Biofuels and Bioproducts: Replacing the whole barrel

Many of the things we use every day, including plastic bottles, lip balm, and crayons, are made from petroleum. This fossil fuel is also made into gasoline and diesel to power our cars, trucks, and boats. Negative environmental impacts of using fossil fuels, from climate change to water and air quality issues have prompted scientists and engineers at UW–Madison to find ways to make many of these everyday things – and other materials that aren't originally fossil fuel derived - out of plants.