DOE Office of Science Budget Request Up Nearly 20 Percent

The DOE Office of Science would receive $4.7 billion, an increase of nearly 20 percent, in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget request. 

The budget request continues $75 million in support for three GTL bioenergy research centers in Tennessee, Wisconsin and California announced last year to accelerate the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels.  The three bioenergy research centers will contribute to the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative.  ASPB members are participating in each of the research center’s efforts. 

The Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences, Energy Biosciences program will grow under the budget request for 2009.  Within Energy Biosciences, Photosynthetic Systems budget request is nearly $20 million and Physical Biosciences budget request is $15.6 million.  Photosynthetic Systems was formerly named Molecular Mechanisms of Natural Solar Energy Conversion.  Physical Biosciences was formerly named Metabolic Regulation of Energy Production.  The increase for Photosynthetic Systems is $5,176,000.  The increase for Physical Biosciences is $1,500,000. 

Plant biologists can also apply to the Solar Photochemistry program.  This program was formerly named Photochemistry and Radiation Research.  The program supports molecular-level research on solar energy capture and conversion in the condensed phase and at interfaces.  Funding increases nearly $9 million to $39,569,000 for Fiscal Year 2009 in the Budget Request.  The budget request for all three activities combined is $75,170,000.

GTL Bioethanol Research increases $5 million to $20 million in the 2009 Budget Request.   In FY 2009 research will support understanding of mechanisms that control glycolytic flux, analysis, and rational design of more robust ethanolgenic biocatalysts.