IBRL and the FSHN Pilot Plant are fortunate to be located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With top-ranked engineering and agricultural schools, the university boasts a tremendous amount of resources that can be accessed by IBRL staff in support of projects occurring at the pilot plant facilities. Below is an abbreviated list of facilities associated with IBRL and directly related to food and bioprocessing.
Biomass Innovation Hub: The Biomass Innovation Hub (BIH) is a University of Illinois initiative to combine existing assets with new resources to jumpstart a biomass-to-manufactured product ecosystem for miscanthus in Central Illinois.
Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI): The Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), with funding from the Department of Energy, will develop efficient ways to grow bioenergy crops, transform biomass into valuable chemicals, and market the resulting biofuels and other bioproducts.
Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD): The Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD) has established itself as a vibrant and critical research center impacting industrial drying. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC), CARD is a “gateway” program designed to open up university research in novel drying technologies to member companies.
Energy Farm: Just 2 miles south of IBRL is the 320-acre Energy Farm. The farm is a “living laboratory” for exploring any and all crops that can be utilized for more sustainable energy and products.
Food Science Pilot Plant Resources: The Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition has many labs and facilities complimentary to the Food Science Pilot Plant. Some of these are listed below:
- Bevier Cafe – A real-life classroom laboratory staffed by students
- Spice Box – A fine dining restaurant run by Hospitality Management
- Food Labs – Allows creation and demonstration of cooking processes
- Metabolic Kitchen – Research kitchen and feeding laboratory
- Sensory Labs – Food preparation space with evaluation booths
Illinois Biological Foundry for Advanced Biomanufacturing (iBioFAB): The iBioFAB aims to accelerate the biological engineering process by integrating artificial intelligence/machine learning with automation.
Institute for Genomic Biology: IGB is an interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to solving grand societal challenges with a focus in life sciences and is 2 blocks north of IBRL.
Materials Research Laboratory: The Materials Research Lab (MRL) fosters interdisciplinary research at the forefront of materials science by bringing together world-class faculty, staff, postdocs, students, and industry in materials science, condensed matter physics, and materials chemistry in a highly-collaborative, progressive research environment.
Research Park: Research Park Is A Leading Technology Hub That Cultivates Startups And Accelerates Corporate Innovation