In this series, we learn more about what inspired our talented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, what brought them to their field of study, and the questions that drive their work as part of the Wisconsin Energy Institute and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. 

Solar energy is made during the day, but energy demand is highest when the sun sets. In order for intermittent energy sources, like wind and solar, to help in these peak periods, we need a way to store energy. In this episode, we look at energy storage, understanding how we will store energy for a renewable energy future and what ducks have to do with it. We speak to battery researcher Eric Kazyak about how battery storage fits into this picture, from grid scale storage to electric vehicles.

We have talked about the basics of bioenergy and how we access energy from plants, but how does this fit into our lives? In the last episode of our series on bioenergy, we focus on how exactly biofuels fit into our lives and ways they have already made an impact. We speak to researcher Tyler Lark about the big picture of biofuels in the United States, from past and future policy to its effects on the ecosystem.

Wisconsin Energy Center co-investigator Grace Bulltail, a professor with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, has been named as one of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Oustanding Women of Color honorees. 

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison made an unexpected discovery while studying a close relative of the yeast commonly used to ferment beer. The yeast left half its genetic material behind while evolving in the lab. 

In part two of a three part series on bioenergy, we focus on how we extract energy from plants for bioenergy. We'll take a deep dive into the conversion step, accessing that plant's stored energy. We spoke to bioenergy researcher Ben Hall on how yeasts and bacteria are used to eat up plants and produce fuels for our energy future.

Victor Ujor’s fascination with microorganisms — bacteria, fungi, viruses — began with an issue of Time magazine.