News & Media

A new federal report highlights iFAB’s leadership in advancing U.S. biomanufacturing. With $51M in federal funding and $680M in partner support, iFAB is scaling innovation and workforce training. A $40M expansion of IBRL will boost fermentation capacity and help bridge the gap between research and commercial production. Read more here: https://worldbiomarketinsights.com/ifab-tech-hub-to-strengthen-u-s-biomanufacturing-capacity/

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s ABE department combines engineering and science to tackle global challenges in food, energy, and sustainability. Partnering with the College of ACES and Grainger Engineering, ABE offers hands-on learning and cutting-edge research at facilities like IBRL, preparing students for impactful careers in bioprocessing, automation, and resource management. Read more HERE: University […]

IBRL at the University of Illinois is driving innovation in precision fermentation, turning farm crops into sustainable solutions. Learn more here:

The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFab) was designated a Regional Innovation and Technology Hub last fall. That designation allowed iFAB to apply for funding and inspired partners to commit nearly $680 million. This funding will be used to propel central Illinois as a leader in the bioprocessing field. Read more here: iFAB partners […]

New initiatives by the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 149 and the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) are training skilled tradespeople to support the rapidly growing biomanufacturing industry in Central Illinois. The iFab Tech Hub will generate a need for workers with diverse skill sets and this initiative aims to connect workers with desirable opportunities in […]

Legislation in Congress would expand a federal grant and loan program that helps producers of biofuels and other biomanufactured products build and expand their facilities. A bipartisan Congressional bill, the Agriculture Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act, or Ag BIO Act, would increase funding for innovation in the biofuels and bioproducts industry. The bill would revise […]

The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Research Park startup Boston Bioprocess (BBP) are part of the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB), a newly designated Regional Innovation and Technology Hub fueling innovation and job creation in Central Illinois. Co-located in Urbana-Champaign, IBRL and BBP are quickly becoming premier destinations for companies looking to leverage biomanufacturing to produce novel food […]

CHAMPAIGN — Local and regional partners are working on a federal grant application to help promote biomanufacturing in Champaign, Macon and Piatt counties. The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing consortium is one of 31 organizations designated as a tech hub by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration in October, qualifying it to apply […]

President Joe Biden announced Monday that the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) is among 31 designated Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) — recognizing Central Illinois as a globally competitive center for innovation and job creation in biomanufacturing. Led by the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory […]

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a research powerhouse and home to a plethora of labs filled with faculty experts. These labs act as a bridge to help us collaborate with industries to kindle research and engage in professional development opportunities. The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory is a great example of a UIUC facility that […]

Helping create a more sustainable future today, especially with the effects of climate change, takes a lot of work and isn’t easy. The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, however, is up for the task. ABE’s unique mission of combining fundamental engineering skills with food, agriculture, environment, and energy […]

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, right, visits CABBI fields at the Illinois Energy Farm with Center Director Andrew Leakey and Feedstock Production Theme Leader Emily Heaton. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has committed another round of funding to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to lead the second phase of its Bioenergy Research […]

Sridhar Govind, a graduate of the PSM Bioprocessing and Bioenergy program, recently visited IBRL to collaborate on a project. Photo: Kerri Peters. URBANA, Ill. – Located at the nexus of agricultural crop production and industries that process those grains, the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois provides experiential education to students and helps […]

Helping the Plant-Based Industry Grow by Accelerating Bioprocessing Technologies Entrepreneurial ingenuity is the wellspring of economic growth.   But transforming an amazing idea into a commercially viable product – especially in the world of green chemistry – requires expensive and scarce economic infrastructure that often can be difficult for entrepreneurs to locate, secure for use, […]

  Our current practices of food production use significant amounts of water, land, and other resources, all while generating various agricultural wastes. But food production is so essential that there’s not much we can do about these inherent costs. Or is there? What if we could dramatically reduce the amount of resources needed to make […]

URBANA, Ill. – The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois welcomed a group of industry professionals from around the globe for the “Revitalization of Corn Processing Facilities for the Future” short course.   The course took place over two days at the beginning of October and focused on how companies can […]

I am Anto Nirmal, a Bioprocessing and Bioenergy graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Over the summer, I worked as a Process Development Intern at Forge Biologics, a gene therapy manufacturing company. This opportunity provided a more in-depth understanding of how industrial research works and confirmed my interest in it. I was […]

I interned at Neste US this summer in Houston, TX. Neste produces renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for companies across the globe, and they are an active participant in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) market. I applied for an internship with Neste because I am studying bioenergy here at UIUC, and I […]

In June of 2022, IBRL received a generous donation of a filter press, from CSL Behring. This filter press will help create a more defined product by separating the solids and liquids and help allow multiple client projects to be run simultaneously in IBRL’s pilot plant. Another benefit of the filter press is that it can be tuned to client needs. The new filter press is housed in IBRL. The IBRL staff would […]

URBANA, Ill. – Fermentation is a crucial manufacturing step for many industries, including food, feed, cosmetics, and fuel. The fermentation process converts agricultural feedstocks to valuable materials with the use of microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. It provides ingredients for products ranging from meat and dairy substitutes to cosmetics made without animal proteins. The […]

URBANA, Ill. – Four years in, the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) continues to grow rapidly by providing world-class pilot plant services to the food and bioprocessing industries. Since IBRL’s October 2018 grand opening ceremony, 60 clients have completed over 400 projects, including several who have now successfully launched products to market. An additional $6.5 million in […]

By Marianne Stein URBANA, Ill. ­– For Will, Clayton, and Dallas Glazik, making spirits from Illinois-grown heirloom corn is a labor of love. The brothers own and operate Silver Tree Beer & Spirits from their fifth-generation family farm in Paxton. “We grew up on a certified organic farm, and we wanted to get back into […]

From southeastern Florida to northern Mississippi to the Midwestern Corn Belt, CABBI scientists have struck sustainable oil with sugarcane. But the crop’s potential value to the renewable energy sector earns this particular variety a more appropriate designation: oilcane. A groundbreaking endeavor uniting CABBI’s Feedstock Production and Conversion themes is coming to fruition with the fall […]

From working at the Food Science Human Nutrition Processing Pilot Plant (FSHN-PPP) and Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) for a couple of years, I have gained experience and knowledge in vast areas that I could not have obtained in my classes. My skills in the lab, kitchen, and plant settings, have significantly improved from the […]

I’ve been working at IBRL for around a year and a half now, and it’s been a great experience that has helped me greatly academically and professionally. I first found out about IBRL through joining the student organization Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI), just as IBI was moving into the IBRL facility. I worked as a […]

URBANA, Ill. ­–  As University of Illinois employees and students return in the fall, safety measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 are critical. University administrators have announced a partial return to normal activities, with a combination of in-person and online instruction. Precautions include limited crowd sizes, frequent cleaning of classrooms, and hand sanitizer stations […]

I started working at the Food Science Pilot plant and Integrated Biology research lab my second semester of my freshman year. I first toured the facilities as part as an onboarding class in the fall, and knew I wanted to secure an internship at the plant. At the time, IBRL was still in the process […]

During my time here at the FSHN Processing Pilot Plant and IBRL, I have gained experience and interests in areas that I had previously never considered. I have improved my skills in the lab, kitchen, and plant settings, which all translate directly into my future career as a food scientist. Through the Pilot Plant, I […]

Hi! My name is Kwin, and I started working at the FSHN pilot processing plant and IBRL as a student intern in 2018. From helping the student sustainability farm process pizza sauce for the university dinning halls, to assisting with research about canning pet food and all other products in between. I’ve been able to […]

After pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, I started working as part of the logistics team in a food and beverage manufacturing company in Dominican Republic. There are many options for Industrial Engineers to insert themselves in almost any industry. Recognizing that everything should be addressed as […]

Working at the Food Science Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN PPP) and the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) has been the major highlight of my college experience. I started here in my second semester of sophomore year, but I really wish I started freshmen year. Nevertheless, all of the experience I have gained in these 2.5 […]

The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) has been a large part of my college career. In my 3rd year of undergrad, I joined the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI), a Registered Student Organization on campus. We were originally based in the Noyes chemistry building, but in the summer, we were notified that we were moving to […]

URBANA, Ill.—Get Brian Jacobson started, and he just might not stop. Talking about – and producing – hand sanitizer, that is. He’s that excited about the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory’s vital role in helping stem the spread of the coronavirus. Granted, with most staff working remotely and students off campus for now, the team is smaller than […]

By Stephanie Henry URBANA, Ill. – A new extrusion line installation at the University of Illinois will usher in new research capabilities and industry partnerships. The equipment is housed in the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), in partnership with the Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN-PPP) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer […]

URBANA, Ill. – Food system professionals working to promote local and artisanal grain use recently attended a unique tour  at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) and the Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN-PPP), in the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. The Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC) funded […]

The May/June issue of Resource magazine, the publication from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), published a feature of IBRL. To read the feature and the rest of the issue of Resource: https://bt.e-ditionsbyfry.com/publication/?i=583767#{%22issue_id%22:583767,%22page%22:0}    The IBRL Feature can be found on page 25.

On Wednesday, January 30, IBRL hosted Dr. Vijay Singh’s Industry Short Course on Dry Grind Ethanol. Despite wind chill temperatures of -40˚F, and the University of Illinois canceling classes, the short course continued. Attendance remained high, and participants enjoyed to spend the extra time in IBRL. The IBRL team hopes that industry-focused short courses will […]

Full Article: http://www.ccur.iastate.edu/news/newsletters/2019/jan-feb/tray-dryer-donation.html An industrial tray dryer once housed at the Center for Crops Utilization Research (CCUR) will now have a new life at the University of Illinois Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab (IBRL). The IBRL, a Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation facility, enables researchers to focus on commercialization and de-risking of processes using chemical, physical and biological conversion of […]

September 28, 2018By Anna Casey The University of Illinois has a new research center dedicated to bioprocessing, a broad term that essentially means turning plants into products – ranging from food to fuel, even cosmetics. The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, a 42,000-sqaure-foot facility, aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industry. Read more: https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/decades-in-the-making-new-bioprocessing-research-lab-celebrates-grand-openi

URBANA, Ill. – Students in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois are learning hands-on about food systems, starting from seed improvement and soil science to commercial food processing, as well as bioprocessing technologies for industry, thanks to new facilities and renovations across the ACES campus. The College […]

U.S. Grains Council – Identifying how U.S. feed grains and co-products can meet the specific demands of a local market is the specialty of the U.S. Grains Council’s staff around the world. In Ecuador, the Council is successfully helping swine and poultry producers improve their feed formulations using U.S. distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) […]

URBANA, Ill. – As part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Cochran Fellowship Program, the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) is hosting eight agricultural professionals from Ecuador for two weeks of training focused on the U.S. biofuel industry. Read more: http://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/169282.html

With a collaborative relationship spanning 3 decades, University of Illinois and Japan Corn Starch have worked together on many projects. Most recently, IBRL director Dr. Vijay Singh helped with the design of Japan Corn Starch’s new corn wet milling plant. To celebrate the opening of the plant, College of ACES Dean Kim Kidwell and Assistant […]

Research at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois continues to improve the dry-grind process used to produce ethanol from corn. “One of the major challenges in the dry-grind process is use of high corn solid loadings needed to achieve high ethanol concentrations and make distillation more economical,” says Vijay Singh, […]

According to a recent ruling by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 288 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel must be blended into the U.S. gasoline supply in 2018. Although this figure is down slightly from last year, the industry is still growing at a modest pace. However, until now, producers have had to rely on […]