Awards 2010: Duo Playing Their Part To Boost Biofuels
18 January 2010
Jade Monroe
Kimran Hayer
The global drive to make biofuels more sustainable has been powered by the academic expertise of two graduating University of Derby students.
Jade Monroe and Kimran Hayer will both graduate with First Class Honours at the University of Derby's Awards Ceremonies on Saturday, January 23.
Jade was one of the top performing students on the BSc (Hons) Environmental Management course last academic year and she studied the environmental policies surrounding biofuels for her final year degree project.
Kimran, who will also collect the Institute of Biology's Top Bioscience Student Award for her work at Derby, is now working on a PhD project at the University of Nottingham to improve the biofuels of tomorrow.
Jade, 26, from Chester Green, is now studying for an MSc in Environmental Managementat Derby. Her final year study was entitled: The environmental effects of biofuels for use within the UK: A lifecycle approach'.
For the study, she examined a range of policy literature regarding the lifecycle of biofuels in the UK including the Gallagher Review on renewable fuels and a range of other Government and other public policy documents about the issue.
She found negativity about the sustainability of biofuels and said: "Much of the literature suggests that biofuels do offer environmental benefits but there are sustainability issues and they are not environmentally friendly at present."
Her study found that to achieve the RTFO (Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation) targets, set by the Government in 2005, 50% of biofuels will have to be imported from abroad by 2010, resulting in global consequences.
Jade, who also scooped the annual Palaeontological Association prize at Derby, said: "Despite having efficient energy ratios, first generation biofuels currently offer limited benefits as they impact negatively upon biodiversity, soil, water and local communities.
"With the transportation sector being responsible for approximately one quarter of global energy-related GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions it is increasingly important to find transport fuels which offer GHG reductions.
"It can be argued that continued support of biofuels is required to motivate developments in second generation and advanced technologies that could provide future environmental benefits.
"For this reason it may be beneficial to retain biomass for biofuels rather than for energy and heat purposes. Therefore, biofuel commitment should continue due to the current limited options of alternative fuels for transport. However substantial effort is required to reduce the negative environmental consequences and advance second generation technologies."
Jade concludes that second generation and advanced technology fuels could hold the answer - an area her student peer Kimran Hayer is now busy exploring.
Kimran secured her four-year PhD project at Nottingham shortly after completing her degree course in the summer and her final dissertation was entitled: 'The effect of ultrasound exposure on the ability of E.coli to take up DNA.'
The 22-year-old, from Littleover, Derby, has joined a team of 30 scientists in the Bioenergy Group looking at how to improve biofuels for future use.
Based in the School of Biology, at University Park, Nottingham, Kimran's research work is focused at the start of the biofuels process, looking at how to convert biomass into biofuel.
Kimran said: "The first step in the conversion process is to break down the plant cell wall. My research work is looking at trying to find the optimum method to break it down most effectively."
If successful, Kimran could have helped identify a way to improve the process to produce the sugars for ethanol production. Her research is also looking at growing the organism in different carbon substrates.
It is significant work and potentially lucrative, as scientists across the globe are in hot pursuit of 'super enzymes' to help improve the process of making biofuels.
It is hoped that such enzymes can help disassemble the tight matrix of compounds such as cellulose and xylan in the cell walls of plants, thus, boosting the cost effectiveness of making cellulosic ethanol.
Jade's main academic tutors at Derby were Dr Andrew Johnson, Oliver Tomlinson and Professor Aradhana Mehra; Kimran's main tutor was Dr Ian Turner.
A University of Derby spokesman said: "We are delighted with the academic performance of both Jade and Kimran and their expertise benefits this exciting area of research. We look forward to sharing their success at graduation."
For more information about this news release, contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Simon Redfern on 01332 591942 or 07748 920038 or email: s.redfern@derby.ac.uk
