“Biofuels” is the theme of this season’s Department of Biochemistry “Contemporary Biochemistry Lecture Series.” The series is a contribution to the life sciences, chemical sciences, engineering and other intellectual communities at UW-Madison.

The lectures cover emerging results in biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, microbiology, plant sciences, ecology, national policy, and industrial efforts contributing to progress in this area of national research priority. A list of the local, national, and international speakers recruited for this series is available on the Department of Biochemistry website (http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/seminars/contemporary_biochemistry/).

Given the high level of interest in this topic and the urgent needs to address many concerns regarding sources of energy in the coming years, this seminar series may be of broad interest. This seminar series also recognizes the establishment at UW-Madison of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, one of three national research centers established by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The 2008 Contemporary Biochemistry Lecture Series will be kicked off on September 8th by Chris Somerville from UC-Berkeley.

Development of Cellulosic Biofuels
Chris Somerville, UC-Berkeley
September 8, 2008, 3:30 p.m.
Ebling Symposium Center, Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive, UW-Madison

The Contemporary Biochemistry Lecture Series is made possible by the following sponsors:

* The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
* UW Graduate School with income generated by patents filed through WARF
* Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
* Molecular Biosciences Training Grant
* The Department of Biochemistry