Kent Chapman sees the potential for plant tissue to produce an alternative energy source.
The University of North Texas professor of biological sciences is studying the cellular storage of lipids in plants. His goal is to learn ways to produce an oil in plant tissue, other than seeds and fruits, applicable for chemicals, fuels, and other products.
“That’s why people say basic science is the fuel for innovation, because new principles can be discovered.”
Kent Chapman
His research recently received a boost from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science through a $650,000 grant.
The funding will be used toward supplies, lab instruments, and the use of facilities within the university.
“What’s exciting about this project is that what you ultimately think it’s good for, so many other things can come out of it that you hadn’t anticipated,” Chapman said. “That’s why people say basic science is the fuel for innovation, because new principles can be discovered.”
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