The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) is advancing the development of the next generation

of biofuels, liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in the biomass of plants

such as this switchgrass.(Roy Kaltschmidt)

Since the advent of genetic engineering and the recent emergence of synthetic biology, UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab have lead the way in applying biotechnology to the development of new drugs and the engineering of plants. Now these scientists are eager to use biotech tools to develop clean-burning alternatives to oil and gas such as biofuels — chemicals such as ethanol that can be blended with petroleum-based fuels or burned alone to power engines

Scientists at several research centers and programs on the UC Berkeley campus and at the Berkeley Lab are exploring a wide range of research related to energy production.