The Formation of The Center for Sustainable Energy Farming, a Non-Profit Research Foundation, Was Announced by Global Clean Ener
January 06 2011 - 5:00AM
Today, Global Clean Energy Holdings (OTCBB:GCEH) announced the
establishment of a new non-profit research organization: The Center
for Sustainable Energy Farming (www.CfSEF.org). The Center's
mission is to perform cutting-edge plant science research in
genetics, breeding and horticulture, and further develop
technologies to allow for the economic commercialization and
sustainability of energy farms globally. The Center will initially
focus on Jatropha curcas, a promising 2nd and 3rd generation
biodiesel and bio-jet fuel feedstock species.
Research at the Center will be focused on increasing
agricultural production; creating a sustainable feedstock supply;
reducing inputs including the use of fossil fuel, pesticides, water
and fertilizer, and developing new and sustainable
biofuels. In furtherance of the P3 (People, Planet, &
Profit) concept, the Center's work will strive to improve the
quality of life of the farming communities, and preserve and renew
the environment through the application of plant science and
biotechnology, while generating sustainable profits for the farmers
and other stakeholders.
Dr. Mark Guiltinan, Professor of Plant Molecular Biology and
Director of the Plant Science Center at the Huck Institute of Life
Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University, will serve as the
Center's Chief Scientific Officer. "It is our vision that this
Center will help facilitate the development of industry and
scientific partnerships, and provide a common research platform
from which a new generation of sustainable biofuels can be
produced," Guiltinan remarked. "To develop truly sustainable
biofuel feedstock production systems, it will take the coordinated
efforts of scientists with expertise in a wide array of
interdisciplinary fields such as plant genetics and breeding,
entomology, soil sciences, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental
and social sciences as well as agricultural technologies."
Initially, the Center will focus on Jatropha curcas as a feedstock
species for the development of the model bioenergy farms of the
future. "Jatropha is of particular interest for its high
quality oil and suitability for production of renewable fuels, and
it holds a tremendous potential for future improvements," said Dr.
Guiltinan. "This could be one of the first crops domesticated and
improved using the techniques and tools of modern genomics."
Jatropha is a non-food crop that is indigenous to Mesoamerica,
and attempts have been made to commercially propagate the species
in several tropical locations. "While the plant is capable of
growing on marginal soils with minimal inputs of agrichemicals,
fertilizers and water; to produce the level of yield that is needed
to make it viable and scalable, it needs to be grown in a
commercial setting and professionally managed," said Richard
Palmer, CfSEF's Chief Executive Officer. He added: "To become
mainstream commodities, bio-feedstocks need to be economically
sustainable without government subsidies. This cannot be
accomplished through plant genetics alone; it requires a
comprehensive, systems approach. This is not a competition between
geneticists; it is a global problem that needs a collaborative
solution. We formed the Center to provide a platform to
facilitate that collaboration and to leverage on research efforts
that have already accomplished by ourselves and others."
The Center's goal is to triple Jatropha farming productivity
(yield) within ten years, while significantly reducing
inputs. These improvements will be accomplished through a
combination of plant biotechnology, focused breeding, agronomic
research, and improved horticultural technologies and practices.
This will result in leading-edge growing methods that are
environmentally friendly. "We feel this is an attainable goal,
considering the successes with other crops, which have achieved
large production increases through genomics and structured breeding
programs," says Dr. Siela Maximova, Research Associate Professor at
Penn State University and the Center's Director of Research.
"Scientists from the Horticulture Department at Penn State have
been working with this plant for a number of years and have
contributed to the establishment of a Field Research Station with
Global Clean Energy Holdings on their commercial farm in
Mexico. This field station will be instrumental to the Center
for the practical application of its research work. We are very
excited about the short and long-term potential of this plant."
The Center has received initial funding through its industry
partner, Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. and a significant grant
from a leading global industrial company. The Center will
continue to seek additional funding from new industry partnerships,
and donations from private and public agencies supporting plant
science, international agricultural, energy and social development
projects.
The Center recently entered into a Master Research Agreement
with The Pennsylvania State University ("Penn State") and plans to
offer grants to interdisciplinary collaborating scientists and
research institutions. Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. will
continue to promote this research by supporting the field research
station already established in Mexico to be used by the Center.
About The Pennsylvania State University:
Penn State is a multi-campus public research university that
educates students from Pennsylvania, the nation and the world, and
improves the well-being and health of individuals and communities
through integrated programs of teaching, research, and
service. Its' instructional mission includes undergraduate,
graduate, professional, and continuing education offered through
both resident instruction and online delivery. Its' research,
scholarship, and creative activity promote human and economic
development, global understanding, and progress in professional
practice through the expansion of knowledge and its applications in
the natural and applied sciences, social sciences, arts,
humanities, and the professions. As Pennsylvania's land-grant
university, it engages in collaborative activities with industrial,
educational, and agricultural partners here and abroad to generate,
disseminate, integrate, and apply knowledge that is valuable to
society. More information regarding Penn State University can
be found at http://www.psu.edu/.
About Global Clean Energy Holdings:
Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. is an emerging renewable
agri-energy company focused on the production of non-food based
feedstocks used as replacement for fossil fuels. More
information regarding Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. can be
found at www.gceholdings.com
CONTACT: Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc.
Merilee Myers
mmyers@gceholdings.com
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