Drs. Qinglin Wu and Richard Vlosky, as part of the Louisiana Institute for Bioproducts and Bioprocessing team, were selected by the AgCenter/College of Agriculture awards committee, the directors and executive associate dean, and Vice President for Agriculture Matt Lee as the 2024-2025 Tipton Team Research Award winners. LIBBi is a Louisiana Board of Regents-approved research, education and outreach initiative housed administratively within the LSU Agricultural Center. In addition to Drs. Wu and Vlosky, team members include Drs. Gillian Eggleston, Giovanna Aita, Dorin Bolder, Cristina Sabliov, Todd Monroe, Niranjan Baisakh and Achyut Adhikari. AgCenter LIBBi scientists work closely with the LSU Departments of Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, LSU Shared Instrument Facilities, LSU CAMD, Southern University and Louisiana Tech University.

Through innovative discovery, strategic industry partnership and stakeholder services, the LIBBi team is a nationally recognized leader in developing novel biofuels and bioproducts from Louisiana agricultural crops and natural resources. The team has helped link our state’s strong, diverse base of production agriculture with emerging markets for high-value products made from renewable sources. Currently, the team focuses on liquid transportation fuels and high-value products such as plant based bioactive compounds, biopolymers, specialty chemicals, cellulose nanomaterials and bio composites. These efforts help our state’s agricultural enterprises to profit from a variety of potential product streams.

The LIBBi team has also begun to address other biomass- and bioproduct-related needs in Louisiana. Of critical importance is the need for science-based information to support emerging industries within the state. The LIBBi team provides education and training opportunities for employees of emerging industries and for students of all ages interested in careers in biofuels and bioprocessing. LIBBi also offers analytical services to stakeholders. LIBBi initiatives facilitate information exchange and communication among a spectrum of stakeholders including policy makers, industry, researchers and Louisiana residents