Leschine testifies on biofuels before House panel
Microbiology professor Susan Leschine testified Oct. 24 about biofuels and their development at a congressional committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
Leschine discussed her research on an ethanol-producing microbe before the House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, chaired by U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.).
Leschine’s discovery of the so-called Q microbe has spawned an Amherst-based spinoff company, SunEthanol, which is working to commercialize her research. She serves as the chief scientist at the company.
In her testimony, she said additional support for scientific studies of biofuels will generate a number of benefits.
“It is essential that there be significant resources invested for research and development at both the applied and basic science levels,” Leschine told the committee. “Such investments will have enormous positive impacts on the environment and the economy, especially benefiting rural economies. Given that biomass is a regional resource, the impacts will be broad and widespread across the country.”
More Information
House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Read the testimony
October 29, 2007.
E-mail story to a friend
Printer-friendly version
/more people/
