Molecular Enzymology and Drug Targets

Washington State university, USA

Professor Ahring works with biomass conversion to biofuels and high-value bioproducts. Her expertise is broad and expands from full biorefinery set-ups for biomass conversion involving pretreatment, biological production and molecular tailoring of new biocatalysts to separation and catalysis of platform molecules into fuels and chemicals. Currently she is involved in production of jet fuels using a new bio-based concept and her research group works all the way from proofs of concept activities in the laboratory to pilot scale testing of new concepts. Her overall philosophy is to make full use of any raw material. Even that agricultural and forestry residues are waste from other primary production scheme, they need to be fully exploited in the biorefinery:  Don’t waste waste! Full use of the raw material will further lower the cost of the bio-products produced and make biorefineries economically viable.

Biotechnology for tailoring of  biocatalyst (microbes) for production of biofuels and bio-products

Pretreatment of biomass for production of sugars, resins, carbon fibers, food and feed , etc.

Separation and upgrading into biofuels and biochemicals

Water reuse and anaerobic digestion of waste and wastewaters