A building donated to MSU by Pfizer Inc. could be used for bioeconomic research, possibly yielding new fuels from crops and biodiesel additives.

"The hope is that if things are able to be completed during the donation, it will provide additional opportunities for the university to contribute to the development of Michigan bioeconomy," said Paul Hunt, MSU's associate vice president for research and graduate studies.

A bioeconomy is one that focuses on the dependency of renewable resources, such as plants, for energy and industrial purposes. Hunt said there is a great deal of attention nationally to using biomass as a source of fuel.

A biomass — organic material available on a renewable basis — can be grown, refined and used in manufacturing, Hunt said. And when the product has reached the end of its usable life, it can be recycled.

The plan was announced by representatives from MSU, Pfizer and Lakeshore Advantage on Wednesday. The donation requires approval by the MSU Board of Trustees.

Trustee Colleen McNamara said she expects a decision to be made sometime before the end of summer.

"There are a lot of things to look at," she said. "It's a big endeavor."

Hunt said research in the building may produce new crop fuels, like cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel additives, pharmaceutical intermediates, automotive coolants and new plastics and other biomaterials.

Hunt expects the building will be used by campus researchers, in collaborations with people from other institutions and as rental space by private sector firms if the donation is approved.

The three-story, 138,000-square-foot building, which is located in Holland, includes modem laboratories for up to 100 researchers, a 125-seat auditorium, a library, an atrium, offices and a pilot plant.

Pfizer spokesman Rick Chambers said the building was used by Pfizer for research and development.

Methods to produce medicines, such as Lipotur, in large quantities were created and tested in the building.

As part of the process, some medicines still under study were manufactured and sent around the world for clinical studies, he said.

When Pfizer went through a global restructuring, they ended up with more sites than they had work for, Chambers said. The building was closed and remained unused for more than three years.

"We spent those years looking at alternatives with the goal of keeping it in use," he said. "This eventually led to the agreement with MSU."

The building was first marketed with the hopes of finding a buyer, but eventually a donation was decided as the best option. Chambers said MSU had the strongest case for continuing to use the building.

The decision to approve the donation also will depend on the development of an efficient funding plan for the facility.

There is a potential for federal grants, research contracts from private sector firms and the possibility of state grants and donations from private donors to provide funds for the new facility, Hunt said.