Wisconsin Energy Institute

Tomorrow!

Learn how humans can harness solar power to tackle new energy challenges posed by the changing climate. Join presenter Giri Venkataramanan (UW-Madison College of Engineering, Wisconsin Energy Institute) and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve on July 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM to hear more about human-scale solar energy systems. No registration is required.

More information: https://hubs.li/Q02G5l2f0

Meet Harrison Moon, a Keegstra fellow with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and a postdoc in the Hittinger Lab at the Wisconsin Energy Institute. From his early childhood, he was fascinated by the natural world, and this fascination eventually steered him towards a career in plant pathology.

🌺 “During my adolescence,” Moon says, “I was inherently curious about the natural world. I was always eager to explore its intricacies...I marveled at the impeccable design evident in every aspect of life.”

🌿 Moon’s curiosity and respect for the beauty of life has led him to the GLBRC, where he works to improve yeast strains so they can thrive even in the presence of microbial inhibitors from plants and produce greater amounts of biofuels.

🔗 Read his spotlight and learn more about Moon’s background (and his tennis success!):

Postdoc spotlight: Harrison Moon From early childhood, Harrison Moon was fascinated by the natural world, and this fascination eventually steered him towards a career in plant pathology. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher in the Hittinger Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Farmland is often a battleground in the fight against climate change: everyone needs land. Solar panels, energy crops, food production—where will it all go?!

Locating and analyzing abandoned farmlands can offer “new” spaces for many types sustainable practices, like agrivoltaics, cellulosic bioenergy development, or even restoration of natural ecosystems! A new tool from UW researchers with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) makes this easier than ever.

Led by Yanhua Xie and Tyler Lark, researchers with GLBRC, the team used machine learning to map nearly 30 million acres of U.S. cropland abandoned since the 1980s, creating a tool that could guide decisions about how to balance production of energy and food.

Read the full story:

Abandoned farmlands could play a role in fighting climate change. A new study shows exactly where they are. Using machine learning, UW–Madison scientists have identified more than 30 million acres of U.S. farmland abandoned between 1986 and 2018, creating a field-level map of lands that could be used to mitigate climate change.

Can you dig it? UW-Family Gardening Day is May 4th!! 🌱✨🌷 From 10am-1pm, explore hands on activities with seeds, plants, and soils, meet scientists and Master Gardeners, and take home plants and seeds. This event is fun and free for the whole family!

UW Family Gardening Day brings the Wisconsin Energy Institute, the D.C. Smith Greenhouse, Allen Centennial Gardens, and Steenbock Memorial Library together for this springtime celebration of all things gardening.

Check it out: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/uw-family-gardening-day-wisconsin-energy-institute

UW Family Gardening Day at the Wisconsin Energy Institute Free, Annual Event! April showers bring May flowers—and this opportunity to explore campus gardens, greenhouses, and research facilities. Visit the DC Smith Greenhouse, Allen Centennial Garden, Steenbock Library, and the Wisconsin Energy Institute. Explore hands-on activities with seeds, plants an...

Congratulations are in order for WEI co-investigator and
University Of Wisconsin-Madison Department Of Biochemistry professor John Ralph for being awarded the world’s top prize in forestry! His work has led to new uses for one of the world’s most abundant natural resources: lignin.

Ralph uses advanced nuclear magnetic resonance methods to understand lignin structure, subunits, and composition and has characterized a broad selection of plants to reveal new classes of building blocks as well as variation in the composition of lignin subunits.

The king of Sweden will present the award to Ralph and Wout Boerjan in November at a ceremony in Stockholm.

Read more:

WEI scientist John Ralph awarded top forestry prize for lignin research Ralph and his collaborators were honored for developing and innovatively applying advanced analytical techniques in ways that enhance understanding of lignin biosynthesis and structure in trees and provide a basis for new ways to deconstruct wood and use lignin.

A HUGE thank you to all who showed their support for WEI today. The impact of these gifts is sure to be felt by our researchers, our staff, and our guests of all ages. Sincere gratitude from us to you this .

There's still 4 hours to go on ! Make a gift today to support programs like KidWind, an annual challenge for K-12 students to build wind turbines and solar devices, sparking lifelong passions for renewable energy. This year, five teams, comprised of returning members and first-timers alike, from the 2024 Wisconsin KidWind Challenge qualified for Worlds this May!

Show your support: https://dayofthebadger.org/campaign/wisconsin-energy-institute/

Show your support for clean energy programs this by making a gift to the Wisconsin Energy Institute!

Your contribution will support the Wisconsin Energy Institute's mission of forging a path towards a more sustainable energy future through research, outreach, community programming, and more.

Make a gift to WEI today: https://dayofthebadger.org/campaign/wisconsin-energy-institute/

Huge congratulations to Katarina Aranguiz, an undergraduate working in the Hittinger Lab and majoring in biochemistry and data science, on receiving a 2024 Goldwater Scholarship! 🎉 🎆 🎊

Four UW–Madison students awarded prestigious 2024 Goldwater Scholarships Four University of Wisconsin–Madison students have been named winners of 2024 Goldwater Scholarships, the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences in the United States.

Day of the Badger is next week! Save the date and help the Wisconsin Energy Institute raise funds for the energy research of today and the energy researchers of tomorrow.

More info: https://dayofthebadger.org/campaign/wisconsin-energy-institute/

Happy 175th to UW!! 🎉🎈WEI's Open House is tomorrow, April 6, from 10am - 1pm! Don't miss out on all the fun this weekend, and see you soon 😊⭐️

WEI Open House: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/uw-science-expeditions-open-house-event-0
175 Community Open House: https://175.wisc.edu/open-house/?view=events

How Well Do You Know UW–Madison? | On Wisconsin Test your knowledge in a 175th anniversary quiz.

This Saturday 4/6 marks the opening of “Forward in Energy” a photo gallery celebrating UW's energy researchers across our campus and through the decades. Featuring photos taken by Jackie Wisinski and photos from the UW-Madison Archives, WEI Room 1130 will be transformed into a timeline of energy research and the people that continue to move us forward in energy.

Join us for the gallery opening (and for our Science Expeditions open house!!) this Saturday. This gallery will be open from 4/6 until 4/23.

Embark on an adventure to the Wisconsin Energy Institute on Saturday, April 6 for WEI's Open House! Starting at 10am, the building will be bustling with WEI scientists eager to engage curious minds with hands-on activities, demonstrations, tours, ad more. Learn more on our website, and see you there! buff.ly/4aquHpD

This event is part of UW-Madison Science Outreach's Science Expeditions happening all weekend long: https://science.wisc.edu/science-expeditions/

We are so honored and excited to be a part of Earth Fest 2024! Check out the full schedule below, and join us at the Wisconsin Energy Institute for the Climate Justice Teach-in on April 22nd and the The History and Future of Energy Research at UW-Madison on April 23rd.

Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison
UW-Madison Office of Sustainability

We're proud to announce UW–Madison's inaugural Earth Fest! Hosted by Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison and UW-Madison Office of Sustainability, Earth Fest unites our campus over the one resource and interest we all share: our world. Join us April 19-26!

Learn more at https://earthfest.wisc.edu
See the full event schedule: https://earthfest.wisc.edu/schedule/

WEI Researchers are at it again with incredible insights into masterful microbes! Read the story to learn more about the latest bacterium in biofuels: Zymomonas mobilis.

Researchers unravel microbial mysteries in quest for better biofuels With its streamlined genome, environmental versatility, and a single-minded focus on fermenting sugar into alcohol, Zymomonas mobilis could be a star player in the quest to replace fossil fuels with plant-based alternatives. UW–Madison scientists are working to understand what makes this microbe t...

It’s almost time for our KidWind 2024 Science Expo! (2024 Wisconsin KidWind Challenge) Join us from 10am-12pm on March 2nd to explore the limitless possibilities of sustainable energy.💡♻️

This event is free and open to the public.

https://energy.wisc.edu/education/kidwind-challenge

Huge thanks to KidWind Project and KEEP - Wisconsin's K-12 Energy Education Program

Our second annual research showcase last Friday was electrifying!! 💡⚡️🔋Congratulations to Mridula Menon, our first place prize winner, and Mattie Bindl & Katie Gabrick for being awarded our second place prize for flash talk presentations. 👏

Our showcase featured flash talks as well as a poster session in the WEI lobby. It was amazing to hear about the important energy research happening all across campus, from agrivoltaics to carbon dioxide removal, from genetically modifying microbes to international vaccine storage. We hope to see you next year! 🌾🌱⛈️

Pictured, in order: Mridula Menon, Mattie Bindl from Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison, Katie Gabrick of La Follette School of Public Affairs: UW-Madison, Mary Blanchard speaking to attendees of the showcase, Scott Williams, and Mary Blanchard

Join us for our next Sustainable Energy Seminar this Monday! More details below:

💡☀️The winds of possibility are blowing, and we hope to see you Saturday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at our KidWind 2024 Science Expo! Friends and family of all ages will enjoy our hands-on science stations focusing on energy, sustainability, and climate. 🍃🌎

This event is free and open to the public.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=185J6DDjVD4

🔗 Learn more: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/2024-wisconsin-kidwind-challenge-saturday-march-2

KidWind 2024 Teaser Trailer Come feel the energy in the air! A hands-on Science Exploration Expo, open to the public, will be held from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 as p...

Join us Tuesday, February 27 at our upcoming Forward in Energy Forum for a discussion with Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison scientists, a UW-Madison Department of Plant Pathology professor, and other industry experts on weathering monitoring stations in Wisconsin!

No matter the weather, we hope to see you virtually or in person at WEI ⛈️ 🌈 Register Now: https://buff.ly/49zyvok

Check out the jounery of Parisa Sazaeim, a dedicated postdoctoral research associate at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison. Coming from Tehran, her research tackles global water challenges and explores sustainable agriculture. Join the conversation on water resources, environmental justice, and the mentorship journey. 🌎💧

Read her spotlight: https://energy.wisc.edu/news/postdoc-spotlight-parisa-sazaeim

The cell morphological diversity of FEMSMicro Yeast Research https://lnkd.in/eMQRQ2Df by Christina M Chavez, Marizeth Groenewald et al. OUT NOW. Open Access article. Vanderbilt University Wisconsin Energy Institute FEMS - Federation of European Microbiological Societies Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

Join us on Tuesday, January 30 online or in-person for the next Forward in Energy Forum!

The topic is hard to recycle plastics. With less than 5% of plastic products in the United States eventually being recycled, it's time to listen to industry experts and scientists on why some plastics are difficult to recycle, the consequences of hard-to-recycle packaging for the environment, and what we can do about it.

Featuring Styliani Avraamidou, Kevin Nelson, and Travis Blomberg, this FIEF will be accessible via Zoom and at WEI Room 1115.

Register now: https://energy.wisc.edu/events/rethinking-recycling-hard-recycle-plastics-and-path-forward-forward-energy-forum

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Check out the story on these multitasking microbes engineered by GLBRC researchers here at UW!

Multitasking microbes could improve biofuel economics, climate impact We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste, and even clean up pollution. Yeast and bacteria can also convert plant sugars into biofuels and chemicals traditionally derived from fossil fuels, which....