Xiao Zhang, professor in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering��and professor of chemistry at the Bioproducts Science and Engineering Laboratory on the ���سԹ� campus��is one of WSU’s 2025 Showcase Honorees, receiving the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award. ��recognize outstanding members of the WSU community for their scholarly achievements and professional acumen.

Zhang has led the development of a number of bio-based product innovations for industrial applications, including: a cellulose-based coating for plant protection, foam packaging technologies, and lignin-derived composites and chemicals. In 2023 Zhang was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. Congratulations, Xiao!

By Leslie Streeter

Washington State University’s sustainable aviation fuels research is getting noticed.

������found that WSU is globally the top contributing organization to scientific literature on the field of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), based on an analysis of articles, papers, editorials, and news items published from 2001 to 2023. Researchers from WSU’s����and the����rank among the most cited authors with the highest link strength in the field.

Joshua Heyne, director of��the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL)�����������سԹ���and co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute, was found to be the most cited author on SAF. Michael Wolcott,��PhD, Regents Professor and director of ASCENT, the FAA’s��, was noted as the second most cited author, followed by Manuel Garcia-Perez,��PhD, department chair for biological systems engineering, and Kristin Brandt, staff engineer for the Composite Materials & Engineering Center.

Heyne is not only the most cited and most published researcher in the field, but he is also recognized as the most productive author in SAF��research from 2001 to 2023. Additionally, he has the highest connection strength, illustrating the breadth of his collaborations, which contribute to WSU’s designation as the most collaborative institution in sustainable aviation research.

“After reading the abstract for the first time, I was a bit surprised,” Heyne said. “I get up every morning motivated to add value to the field with colleagues, but being highlighted as the most published and cited author was a surprise.”

The study, conducted by four faculty members from two universities in Turkey, used bibliometric analysis to examine literature on sustainable aviation published between 2001 and 2023. Bibliometric analysis is an advanced method of studying academic publications to understand emerging trends in specific knowledge domains. The researchers analyzed 726��published studies identified from the Web of Science database.

While the study examined literature on sustainable aviation, Heyne’s primary focus is sustainable aviation fuel, a critical component of the aviation industry’s decarbonization strategy. On average, SAF can reduce CO2��emissions by 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. Today’s SAF is a blend of conventional fossil fuel and synthetic components derived from various renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oils, fats, plant oils, and municipal, agricultural, and forestry waste.

Current research and collaboration within WSU

WSU researchers are working to advance SAF��adoption through sample testing for producers and examining supply chains, technological feasibility, regulations, and infrastructure costs. Heyne, Wolcott, Brandt, and Garcia-Perez’s work overlaps in some of these areas.

���������سԹ�, Heyne leads SAF��testing and analysis at BSEL, a��57,000-square-foot��research and teaching laboratory operated in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). BSEL��researchers have tested approximately 400��samples of sustainable aviation fuel candidate materials from 40��institutions across North��America and Europe.

Heyne’s most recent review paper,����last November, was a collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their review concluded that lignin has strong potential as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based aviation fuels and advancing lignin valorization could significantly support net-zero goals by enabling large-scale SAF��production from this abundant, renewable resource.

Among other things, Wolcott is working on a project that determines the potential for private corporate investment to account for indirect, or Scope��3 carbon emissions in commercial aviation.

Garcia-Perez has two SAF-related projects in the works. One is an analysis of how hydrogen production cost and carbon intensity impact SAF��production. This research led to the development of a����the evolution of SAF��production technologies depending on the availability of cheap and clean hydrogen.

Garcia-Perez’s other project looks at SAF��production in Latin��America. He and his team are working with stakeholders from Colombia, Dominican��Republic, Costa��Rica and Ecuador to identify business opportunities to produce SAF in these countries. Garcia-Perez’s team includes five��students who were recruited from these countries to do their doctoral studies on developing modeling tools at WSU. Graduate student Marcela Valderrama and Research Associate Lina Martinez conducted a����which led to the creation of the Colombian SAF road map. Similar interactions are happening with the other countries in the program.

Brandt is currently working on a project through ASCENT that is looking at a U.S. and Canada cross-border SAF supply chain to cooperatively find a solution to provide fuel and optimize production that is mutually beneficial for both countries.

Brandt and Wolcott have worked together over the last several years focusing on assessing sustainable aviation fuel supply chains, policy evaluation and fuel production economics.��She is currently writing a paper with Wolcott that assesses the potential to meet domestic SAF production goals by 2030.

By Seth Truscott

An international team of scientists has discovered a way to store and release volatile hydrogen using lignin-based jet fuel that could open new pathways for sustainable energy production.

In a new��, Washington State University Professor Bin Yang and colleagues��demonstrated that a type of lignin-based jet fuel they developed can chemically bind hydrogen in a stable liquid form. The research has many potential applications in fuels and transportation and could ultimately make it easier to harness hydrogen’s potential as a high energy and zero emissions fuel source.

“This new, lignin jet fuel-based technology could enable efficient, high-density hydrogen storage in an easy-to-handle sustainable aviation fuel, eliminating the need for pressurized tanks for storage and transport,” Yang said.

For the study, researchers at WSU, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of New��Haven, and Natural Resources Canada set out to address one of the major challenges with using hydrogen as a fuel source. The lightest element’s low density and explosive nature make storage and transport technically challenging, inefficient, and expensive.

The January article details how the research team discovered the new hydrogen-storing process using chemical reactions that produced aromatic carbons and hydrogen from lignin jet fuel — an experimental fuel developed by Yang’s lab based on lignin, an organic polymer found in plants.

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that could help the U.S. meet its targets for zero-emission mobility, integration of renewables, and decarbonization of industry,” Yang said.

The discovery points to new uses for the lignin jet fuel developed at WSU by Yang, who����that creates the fuel from agricultural waste.����that the sustainably produced fuel could increase engine performance and efficiency while dispensing with aromatics, the pollution-causing compounds found in conventional fuels.

“This innovation offers promising opportunities for compatibility with existing infrastructure and economic viability for scalable production,” Yang said. “It could help create a synergistic system that enhances the efficiency, safety, and ecological benefits of both sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen technologies.”

Next, WSU��researchers will collaborate with scientists at the University of New��Haven to design an AI-driven catalyst that enhances and completes the reactions, making them more efficient and cost-effective.

��came from the U.S.��Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office.

By Leslie Streeter

The Washington State Conservation Commission has awarded researchers from Washington State University��Tri-Cities��$200,000 to test a new process for managing manure. It has the potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also making the process more economical for dairy farmers and improving cow health.

“The research funded by this grant will emphasize improvements in local and global agriculture by improving manure management,” said Birgitte Ahring, professor at�����سԹ�, and an expert in biomass conversion and anaerobic digestion. “We are hoping with this research we can show value and solve some problems for dairy farmers.”

Methane from cow manure is a major contributor to greenhouse gases emitting both carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Currently many dairies manage manure by adding it to ponds or lagoons so it can be spread over crops as fertilizer during growing season. This method results in emission of greenhouse gases, and further lead to contamination of streams, rivers, and lakes.

Some large dairies recycle the manure solids by separating the solids before adding it to lagoons using a screw pressing process. These solids are then used as a bedding material for the cow sheds. However, this method has the potential to cause infection in the animals which decreases the quality and quantity of milk they produce.

Using anaerobic digestion to create biogas is another solution that some farmers have tried. While this method reduces the impact of the manure on the environment and creates a useful bioenergy source, the manure contains high levels of certain organic material, called recalcitrant lignocellulosic material, that impedes the amount of biogas that can be produced. Consequently, this affects the economics of anaerobic digestion and the efficiency of using it for managing manure, keeping many farmers from adopting it.

In the project Ahring and her research team will use an existing pre-treatment technology to open the biomass material and enhance the carbon conversion efficiency of anaerobic digestion. The expectation is that up to 100% more biogas will be produced resulting in up to 80% carbon conversion efficiency compared to maximum 50% for conventional anaerobic digestion. It is expected that this pre-treatment process will further sanitize the manure solids and make it safe as a bedding material. For testing the effect of pretreatment on infectious microbes, Ahring has partnered with Craig McConnell, associate professor at WSU��Pullman and the director of the veterinary medicine extension.

The hope is that this solution for manure management will not only reduce methane and greenhouse gasses by producing renewable natural gas for the natural gas grid, but further enhance the economics of milk production by improving the health of cows and reducing infection in dairies, where manure solids are used as bedding.

As directed by the grant, Ahring and McConnell will disseminate the results from the project in June��2025 to Washington dairies, industries providing AD��plants etc.

“It is our hope that if they can see how this new technology positively impacts their core business and offers both economic and environmental benefits, they will be positive toward future demonstrations and implementations,” Ahring said. The Washington State Conservation Commission works to conserve natural resources on all lands in Washington state, through voluntary and incentive-based programs, in collaboration with conservation districts and other partners.

By Seth Truscott

Creating plant-based fuels that are easier on the environment and the pocketbook, Washington State University Professor Bin Yang makes a positive impact through chemical engineering.

Yang is now one of the newest Fellows of the����(AIChE), a professional society of more than 60,000 scientists in 110 countries. He will be honored at the institute’s��, Nov. 5-10, 2023, at Orlando, Fla.

“I take nature as my inspiration,” said Yang, who works to understand and develop advanced biofuels and bioproducts from plant biomass—crops and plant residue used to create energy—while sharing knowledge and training the next generation of scientists.

“My ultimate goal is a real sustainability revolution,” he said. “I’m working to develop sustainable low-carbon fuels that reduce climate change.”

Fellow is the highest grade of membership in the institute, which fosters exchange on the frontiers of research in energy, sustainability, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security. Fellows provide guidance and contribute to activities aiding development of safe and useful products for the benefit of society.

“I’m humbled and deeply grateful for this award,” said Yang, who thanked peers and colleagues who supported his nomination.

Involved with AIChE for the past 20 years, he has been a volunteer leader, organizing topical sessions and serving as a session chair. He is one of three WSU scientists to be named Fellows of the Institute. Yong Wang and Richard Zollars, faculty in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, were previously named Fellows.

Developing new and sustainable fuels and products from biomass, Professor Bin Yang works with members of his lab at ���سԹ�.

Based at ���سԹ� for over a decade and a member of of the��, Yang has pioneered new technologies to process biomass into jet fuel, bioplastics, carbon fiber, supercapacitors, hydrogen carriers, and other bioproducts.

“Biofuels and bioproducts play a crucial role in decarbonization efforts by promoting sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products and processes,” Yang said. “Innovation is key to achieving a sustainable future for the world.”

A member of the university’s Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL), Yang also studies how microbes can produce a biodegradable plastic. He was a 2019 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Energy and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources; holds six patents; has authored more than 135 papers and book chapters; and serves as an editorial and advisory board member for leading biorefinery journals.

Learn more about Yang’s work at his��.

A technology that converts hazardous wood products manufacturing chemicals into valuable components to produce biofuels, food flavoring, and fragrances has earned a WSU researcher a 2023 .

Joshua Heyne, director of the Washington State University Tri-Cities Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) and co-director of the WSU-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Bioproducts Institute, and his colleague Harrison (Zhibin) Yang are a co-recipients of the award along with Kim Tutin, founder, and CEO of Captis Aire LLC.

This Chemical Adsorption Innovation Reduces Emissions (CAIRE) technology converts terpenes, a waste product released during the wood manufacturing process, into valuable chemicals and controls pollutants. Currently these terpenes are burned as wastes.�� This releases greenhouse gases. Instead, the CAIRE Technology captures over 90% of the terpenes released from the wood products manufacturing process and converts them into many valuable chemicals including those used in products such as biofuels, flavors, and fragrances.

“We’re very proud of the EPA award and its recognition of the value of the CAIRE Technology,” Tutin said. “This innovation captures carbon from the air and provides key raw materials for biofuels, flavors, fragrances, and more. It is both economically and environmentally advantageous.”

“We are excited to partner with Captis Aire and Kim towards developing biofuels from terpene waste streams. The technology Kim is developing could play a key role in enabling new and better biofuels,” said Heyne.

According to information on the EPA website, the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry. For this year’s competition there were six award categories: Greener Synthetic Pathways, Greener Reaction Conditions, The Design of Greener Chemicals, Small Business, Academic and Climate Change.

Since 1996 the EPA has presented the award to 133 winners whose work has significantly reduced the hazards associated with designing, manufacturing, and using chemicals.

BSEL is a teaching and research laboratory located on the ���سԹ� campus in Richland. The program is a partnership between WSU and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It provides space for critical research to advance the identification of useful non-energy products that can be used to promote energy sustainability. BSEL also plays a critical role in testing the viability of SAF products.

Washington’s clean energy future became a little brighter when members of the Washington State House and Senate approved Gov. Jay Inslee’s funding proposal for the Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Institute for Northwest Energy Futures.

The operating budget agreement reached by legislative negotiators and approved by the House and Senate over the weekend includes $7.7 million for the 2023-25 biennium to hire researchers and staff and secure a new facility to house the operation. It now goes to the governor’s desk for signature.

“This is great news, not just for ���سԹ�, but for WSU as a whole, our region, state and the nation. With this funding, INEF will accelerate the journey toward a clean energy future by bridging the gap between science and implementation through a systems approach to researching and analyzing clean energy transition plans including ensuring that we relieve the energy burden for underrepresented groups,” said Sandra Haynes, chancellor at ���سԹ�.

INEF soft-launched last year as a new institute to use energy assets from across the WSU system and serve as broker for helping address the complexities of the changing energy landscape. Researchers in this institute will use a systems approach to integrate existing and developing knowledge in engineering, earth sciences, economics, business, and society to help answer society’s most pressing questions about energy. A systems view will help determine how clean energy technologies work together or compete, assess the impact of action or inaction, and address the intended and unintended social consequences of any planned interventions.�� Researchers will use this knowledge to develop policies, programs, and projects to bring about more sustainable and socially equitable results.

“We see INEF’s effort as not only helping policy makers assimilate the pieces of our reimagined energy puzzle, but also as an opportunity to build upon WSU’s considerable multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research, education and service initiatives in the energy space,” said Haynes.

Eight scientists and engineers will be funded – five, including the director, will be located at ���سԹ�, three will be at WSU Pullman. The ���سԹ� scientists will bring expertise in:

• Measuring the environmental impact of products, materials and processes
• Techno-economic analysis to assess economic feasibility and risks of processes and products
• Energy data analytics to predict energy demand, improve distribution and understand customer consumption patterns
• Assessing the social impacts of action/inaction to help facilitate sustainable and socially equitable results

Jonathan Male will serve as interim director of INEF. Male recently joined WSU as assistant vice chancellor for research and director of the Office for National Laboratory Partnerships in the Office of Research.

“Our vision is that the INEF will serve as a virtual hub to convene, consult and coordinate a network of expertise and capabilities residing in the Mid-Columbia region and throughout Washington state,” Male said. “INEF will help analyze integrated system scenarios for shaping our diverse regional energy resources, in relation to existing energy infrastructure and future needs while considering economic, environmental and social impacts.”

In addition to bringing together researchers, industry and policy makers, INEF will work with existing partners such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and new collaborators, ���سԹ� will also continue to educate the future workforce that will be critical to turning research findings into realities that benefit Washington residents and those beyond, Haynes said.

INEF joins three WSU joint research institutes working to address global energy challenges — the Bioproducts Institute, the Nuclear Science and Technology Institute and the Advanced Grid Institute, as well as the Bioproducts Sciences and Engineering Laboratory on the ���سԹ� campus.

MEDIA CONTACT(S)

Leslie Streeter, Office of Marketing and Communication, 509-372-7333,��leslie.streeter@wsu.edu

Washington State University Tri-Cities and Snohomish County will partner to bring a proposed research and development center for sustainable aviation fuels to life. Snohomish County officials announced Tuesday plans for a $6.5 million Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Applied Research and Development Center located at Paine Field in Snohomish County. The first-of-its-kind center will offer fuel testing, fuel finishing and the world’s first fuel repository.

Dr. Joshua Heyne, a leading expert in sustainable aviation fuels and director of the Bioproducts Science and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) at ���سԹ� is set to lead the SAF center at Paine Field.

“Washington state’s leadership in aviation and the environment was one of the reasons I moved across the country to join WSU. Here, the state is supporting efforts to meet global challenges while complementing existing strengths,” Heyne said. “WSU research has enabled the inception of global policies and new technologies to benefit state agricultural and industrial activities from Pullman to Everett. We are proud to partner with Snohomish County, our state Legislature, and industry partners to once again meet a global need with local interests.”

Sandra Haynes, chancellor at ���سԹ� attended the press announcement at the Snohomish County airfield. “This is such a wonderful opportunity for Snohomish County and ���سԹ�. With their expertise in aviation and the environment and our extensive SAF research, it’s a perfect partnership,” she said. “We are very proud of the research being conducted on our campus at BSEL and even more proud that Dr. Heyne and others will be helping to guide the development of this truly unique and impressive endeavor that stands to advance SAF around the globe.”

Currently, BSEL is a leader in developing the next generation of SAF with research, partnerships, and as the official FAA SAF prescreening lab. Development of SAF is an important step toward addressing global climate change and for the continued success of commercial aviation.��Hundreds of samples from North America and Europe have been tested and its researchers have developed novel experimental and computational tools to evaluate SAF candidates at very low volumes.��BSEL will continue to develop additional low-volume (< 20 gallons) tests at ���سԹ�. In addition, the lab has worked with more than three dozen institutions from across academia, national labs, and industry to align their technologies for commercialization.

According to a press release posted on the��, the Center at Paine Field will support the following SAF components:

• Repository: SAF samples will be received, tested at small scales, indexed, distributed around the U.S. and world. This meets an immediate community need as a repository of this type does not currently exist.
• Finishing: SAF samples and production methods could be investigated to reduce costs and the impact on human health and the environment.
• Large-Scale Testing: SAF samples could be tested at large scales (by the thousands of gallons) needed to ensure safety and bring new fuels and products to market.

The center would allow for sustainable fuel samples to be more thoroughly tested by researchers and give them opportunities to find more efficient production methods that are less impactful on human health and the environment.

Project leaders are seeking additional state funding to make the center a reality. Washington State Senator Marko Liias has proposed $6.5��million in start-up funding for the project in the proposed Senate Transportation Budget, with State Rep. Brandy Donaghy taking up the effort in the State House of Representatives.

According to the��, the Legislature is expected to vote on a compromise transportation budget in the coming weeks. Concurrently, the County, WSU, and the AFA are releasing a Request for Qualifications to identify a contractor to develop a business plan for the Center. The plan should be complete in September 2023.

More information about BSEL

MEDIA CONTACT(S)

Leslie Streeter, Office of Marketing and Communication, 509-372-7333,��leslie.streeter@wsu.edu

Washington State University and Snohomish County are teaming up to establish a world-leading research center dedicated to improving sustainable aviation fuels.

Snohomish County leaders announced their proposal to set up a research and development site focused on sustainable aviation fuels at Paine Field Airport at a press conference Tuesday morning. The center would allow for sustainable fuel samples to be more thoroughly tested by researchers and give them opportunities to find more efficient production methods that are less impactful on human health and the environment.

“With our history and resources, Snohomish County is the ideal place for businesses to invest in trailblazing climate change solutions,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “This R&D Center for Sustainable Aviation Fuels is a foundational component of our long-term commitment to generate new jobs in environmentally sustainable sectors and help decarbonize aviation.”

Project leaders are seeking additional state funding to make the center a reality. Washington State Senator Marko Liias has proposed $6.5��million in start-up funding for the project in the proposed Senate Transportation Budget, with State Rep. Brandy Donaghy taking up the effort in the State House of Representatives.

“Washington state’s leadership in aviation and the environment was one of the reasons I moved across the country to join WSU. Here, the state is supporting efforts to meet global challenges while complementing existing strengths,” Joshua Heyne, director of WSU��Tri‑Cities’ Bioproducts Science and Engineering Laboratory, said. “WSU research has enabled the inception of global policies and new technologies to benefit state agricultural and industrial activities from Pullman to Everett. We are proud to partner with Snohomish County, our state Legislature, and industry partners to once again meet a global need with local interests.”

The full press release on the center is available on the��.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities, the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion and the ���سԹ� Career Center will be hosting a Women in STEM event on Thursday, March 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. on the ���سԹ� campus in the East Auditorium and via Zoom.

The event features a panel of multiple women in various STEM-related fields discussing their experiences, obstacles and accomplishments. The panelists include Kimberly Harper, a physical scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest Site Office located at Pacific Northwest Laboratory; Jenny Kadinger, engineering manager at Washington River Protection Solutions and Carina Ocampo, ���سԹ� adjunct professor of science and an environmental scientist with Central Plateau Cleanup Company.

Kauser Gwaduri, ���سԹ� student services coordinator with the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion and one of the organizers of the event said, “It is vital that we have events such as ‘Women in STEM’ because STEM fields still have a long way to go for gender equality. Women and other genders bring important skills, perspectives, and innovative ideas to their companies, and organizations will only grow from hiring more diverse populations. Before we can get to hiring, we need our students to know that STEM careers ARE a possibility for them and that professionals are there to help guide the way.”

The event is open to ���سԹ� and CBC students, staff, and faculty and the public. Registration is required to attend in-person and via Zoom. Please contact TriCities.Mosaic@wsu.edu for any questions.