When Mariam Sticklen watched gas prices nearly quadruple during the oil crisis of the 1970s, the then-Ohio State graduate student knew she had to do something to help.
"Back in the '70s, we didn't do anything to start solving problems, and that was the time to start," Sticklen said.
Sticklen then moved to Michigan and into the emerging field of biotechnology to research ethanol production. She has spent the last 20 years studying ways to improve the production of biofuel and was part of the first Michigan Bio-Economy Summit.
The two-day summit took place Wednesday and today in Lansing. It brought together researchers and government and business leaders to discuss improving the state's budding bioeconomy. About 300 people attended the event Wednesday, including Sticklen and about 25 others from MSU.
"Michigan and our country need to move to improve the economy with all the deficits that exist," Sticklen said. "It's about time to make a shift from the auto industry to biotechnology."
A bio-based economy would create less dependency on nonrenewable resources — like petroleum — and put more emphasis on home-grown materials, said Steve Pueppke, director of the office of Bio-based Technologies.
"The cost of fossil fuels and raw materials are getting higher and higher, and we know that sooner or later they are going to run out," Pueppke said. "The idea of replacing nonrenewable material with renewable ones that can be grown throughout the year in Michigan is tremendously attractive."
Pueppke will speak today at the summit, along with MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon and four MSU researchers, on how the university can contribute to the bioeconomy.
"If you look at the bioeconomy and all its dimensions, it's something that's important to the state of Michigan, and it fits with the strengths of the university and our faculty," Simon said.
A bioeconomy would provide a unique opportunity to bring together two aspects of the economy, said Larry Drzal, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science who will speak at the conference today.
"In Michigan, we have an agriculture sector and a manufacturing sector, and they don't interact much," Drzal said. "But a bioeconomy would give the chance to grow materials that could be used in manufacturing."
Part of the purpose of the summit was to network with others interested in advancing the bioeconomy, Pueppke said. He added that the biggest topic of discussion was ethanol.
"A lot of the discussion was what's happening right now and how the future of ethanol is going to be different than what we see today," Pueppke said.
Farmland not used for food production could be used to grow plants for biomaterials — bringing in more revenue for farmers — and more people would be needed to conduct research, he said.
"There's the potential for it to be very significant and large in the future here in Michigan," Pueppke said. "We want to take full advantage of it."
