bioenergy production;
• Develop and apply research tools to enhance drought tolerance in alfalfa, wherein alfalfa is a valuable crop, which has existing markets today, that could be incorporated into a "system" that includes switchgrass;
• Develop high-lignin (a substance which defines the cell walls of all plants) biofuels crops tailored for certain conversion technologies with the intent of increasing the efficiency and production of ethanol from such crops; and
• Determine the molecular mechanisms that control growth within bioenergy crops having modified lignin levels, alfalfa and switchgrass, to maximize crop production.

Additionally, researchers and agricultural specialists in the Noble Foundation will coordinate and actively participate in the establishment of more than 1,200-acres of switchgrass for biofuels production. The location(s) of this acreage continues to be evaluated.

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.

Oklahoma Bioenergy Center (OBC) is a publicly-funded initiative by the State of Oklahoma developed as part Governor Brad Henry's vision for tomorrow's Oklahoma. Through the collaboration of its contributing institutions, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, the OBC intends to deliver practical outcomes to enable the competitive and sustainable production of liquid biofuels in Oklahoma, and contribute to the national research effort to enable the United States to achieve prescribed levels of petroleum independence.

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News Release Issued: December 18, 2007

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.

Oklahoma Bioenergy Center (OBC) is a publicly-funded initiative by the State of Oklahoma developed as part Governor Brad Henry's vision for tomorrow's Oklahoma. Through the collaboration of its contributing institutions, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, the OBC intends to deliver practical outcomes to enable the competitive and sustainable production of liquid biofuels in Oklahoma, and contribute to the national research effort to enable the United States to achieve prescribed levels of petroleum independence.