EEE Professor Abigail Engelberth is currently researching the identification and characterization methods of products from the conversion of biomass into liquid fuels and determining how much additional revenue those products will contribute to the biorefinery. Many commodity chemicals and pharmaceuticals are synthesized from petroleum-based chemicals. Dr. Engelberth’s research is aimed at obtaining these petroleum-based chemicals and compounds from natural and renewable sources.

Such bio-based alternatives are considered co-products since they will be obtained concurrently with the production of liquid transportation fuels from flora. Her research group consists of PhD Students: Mahdieh Aghazadeh and Raymond Red Corn and Masters Students: Jinsha Li and Emma Brace. Dr. Engelberth’s research was included in the November 2014 issue of Chemical Engineering Progress.