Professor Tsao's laboratory is studying various processing methods including microbiological, enzymatic and chemical. The focus is on the conversion of renewable resources into chemicals, materials, and fuels. This activity involves a large team of some 30 researchers with background expertise in chemical engineering, agricultural and biological engineering, chemistry, molecular genetics, biological science, food sciences and chemistry.

The Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE) enjoys close cooperation with industry. The financial support comes from sponsors divided about equally between government agencies and private companies. Currently, new materials used for packing chromatographic columns are being investigated. Yeast cultures are genetically modified to ferment glucose, xylose and hopefully also arabinose into ethanol. New methods of conducting solid phase fermentation are also examined as a competing alternative to submerged liquid fermentation.

J.M. Dominguez, C.S. Gong and G.T. Tsao, "Production of Xylitol from D-Xylose by Debrayomyces hansenii," Applied Biochem. Biotechnol., 63-65,117-127 (1997).

J.M. Dominguez, N.J. Cao, M.S. Krishnan, C.S. Gong and G.T. Tsao, "Xylitol Production from Hybrid Poplar Wood Chips Pretreated by Ammonia Steeping Process," Biotechnol. Techniques, 11, 339-341 (1997).

N.J. Cao, Y.K. Xia, C.S. Gong and G.T. Tsao, "Production of 2,3-Butanediol from Pretreated Corn Cob by Klebsiella oxytoca in the Presence of a Fungal Cellulase," Applied Biochem. Biotechnol. 63-65, 129-139 (1997).

X. Wang, C.S. Gong and G.T. Tsao, "L-Malic Acid Production from Fumaric Acid by a Laboratory Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain SHY 2," Biotechnol. Letters, 18, 1441-1446 (1996).