Development of a Succinic Acid Production Process Using Corn Fiber

On June 7, the Nebraska Corn Board awarded two Industrial Agricultural Products Center (IAPC) researchers grants for research projects seeking to develop new uses for corn.  Dr. Mark Wilkins, Professor of Biological Systems Engineering and Food Science and Technology and the Director of the IAPC will lead the project “Development of a succinic acid production process using corn fiber.”  Wilkins will collaborate with Dr. Rajib Saha, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and IAPC Faculty Affiliate, to develop a process to produce succinic acid from corn fiber produced in corn ethanol facilities.  Dr. Sibel Irmak, Research Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, will lead the project “Utilization of excess corn kernels in Nebraska for production of hydrogen gas for clean energy generation in fuel cells,” which will develop novel methods to generate hydrogen from corn to power fuel cells.  Wilkins and Mr. Loren Isom, assistant director of IAPC, are collaborators of Irmak’s project.

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