Team of ReWOOD research collaborators on launch day (Photo Credit: Terri Sapp)
ReWOOD: Science and Technology Research Center
In May 2023, the Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute launched a science and technology research center called ReWOOD. ReWOOD, abbreviated from “Renewables-based economy from WOOD” focuses on a burgeoning field of science called Xylochemistry that makes use of sustainable plant-based raw materials to develop industrial products ranging from jet fuel to industrial solvents to generic pharmaceutical additives and more. ReWOOD is sponsored by RBI through its endowment-funded fellowships and is developing a corporate affiliate program.
There has been a frenzy of activity among the core team members since the inception of the ReWOOD center, showing consistent progress toward its goal of increased utilization of wood biomass into value added materials and chemicals.
External Advisory Board (EAB)
The ReWOOD external advisory board was kicked off in March 2024 and since then, the EAB has added new members. Currently, there are members from nine organizations that are part of the EAB. The board is expected to have a meeting in January 2025.
Proposals:
The ReWOOD team has submitted a proposal to the NSF-TIP Regional Innovation Engine called the Conservation, Use, and Local Economies (Cúlé) Sustainability Project. ReWOOD has partnered with the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe for the project with Anthony J. “Bo” Arduengo, professor of the practice in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry as the Principal Investigator (PI) and the Muskogee Creek Tribe as the lead organization. The name Cúlé comes from the Muskogee word for pine - the tree that underpins so many ReWOOD and Cúlé technologies and processes.
The ReWOOD team has submitted a full proposal, that is pending, to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The topic of the proposal is on-demand acetylene generation with Stefan France, professor and associate chair for Graduate Studies in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry as the PI.
The ReWOOD team submitted a full proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) under the title “Center for Renewables-based Chemistries from Wood (CRCW).” The proposal included Georgia Tech as the lead organization with Stefan France, professor and associate chair for Graduate Studies in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry as the Principal Investigator (PI) and Kennesaw State University, University of Alabama, and University of Florida as subcontractors. Unfortunately, the proposal was declined but work on a new NSF-sponsored Science and Technology Center (STC) proposal is now underway.
New Members:
Pine Chemicals Association (PCA) International joined the ReWOOD Center as an academic member in 2024. Stefan France from the ReWOOD team attended the PCA National Meeting in May 2024.
Publications:
Azuero-Pedraza C.G., Lauri P., Augustynczik A.L.D., and Thomas V.M. “Managing Forests for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change Mitigation.” Environmental Science & Technology. 2024, 58(21), 9175-9186. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07163.
Azuero-Pedraza C.G., Thomas V.M. “Incorporating biodiversity impacts in land use decisions.” Ecological Modelling 2024, 497, 110852. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110852.
Benda M. C., Evans C, Yuan S., McClish I. M., Berkey W.J., Areheart H.E., Arnold E.S., Tang M.L., France S. “Modular Enantioselective Total Syntheses of the erythro-7,9-Dihydroxy- and 9-Hydroxy-7-keto-8,4-Oxyneolignans.” J. Org. Chem. 2024, 89(14), 9910–9922. DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c00710.
