RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
Ceres has been awarded a number of grants to improve bioenergy and food crops.
High-Yield, Low Input Traits in Energy Grasses
In 2009, Ceres received a highly competitive ARPA-E grant award to develop low input, high yielding traits for energy crops. The three-year, $5 million project will test advanced traits in sorghum, switchgrass and miscanthus. Productivity and inputs requirements, such as fertilizer, will be evaluated as well as expected improvements to carbon and nitrogen cycles. Watch 2013 U.S. Department of Energy Video on Ceres >>
Food Security in Asia
Ceres has been awarded a USAID grant to develop high-yielding traits in rice for Asia. Having access to high tech, low input varieties and traits should put small-holder farmers in Asia on track to achieve substantially higher yields and greater grain quality, while minimizing inputs and production costs.
Drought and Salt Tolerance Traits in Energy Grasses
Ceres has been awarded a subcontract under a USDA-funded Biomass R&D Initiative (BRDI) grant to evaluate multiple drought and salt tolerant traits, and trait stacks, in switchgrass and miscanthus. Field trials of the improved varieties will be conducted to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of these traits and to complete life cycle analyses. Exelus, Inc. is the prime recipient of USDA award.
More Gallons Per Ton of Switchgrass
Ceres has been awarded a subcontract from the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) to field trial advanced conversion efficiency traits and serve as their commercialization partner in switchgrass. BESC is one of three DOE-funded Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs) seeking to better understand the basis of recalcitrance in lignocellulosic biomass. Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) is the prime recipient of this DOE award.