Sanjeev Gajjela, a Ph.D student in Forest Resources - Forest Products, performed research with the support of the Sustainable Energy Research Center (SERC) that has led to a breakthrough in catalyst synthesis allowing them to produce a 100% hydrocarbon mix with no detectable oxygen from bio-oil produced from biomass. This breakthrough is the first announcement of a zero-oxygen liquid hydrocarbon produced from bio-oil.

Gajjela works under the direction of Dr. Philip Steele, Professor and SERC Bio-oil Research Group Thrust Leader. Dr. Steele observed of his joint effort with Gajjela that, "We have been focused on this result for the last 2 years but are a bit surprised that we have apparently surpassed our colleagues in conversion of bio-oil to a transportation fuel with this leap forward. Sanjeev is to be congratulated for attaining a goal that many outstanding researchers have unsuccessfully pursued for nearly 2 decades." Additional information on the breakthrough research of Gajjela, Steele, and the SERC is available by visiting http://serc.msstate.edu/breakthrough.html and http://serc.msstate.edu/forestproductstudent.html.

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