Inside Look

In order to lessen the risk in developing industrial technologies for biofuel production, the project management team at Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) has adopted an incremental scale-up approach to commercialization. 

Graduate student, Joseph Baker, performed research at Eastern Kentucky University under the supervision of CRAFT chemistry faculty. He worked on a  synthetic project designed to make catalysts (metallic porphyrins) for the degradation of lignin. Lignin is a constituent of the cell walls of almost all dry land plant cell walls.

In February 2012, the Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) team obtained a lab instrument that will provide new and exciting research capabilities for its Cellulosic-Derived Biofuels Initiative.

Luiz Reis, 23, is a senior undergraduate student doing research at the Center for Renewable & Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) at Eastern Kentucky University.  He attends the University of Engineering and Architecture’s Foundation in Brazil and became involved with CRAFT through an internship program offered through his university.