The DOE Office of Energy Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Energy Biosciences is a competitive grants program in which awards are made based on merit following a selection process utilizing peer review. About five percent of the new ideas proposed result in awards in this highly competitive program which attracts proposals from university based researchers throughout the nation.

The Division of Energy Biosciences supports plant and microbial research which produces new sources of renewable energy. Long a source of renewable energy for man dating back to man's first discovery of the use of wood to build warming fires, plants are today one of the major sources of energy throughout the world. Research supported by the Division of Energy Biosciences makes use of modern approaches at the molecular and cellular level to provide new and valuable uses of plants for renewable sources of energy.

For example, research conducted at Michigan State University supported by a grant from the Division of Energy Biosciences resulted in the development of a plant that produces biodegradable plastic. Within two weeks after this DOE-supported, university-based basic research breakthrough was announced, more than 50 companies expressed interest in using this knowledge to then use their private funds for applied research for commercial application of this knowledge. It is expected that by the years 2003 through 2005, a major U.S.-based company will produce seed for farmers to commercially grow plants producing biodegradable plastic. American farmers will be growing plants which will serve as a source of a more environmentally benign plastic than petroleum-derived plastic. Plant-produced plastic will alleviate environmental problems caused by petroleum-derived plastic products that are stretching the capacity of landfills. Plant-produced biodegradable plastic products, which are also non-toxic, are recycled into the soil after being disposed for future use such as growing more plants. This home-grown, plant-based replacement will also help address the problem of the U.S. petroleum trade deficit.

Another example of basic, university-based, competitively awarded research supported by the DOE Division of Energy Biosciences is the development of a new process which allows use of plant residues to produce ethanol. By making use of plant residues to produce ethanol to power cars, trucks and other vehicles, we will reduce harmful emissions into our air. At the same time, we will be addressing a major segment (transportation fuel costs) of the nearly $50-billion petroleum trade deficit that has been redistributing wealth out of the U.S.