UI gets $2 million deal to research biodiesel crops

The University of Idaho signed a deal with an international company Wednesday that will provide the school $2 million over five years to research crops for biodiesel.

Under the agreement, Eco-Energy Ltd., based in Gibraltar, will pay for research into crops genetically modified for biofuel. The firm will have the first rights to commercialize any findings outside the U.S. The firm would not have any rights to the research in the U.S., officials said.

The research, led by UI plant breeder Jack Brown, will be looking for ways to genetically modify oilseed crops like mustard, rapeseed and canola for “designer energy oils.”

As concern over global warming rises, uses for biofuels that reduce or eliminate carbon emissions are expected to rise.

At a news conference announcing the deal Wednesday, university and Eco-Energy officials said that the initial uses for such fuels are likely to be mostly in European countries and in smaller systems in developing countries.

But they also said they could be used in the United States in some limited applications – such as the current biodiesel use in Yellowstone National Park.

“Biodiesel is not for the future – biodiesel is right now,” Brown said. Brown’s work will focus on finding a crop that improves the storage life and stability of the oil used for fuels.

The company considers the $2 million an initial investment and said it may contribute more to the effort down the road.

Brown said the UI’s biodiesel program is the oldest in the country, with a large foundation of genetic science already available.