Don Guay, assistant professor of paper science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), has been awarded a $49,892 University of Wisconsin System applied research grant to assist Guays ongoing research to create a renewable biofuel utilizing technology developed by the pulp and paper industry to produce a new type of liquid transportation fuel.

"Wisconsin has an abundance of energy locked in our forests and our wood byproducts," said Guay. "This research attempts to use the advantage that Wisconsin has over most states of converting wood into energy and products to aggressively pursue cellulosic biofuel production."

"Opening two shut down pulp mills alone would create tens, maybe hundreds of new high paying jobs in rural areas now facing pulp mill closures," Guay said.

According to Guay, cellulose is the most abundant natural product on Earth and is made up of glucose (sugars) which is the material fermented into ethanol from corn. Cellulose can be derived from corn, switch grass, wood waste products, and many other plant fibers.

"The problem of using cellulose to provide energy is that glucose is locked tightly in a polymer structure," said Guay. "Through the use of enzymes, we can release the glucose and then convert it into biofuel. My hope is to have this process finalized and moving toward production by 2009."

A native of Escanaba, Mich., Guay is a 1996 UWSP paper science graduate and holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Maine. Prior to joining the UWSP faculty in 2004, he worked as the technical manager for Integrated Paper Services in Appleton.