Wisconsin Energy Institute

Dual approaches pinpoint genes for better biofuel production University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists have developed a new method for efficiently pinpointing genes that help microbes resist toxic chemicals, which could enable innovations in biotechnology, med...

New UW–Madison research, led by @uwenergy.bsky.social and the School of Pharmacy, is advancing #biofuel innovation by pinpointing genes that help microbes survive harsh industrial conditions.
https://energy.wisc.edu/news/dual-approaches-pinpoint-genes-better-biofuel-production

Panelists include @timdonohue1283.bsky.social of @glbioenergy.bsky.social, Jane McCurry of Clean Fuels Michigan, Dana Hatch of BIOLEUM, and Steve Csonka, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative Executive Director

Sustainable Aviation Fuels - Forward in Energy Forum As global efforts accelerate to reduce transportation’s environmental impact, aviation remains one of the more challenging sectors to decarbonize due to its growth and its reliance on…

Join our January 27 #ForwardinEnergy Forum on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)! Learn more about bio-based SAFs and how they offer a promising near-term solution to the challenge of decarbonizing aviation.

Registration is required.
energy.wisc.edu/events/susta...

Powering progress: Engineer, inventor earns national recognition for transforming electric motors - College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has included a University of Wisconsin-Madison electrical engineer in its 2025 class of fellows—the highest distinction designed to recognize academic inventors...

Congrats to WEI investigator Dan Ludois on being named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, one of the highest honors for academic inventors!

Read more about the impact of his work in advanced electric motors & power tech: engineering.wisc.edu/news/powerin...

#engineer #electrical

YouTube video by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) Soybeans engineered for color and brain health

A team including current and former GLBRC scientists has won the 2025 WARF (@warfnews.bsky.social) Innovation Award for engineering soybeans that naturally produce a red pigment and a brain boosting compound. Check it out!

youtu.be/vQX25xfGtaY?...

#agriculture #uwmadison #ecofriendly #soy

Registration is OPEN for the 2026 Wisconsin KidWind Challenge! Teams of students build wind turbines or solar devices and compete in the March 7 event.

Registration closes Jan 15 or when we hit capacity! energy.wisc.edu/events/2026-...

@kidwind.bsky.social

What if corn could “eat” fertilizer from the air? Researchers with the Jean-Michel Ané Lab are breeding hybrid corn inspired by Oaxaca varieties to reduce fertilizer use and water consumption.

Read more:
energy.wisc.edu/news/breedin...

#agriculture #corn #uwmadison #fertilizer

This UW-Madison spinoff is making environmentally-friendly cement. The secret ingredient is pollution. What started as an experiment in carbon capture has spawned a spinoff company that combines two abundant waste streams — carbon dioxide and boiler ash — into a building material that is both stronger ...

UW-Madison spinoff Alithic is turning CO2 + coal ash, two pollutants, into a carbon-negative cement ingredient. Their process locks in CO₂ and reuses waste to make a greener, stronger concrete alternative. Learn more:
energy.wisc.edu/news/uw-madi...

#concrete #uwmadison #energy

Wisconet Researcher - Madison, Wisconsin, United States Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:Academic StaffEmployment Type...

@wisconet.bsky.social is #hiring!! They are looking for a motivated researcher to expand their capacity to provide new models and tools for weather-based risk support. Apply below by 12/7:

More info: jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/wiscone...
#weather #job #research #uwmadison

Graduate Student Spotlight: Brayan Riascos Arteaga Brayan Riascos Arteaga is a third year PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He works in the Noguera lab, where he’s developing ways to utilize manure fibers as a…

Meet Brayan Riascos-Arteaga, a PhD student at UW-Madison working on transforming manure fibers into renewable products. Check out his journey at www.glbrc.org/news/graduat... @uwenergy.bsky.social

Wisconet gets global recognition for user weather tools Wisconet was shortlisted for a Global Hydromet Excellence Award for Best Application of GIS in Meteorology and Climate Services, recognizing the quality of its website and online tools.

Wisconet has earned recognition at the Global Hydromet Excellence Awards for its next-gen weather and soil data monitoring system! Read more about the application: energy.wisc.edu/news/wiscone...

Producer Perspectives on Land and Resource Utilization Each year, agricultural producers consider how to make the most of their land and other resources in order to optimize farm yields, profits, and sustainability. Many factors influence how farmers…

Don’t miss the panel on Producer Perspectives on Land and Resource Utilization on 11/11 @ 4:30pm! Join us live via Zoom as agricultural leaders from the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Bragger Family Dairy, and Burnett Dairy Cooperative will discuss farm optimization. energy.wisc.edu/events/produ...

Get ready for some weather fun at the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Weather Festival! Hands-on activities, weather science, and more await. Get the details: energy.wisc.edu/events/2nd-a...

Hosted in collaboration with @wisconet.bsky.social and #WiSciFest

Wisconsin Goes Nuclear? Learn how nuclear power is poised to contribute to Wisconsin’s energy transition and why it’s a vital part of the sustainable energy mix at our October FIEF: energy.wisc.edu/events/wisco...

Participants of WEI's Grandparents University

Dive into stories of energy evolution! WEI’s oral history collection captures this shift through a telling of the unique lived experiences of those around us. Learn more: energy.wisc.edu/education/or...

Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Energy Storage Energy storage is playing an increasingly important role in enabling resilient and cost-effective energy systems, including making possible the round-the-clock availability of power originally generat...

Don’t miss the Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Energy Storage panel on September 30 @ 4:30pm! Join us at WEI in-person or live via Zoom as founders from COnovate, Flux XII, and FerroMX share how they’re scaling energy storage ventures. Register at energy.wisc.edu/events/innov...

Two people sitting and smiling in a radio studio.

Stopped by the Midwest Farm Report today to talk about Wisconet and the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Weather Festival, coming to @uwenergy.bsky.social on October 25!

UW–Madison grad student honored with GLBRC mentorship award Undergraduates, fellow grad students, postdoctoral researchers – and even her own advisor – credit Amy Enright Steinberger for her support in and out of the lab, which applies bacterial genetics to…

Amy Enright Steinberger, graduate student at UW-Madison, has been honored with the 2025 GLBRC Mentoring Award for her outstanding leadership and microbiology research. Read more about Amy: www.glbrc.org/news/uw-madi...

Wisconet (Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet) staff Mikaela Martiros, left, and Caitlin Wienkes, right, install a temperature and humidity sensor on a new weather station near Plymouth, Wisconsin.

@uwenergy.bsky.social's Wisconet is a network of stations around WI that provides timely data that guides farmers’ decisions on irrigation and planting, and can help identify solutions to mitigate the broader impacts of agriculture on climate change.

Learn more: energy.wisc.edu/news/foundat...

WEI researchers innovate for a greener future Computer-assisted technology for recycling plastics, a technique for producing a valuable chemical from agricultural waste, and genetic mutations that can turn trees into carbon-sucking chemical…

‪@warfnews.bsky.social‬ recently profiled several WEI scientists and their innovations. The profile includes projects that transform CO2 into cement, fuel plant power, reduce the need for synthetic fertilizer, revolutionize recycling, and more. energy.wisc.edu/news/wei-res...

Brian Fox is working hard to make poplar trees a superstar at producing chemicals that humans use everyday. Read the conversation about federal funding, engineering, and, of course, poplar trees. 🌳

Full Story: biochem.wisc.edu/2025/05/21/u...

WEI outreach program manager named Wisconsin Energy Educator of the Year Wisconsin's K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) has named Wisconsin Energy Institute's Allison Bender as 2025 Energy Educator of the Year.The award highlights a network of educators throughout the…

KEEP - Wisconsin's K-12 Energy Education Program has named Wisconsin Energy Institute's Allison Bender as 2025 Energy Educator of the Year!

Huge congratulations, Allison, and well deserved!

Read more about Allison: energy.wisc.edu/news/wei-out...

Chemical engineering for sustainability Chemical engineering may not be the first discipline that comes to mind when we think about protecting the environment, but in honor of Earth Day, the College of Engineering highlighted the efforts…

UW-Madison researchers are revolutionizing sustainable chemical engineering by turning plant waste into valuable chemicals, improving recycling processes, and developing eco-friendly materials. Their work is paving the way for a more sustainable future.
energy.wisc.edu/news/chemica...
#energy

Scientists at UW-Madison have reprogrammed a microbe that eats toxins from broken down plant fiber while leaving the sugars untouched. A major step forward in biofuel production! Read more: energy.wisc.edu/news/rewired... #biofuels #bioenergy #uwmadison #microbe

In a bold move toward a clean, low-carbon economy, Wisconsin lawmakers are partnering with local energy start-ups to create a nuclear energy renaissance. Read more: energy.wisc.edu/news/wiscons...
#nuclear #wisconsin #energy #nuclearenergy

Capturing attention Bu Wang didn’t set out to launch a carbon-capture company that would attract millions of dollars from major climate-focused investment firms.

After carbon emissions dropped during the pandemic, they’ve promptly rebounded and reached a new record high in 2024. UW-Madison spin-off Alithic is capturing carbon dioxide from the air, fighting against this rise in emissions. energy.wisc.edu/news/capturi... @warfnews.bsky.social

Congrats, Lizza!!!

a child and two adults plant seeds

two children look through microscopes

a child waters a plant

UW Family Gardening Day is this Saturday!! From 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., families can take part in hands-on activities to learn more about plants and clean energy, collect seeds, and tour state-of the art laboratories.

Don’t miss out on this exciting event! energy.wisc.edu/events/uw-fa...

We'll be there!

Come see as at @uwenergy.bsky.social and learn more about how Wisconet can help your gardens thrive!

Graphic of a sunny field. Text reads, "UW Family Gardening Day. Saturday, May third 10AM-1PM. UW Campus. Free plants, gardening advice, family-friendly activities. Free event!"

Join us Saturday May 3rd for Family Gardening Day! Visit Allen Centennial Garden, D.C. Smith Greenhouse, Steenbock Library, and the Wisconsin Energy Institute for free plants, activities, and crafts. Learn more at: science.wisc.edu/family-garde...
#MadisonWI #Gardening #UWMadison