For nearly a decade, Sankar Nair, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a longtime researcher with the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI), has led a collaborative effort to develop technologies that can radically improve the efficiency and profitability of kraft pulp mills. 

“What began as a project to save energy in pulp production has grown into a much broader vision,” Nair explains. “We’re not just trying to make mills more efficient. We’re working to turn the kraft pulp mill into a kraft-based biorefinery that produces multiple higher-value products.” 

From Energy Savings to High-Value Products 

Nair explains that traditional kraft mills use a highly energy-intensive “chemical recovery loop” to handle black liquor — the dark, viscous byproduct left after pulp is separated from wood chips. That loop relies on multistage evaporators and massive recovery boilers to remove water, burn the remaining organics for steam and electricity, and recycle inorganic chemicals back into the process. 

“The original desire from our industry partners was to save energy,” Nair says. “Instead of evaporating the water in black liquor, we asked whether membranes could take on most of the dewatering and potentially cut that energy use in half.” 

Over time, the team realized the opportunity went well beyond efficiency. “We use these membranes in such a way that they actually fractionate the black liquor, not just dewater it,” Nair says. “One stream is rich in lignin; another is rich in organic acids. From those, we can recover and purify components and turn them into entirely new products.” 

Lignin is a complex organic polymer and one of the most abundant biological materials on Earth. It acts as nature’s “glue,” providing plants with structural rigidity and resistance to decay. 

From lignin-rich fractions, the team has already demonstrated carbon materials that can be tailored for battery anodes and porous adsorbents used in environmental remediation and separations — today mostly made from fossil-based carbons. These lignin-derived carbons are of particular interest as a domestic alternative to graphite, a critical battery material that is currently dominated by overseas production. 

On the organic acid side, Nair and Christopher Jones, a Georgia Tech catalysis and reaction engineering expert, have gone a step further, converting those acids into mixtures of much heavier molecules that could become high-performance industrial lubricants and additives. 

“It’s exciting to do a new cascade of reactions to make products that we haven’t really made before,” says Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair and professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.   

Jones explains that green lubricants derived from non-fossil sources have “both high demand and high value.” Georgia Tech has not yet compared the performance of these products to conventional lubricants, but the platform is in place to do so in the future. 

“The products we are pursuing from lignin and organic acids have bulk demand and also can command significantly higher prices than traditional pulp-based outputs,” Nair notes. “That’s essential if the forest products industry is going to be profitable and competitive over the long term.” 

The two researchers have collaborated on three papers, with two already published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (June 2024) and ACS Catalysis (February 2026).  

Scaling Up: Continuous Manufacturing and Field Trials 

A key hurdle in moving from lab concept to mill reality is scalable manufacturing of the membranes themselves. That’s where collaboration with Georgia Tech’s advanced manufacturing community comes in. 

“In recent years, we’ve really focused on how we can manufacture these membranes at low cost and in a continuous, scalable way,” Nair says. “That’s involved close collaboration with colleagues in materials science, mechanical engineering, and Georgia Tech’s manufacturing institutes.” 

Another Georgia Tech collaborator, Tequila Harris, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is leading the effort to move the current small-scale batch process into a continuous, industry-ready, roll-to-roll system that can produce long sheets of reduced graphene oxide membranes. 

A key enabling step to shift from batch-mode production, says Harris, was integrating vacuum pressure into the manufacturing system to support high-throughput continuous production without the use of any volatile organic solvents that are commonly used in membrane production. Harris envisions “high-quality output at production speeds above 60 meters per minute,” which will “dramatically increase production volume while reducing solvent usage and waste, such as water,” says Harris.  

The technology is now mature enough for field testing. The team is preparing to deploy membrane modules at a major pulp and paper mill near Savannah operated by Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM). 

“We’re assembling full membrane modules and installing them in a test skid that will run on real kraft black liquor from the mill,” Nair says. “We’ll collect long-term performance and reliability data that feeds into detailed models of how best to deploy these membranes in a working kraft mill.” 

RYAM leaders, including Larissa Fenn, Director of New Products and Chair of the External Advisory Board for Georgia Tech’s Center for a Renewables-Based Economy From Wood (ReWOOD), help ensure that cutting-edge research remains connected to real-world industry challenges and opportunities.

“Much of our internal research is focused on supporting current operations, customers, and product lines,” Fenn says. “Partnerships with universities allow us to look five to ten years ahead and engage in transformational research that can create entirely new opportunities for our business and the broader forest products industry.”

“The transition to more sustainable materials, chemicals, and fuels represents one of the greatest opportunities our industry has seen in decades,” she adds. “Continued innovation is essential not only for maintaining competitiveness, but also for creating new markets for renewable, wood-based resources and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the forestry sector.”

Fenn emphasized that the impact extends well beyond individual companies.

“The forestry economy is the backbone of many rural communities across Georgia and throughout the Southeast,” she says. “Advancing technologies that create new value from renewable resources helps support landowners, manufacturers, and the communities that depend on this industry.”

Fenn works at RYAM’s Jesup, Georgia facility, which employs more than 800 people and is the largest employer in the local community.

“Facilities like ours are deeply connected to the communities we serve,” Fenn says. “When we invest in innovation, we are investing in the future of manufacturing, forestry, and economic opportunity in rural America.”

Modular Pathways to a Bio-Based Future 

Transforming an operating mill into a full biorefinery isn’t something that happens overnight, and Nair’s group is designing with that reality in mind. 

“All of these technologies are modular and designed to be fully integrated with the kraft process,” he says. “You don’t have to spend billions of dollars up front to build an entirely new plant. You can gradually integrate membrane-based fractionation and stream upgrading technologies for new product streams into the existing kraft process, and each mill can follow its own transition path.” 

That modular design also provides flexibility in how mills manage energy. Diverting black liquor into higher-value products means less organic material available as fuel for the recovery boiler. Still, the energy-efficiency gains from membrane dewatering reduce overall consumption, and mills can draw on grid electricity to make up the difference. 

“The goal is not to save energy for its own sake,” Nair emphasizes. “It’s to use that energy more productively to create value-added outputs that support jobs, rural communities, and a more innovative and resilient bio-based economy in Georgia.” 

The urgency of this work is underscored by the pressures facing the industry: Georgia’s forestry sector has seen paper mill closures since the 1990s, due to digitization and shifts in demand, with three major mill closures in 2025. The Georgia Forestry Commission estimates that mill closures erased the market for 8.3 million tons of timber, and reduced lumber usage, import tariffs, and labor shortages compounded the crisis, according to the 2026 Georgia AG Forecast. New revenue streams and efficiency gains may be essential for mills’ survival. 

Beyond kraft mills, Georgia Tech researchers are already extending the membrane platform to agricultural biomass and municipal waste streams in collaboration with partners like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Texas Tech University. They are also tapping into national initiatives, including the NSF Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER)and the Biobased Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth and Economic Security (BRIDGES). 

Lignin-Derived Materials for the Battery Supply Chain 

Matthew McDowell, co-director of the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center, sees many cross-sector applications for lignin-derived carbon materials, including batteries, which are increasingly foundational to strategic sectors such as mobility, the power grid, and defense. 

Lignin-derived carbons can serve as a domestic replacement for graphite in lithium-ion batteries — a critical material not widely produced in the U.S.   

“Conventional synthetic graphite is derived from crude oil and requires very high temperatures, making it energy-intensive and polluting,” McDowell said, noting that their goal is to convert lignin and cellulose “to high-value battery materials that could enable the growth of a new battery supply chain here in the United States.” He envisions the work one day transitioning to the Advanced Battery Center, which is planning a new facility scheduled to open at the end of 2027 that will enable companies and academic researchers to “build and test full-scale battery cells for translational R&D.”  

Life-cycle analysis carried out by the team has shown benefits in both lower costs and more efficient energy use when making these carbons from biomass sources. 

Today, China leads the world in battery production, with Korea and Japan also long-established leaders. The U.S. is building more domestic capability for national security and economic reasons. 

Researchers at Georgia Tech on the front lines of this work also include Jones, who also collaborated on the lubricants research; Valerie Thomas, Anderson Interface Chair of Natural Systems and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy; and Meisha Shofner, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.  

Thomas is leading research on life-cycle and economic analyses of converting lignin to produce “carbonized lignin” anodes that can replace petroleum‑based synthetic graphite in batteries. She says that lignin‑based graphite can displace petroleum‑derived synthetic graphite, delivering 84% lower energy use, 92% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and lower emissions of other pollutants.  

“This work establishes a supply chain for making batteries, which has really broader impacts throughout Georgia,” says Thomas, who believes lignin-based battery materials will lead to a stronger forest products economy and a more resilient battery supply chain in Georgia.  

McDowell agrees. “Marrying the forest products industry and the battery industry makes a lot of sense for Georgia, because both of those industries are really big,” he says, and both are “key employers in the state.” In his view, innovations could benefit both simultaneously. 

Scott Sinquefield, senior research engineer in RBI, sees the graphene-oxide membrane work as squarely within its charge to modernize the forest products sector that anchors Georgia’s rural economy.   

“Part of our mission is to support this industry and advance it. This falls right under our umbrella,” he said, noting that RBI has been providing scientific support to mills for nearly a century, dating back to its origins as the Institute of Paper Chemistry in 1929. 

The Georgia Tech team’s vision is clear, as Nair explains: “If we can do this right, kraft mills don’t just survive. They become hubs of advanced biomanufacturing that anchor a more resilient and sustainable forest-based economy for the state.” 

Mahmood is a mechanical engineer with more than 23 years of experience in corrosion testing and the manufacturing of recovery boilers and pressure vessels. His work focuses on understanding material behavior under real operating conditions and identifying approaches to improve equipment reliability and safety. 

At RBI, Mahmood oversees corrosion laboratories and chemical inventories that support both industry partners and research initiatives. His work includes slow strain rate testing, electrochemical analysis, high-temperature aqueous corrosion testing, and molten salts corrosion studies—methods used to assess material performance and inform industrial decision-making. 

In parallel, Mahmood conducts field studies in operating facilities, evaluating in-situ corrosion in critical equipment such as recovery boiler tubes, digesters, paper machines, and storage systems. This combination of laboratory and field work provides a more complete understanding of corrosion mechanisms and their impact on industrial processes. 

Through this work, Mahmood contributes to RBI’s efforts to improve the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of industrial systems. 

Learn more about RBI's corrosion testing capabilities.

The island nation imports much of what it consumes, yet many local resources are discarded as waste. These include lobster shells, shrimp shells, and other byproducts from the seafood industry. 

"I noticed that there were a lot of resources that we had on the island that we could use for something in a more sustainable effort, but people weren't actually using that," Rolle said. 

Years later, that observation would shape the direction of his doctoral research in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech. 

As a fellow at the Renewable Bioproducts Institute(RBI), Rolle studied sustainable packaging materials made from naturally sourced compounds such as cellulose and chitin, which can be extracted from the shells of crustaceans, including shrimp and lobster. 

"As you can imagine, that's all of your shrimp shells, your lobster shells, all of those, which essentially would just go in the garbage," he said. 

In the lab, however, those materials became something else entirely. 

Rolle's research focused on transforming renewable materials into packaging alternatives capable of mimicking the performance of traditional petroleum-based plastics. The goal was to create materials that could limit the movement of oxygen and moisture, which are two factors that can quickly degrade food, pharmaceuticals, and other products. 

The work aligned closely with his long-standing interest in sustainability. Before arriving at Georgia Tech, Rolle had researched ways to reduce microplastics in the environment. When exploring graduate programs, he found a similar research path in the lab of Carson Meredith, executive director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute. 

"Carson's research really piqued an interest in me," Rolle said. "I was still on the trying-to-reduce-plastics end, but just from a different approach." 

Instead of addressing plastic pollution after it entered the environment, Rolle's research explored how biodegradable alternatives could help reduce the problem before it began. 

Today, Rolle works as a product development engineer at Sealed Air, where he helps solve packaging challenges for food products. His days are spent investigating why materials behave the way they do on production lines and determining whether a problem originates in the material itself or somewhere in the manufacturing process. 

"If something's not packaging the way it's supposed to, we look at the formulation, how they're running the process, and determine exactly why this is happening," he said. 

Although his current role focuses on conventional packaging materials, many of the scientific principles remain familiar. The polymer chemistry and barrier-property research that shaped his doctoral work now help him evaluate packaging performance in industry. 

But the connection between his research and his career runs deeper than chemistry. 

Growing up in the Bahamas taught Rolle to look at materials differently, not simply for what they are, but for what they could become. At Georgia Tech, that perspective led him to transform seafood waste into potential packaging materials. Today, it helps him solve challenges for products used every day. 

What began with questions about waste and sustainability has evolved into a career focused on understanding materials and improving how they perform. The setting may have changed from a university research lab to the packaging industry, but the curiosity that first brought him to Georgia Tech continues to guide his work. 

Most people never think about paper as an engineered material. Yet everything from shipping boxes and food packaging to paper towels and specialty products depends on materials performing exactly as intended. 

At Georgia Tech's Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI), Jonathan Jean-Louis helps answer those questions. 

A 2019 Georgia Tech mechanical engineering graduate, Jean-Louis works in materials testing, helping industry partners and researchers evaluate paper, metals, and other materials. While much of his work focuses on paper products, he also performs testing on metals and other engineered materials, providing data that companies use to assess quality, compare materials, and guide product development. 

Jean-Louis was drawn to the role because it allowed him to combine engineering with hands-on research and testing. Since joining RBI, he has worked with a variety of clients, ranging from Georgia Tech researchers and students to companies and organizations seeking independent materials evaluation. Among them is the Library of Congress, which relies on materials testing as part of its preservation efforts. 

For Jean-Louis, one of the most overlooked aspects of his field is the amount of engineering behind products people use every day. Materials that appear simple on the surface often undergo extensive testing before reaching consumers. Packaging must withstand transportation. Paper products must meet performance standards. Manufacturers depend on testing data to understand how materials behave under real-world conditions. 

At RBI, that work supports both research and industry. Whether evaluating paper, metal, or emerging materials, Jean-Louis helps generate the data needed to understand how materials will perform under real-world conditions. 

Much of that work happens out of sight, but the results shape products and materials people encounter every day. 

Learn more about RBI's paper, board, and box testing services. 

Preceded by an Industry Advisory Board meeting, the two-day workshop focused on how renewable materials, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing can support more sustainable industrial systems. Discussions throughout the event explored topics ranging from forest health and biotechnology innovations to sustainable packaging and high-value biochemical products derived from forest resources. 

Opening the workshop, RBI Executive Director Carson Meredith emphasized the institute’s focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact. 

“Our goal is to catalyze a community of researchers who focus on solving real-world challenges by investing in team building across interdisciplinary boundaries,” Meredith said. 

Meredith also highlighted the growing need to create higher-value products from renewable resources in addition to traditional commodity materials. 

That focus connected closely with updates on Georgia Tech’s Center for a Renewables-based Economy from Wood (ReWOOD). The center supports research aimed at turning sustainable plant-based materials into products such as aviation fuels, specialty chemicals, solvents, and pharmaceutical ingredients while strengthening connections between research and industry. 

Several presentations focused on improving the long-term health and productivity of working forests. Caterina Villari from the University of Georgia and David Weston from Oak Ridge National Laboratory shared research aimed at protecting trees from diseases such as fusiform rust and brown spot needle blight. Their work combines biotechnology, genetic screening, and artificial intelligence tools to help identify tree varieties that are more resilient to disease and environmental stress. 

The workshop also explored how forest fibers can be used to create more sustainable packaging materials. Patritsia Stathatou from Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering presented research on manufacturing methods designed to reduce water and energy use in paper and packaging production. 

Industry speakers discussed the challenges of bringing those materials into large-scale manufacturing. Michael Joyce, Senior Associate Principal Engineer at Mondelēz International, emphasized that paper-based alternatives must still meet the strength, durability, and performance standards required for existing packaging systems. 

Additional discussions focused on how forest-derived materials can be used to create higher-value products beyond traditional paper and lumber applications. Speakers highlighted a growing interest in converting wood residues and byproducts into specialty chemicals, fuels, and biomaterials that can strengthen the long-term economics of renewable manufacturing. 

Larissa Fenn from Rayonier Advanced Materials discussed the company’s work converting wood-derived materials into natural prebiotics for livestock. In collaborative studies with researchers at the University of Georgia, the products improved livestock gut health and feed efficiency while performing similarly to traditional antibiotics in certain diseased conditions. 

The workshop also included a student poster session and networking event, giving attendees an opportunity to engage directly with RBI Fellows and researchers working across renewable materials and manufacturing research. 

 “What made the workshop especially valuable was having people from different backgrounds and sectors all in the same room looking at these challenges from different perspectives. Those conversations are what move ideas from research into real-world applications,” said Meredith. “RBI will continue to host these workshops as part of our commitment to interdisciplinary research advancing the bioeconomy.  

His work at Georgia Tech is closely tied to the development and operation of the Pressurized Entrained Flow Reactor (PEFR), one of the largest university-operated reactors of its kind used for high-temperature, high-pressure research. The system enables testing under conditions that reflect industrial recovery processes, supporting both fundamental research and applied work with industry partners. 

Sinquefield brings more than two decades of experience in chemical engineering, with a focus on pilot-scale reactor design, control systems, and thermodynamic modeling of aqueous electrolyte systems. He has also worked extensively on boiler fire-side fouling, a persistent issue in industrial recovery operations that affect efficiency, maintenance, and cost. 

Before joining Georgia Tech, Sinquefield completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University and conducted experimental combustion research at Sandia National Laboratories’ Combustion Research Facility in Livermore as part of the Multi-Fuel Combustion Group. 

This year’s cohort is one of the largest in recent years, signaling renewed momentum in the research areas it supports.  

“This year’s projects reflect the strength of our core areas while also showing how the field is expanding,” said Carson Meredith, executive director of RBI. “We’re seeing faculty from more disciplines engage in bioproducts research in ways that open up new opportunities for collaboration and impact.” 

That expansion is reflected in where the fellowships are being awarded. For the first time, RBI has selected faculty from the School of Architecture (ARCH) in the College of Design and the School of Biological Sciences (BIOS) in the College of Science, continuing to broaden participation beyond its traditional base in chemistry and engineering. 

The projects themselves reflect that shift. This year’s projects work on topics ranging from microbial approaches to strengthening forest health to developing next-generation packaging materials, including high-performance barrier coatings and cellulose-derived materials. 

The projects also advance the use of AI and machine learning in bioproducts development, the physics of fiber networks, and converting biomass into pharmaceuticals and synthetic leather. 

Many of these efforts align closely with industry priorities, particularly in packaging, papermaking, and sustainable materials—areas where demand for scalable, sustainable solutions continues to grow. 

Together, the 2026 cohort points to a program that is expanding its reach across disciplines while staying focused on real-world applications of bioproduct research. 

The 2026 RBI Fellowship projects and associated faculty are listed below. 

Physics-Guided Learning of Mechanical Behavior in Forming-Stage Fiber Networks
Shuman Xia*, Ting Zhu*, John Xu (ME/RBI)

Upcycling Wood-Derived Cellulose Nanomaterials into Circular Barrier Coatings for Postharvest Preservation
Vida Jamali*, Amirali Aghazadeh*, Lily Cheung (ChBE/ECE)

Reimagining Southern Forests: Microbial Biotechnology for High Value Climate-Ready Biomass Feedstocks
Joel Kostka*, Ulrika Egertsdotter (BIOS/RBI)

Integrated Experimental-Computational-ML Framework for Accelerated Evaluation and Design of Biodegradable Barrier Coating for Paper-Based Packaging
Aditya Kumar*, YuHang Hu*, Danny Smyl* (CEE/ME)

Direct Method for Analysis of Fiber Orientation in Multiphase Forming
Suhas Jain*, Cyrus Aidun (ME)

Robust Packaging Insert via Phase-Separated Lignin Aerogel Particle-Supported Cellulose Hydrogel Composites
Shucong Li*, Julene Tong (MSE/ChBE)

Towards Continuous Processes from Biochar to Pharmaceuticals
Andy Bommarius, Anthony "Bo" Arduengo, Jesse McDaniel (ChBE/CHEM)

ALD Modification of Nanocellulosic Films for Ultra-High Barrier Performance
Mark Losego, Meisha Shofner (MSE)

Biomass-Derived Glycosyl Furans for the Development of Novel Value-Added Materials
Stefan France, Chris Jones (CHEM/ChBE)

Design and Scale-Up of Mechanochemical Reactors for Cellulose Biorefining
Fani Boukouvala, Carsten Sievers (ChBE)

Xylohyde™: The Sustainable Production of Synthetic Leather from Cellulose
Anthony "Bo" Arduengo, Chris Luettgen (CHEM/RBI/ChBE)

Tailorable PLA-Alginate High-Performance Bio-Nanocomposites via Chitosan Cationic Bridging of Sargassum-Derived Alginate and Polylactic Acid (PLA)
Karl Jacob, Ingebourg Rocker*, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Hamid Garmestani (ME, ARCH, MSE)

*Indicates first-time RBI fellowship recipients.  

The Multiphase Forming Lab is the only system of its kind in North America, designed to significantly reduce the amount of water required in the papermaking process. Lowering water usage—by up to 70 percent—the system also reduces the heat and energy needed for drying, one of the most energy-intensive stages in production. This work has direct implications for improving efficiency, reducing costs, and supporting more sustainable manufacturing practices across the industry. 

Xu brings more than 20 years of experience in laboratory and pilot-scale papermaking systems, with expertise spanning fluid mechanics, materials science, instrumentation development, and process design. His work has consistently focused on bridging research and application, supporting both product development and process optimization. 

Xu works with RBI members and industry partners to apply research insights to real-world manufacturing challenges, with a focus on reducing energy consumption and advancing next generation bioproducts.  

Learn More 

Georgia Tech is pleased to partner with the Georgia Forestry Commission on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp’s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia’s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state. The initiative will establish pilot facilities and accelerate technology to business transfer in partnership with industry, with the long-term goal of enabling multiple manufacturing sites across Georgia.  

“We appreciate the state’s investment in helping move these innovations from the lab to Georgia businesses,” said Carson Meredith, executive director of Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI). “We also acknowledge the critical support of industry collaborators and partners like the Georgia Forestry Association and Georgia Forestry Foundation.” 

The work builds on collaborative interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech involving School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professors Andreas Bommarius, Chris Luettgen and Meredith; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Stefan France and Professor of the Practice A.J. “Bo” Arduengo; and H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial Systems and Engineering Professor Valerie Thomas. Gary Black, RBI program manager, has also contributed to this effort. It is led by RBI’s Center for a Renewables-Based Economy from Wood (ReWOOD.) The effort reflects years of cross-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff committed to advancing sustainable, wood-based technologies. 

SILs serve on RBI’s leadership team and play a strategic role in expanding interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening Georgia Tech’s leadership in the bioeconomy, and catalyzing new research and education initiatives across campus. 

“RBI’s work has always been about connecting strong science and engineering to the needs of Georgia’s forestry and renewable materials industries,” said Carson Meredith, director of RBI. “Joel and Titiksha bring leadership that strengthens both sides of that work — advancing the biological foundations of renewable systems while building the business and entrepreneurship capacity needed to translate discovery into durable impact.” 

Advancing Microbial Biotechnology for the Forest Bioeconomy 

Joel Kostka, Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the School of Biological Sciences, will lead a strategic initiative focused on microbial biotechnology in renewable bioproducts. His initiative leverages microbiology and microbiome engineering in a systems approach to address woody biomass utilization, biorefining, microbial contamination in pulp and paper processing, and the development of forest and plant feedstocks. 

The effort complements RBI’s existing strengths in chemistry and engineering, including initiatives such as the Center for a Renewables-Based Economy from Wood (ReWOOD), by bringing cutting-edge microbial science into the modernization of the forest industry. 

The initiative centers on two core areas: improving biomass deconstruction and bioconversion, and engineering plant and soil microbiomes to support the development of climate-resilient biomass feedstocks. 

“Natural microbiomes, those microbes that are intimately associated with plants and soils, already drive the natural cycles that break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, and help plants to grow better,” said Kostka. “If we understand and engineer those systems more intentionally, we can unlock more efficient bioconversion pathways and help build a forest bioeconomy that is both productive and climate resilient.” 

Kostka’s research studies the role of microbes in the functioning of ecosystems ranging from oceans to terrestrial subsurface environments. Through this initiative, he aims to connect that foundational microbial science to use-inspired solutions in renewable bioproducts. 

Bridging Business and Bioproducts 

Titiksha Fernandes will lead RBI’s initiative to develop structured collaboration with the Scheller College of Business. Her effort will establish a strategic framework for exploring deeper RBI–Scheller engagement across research, education, and entrepreneurship. 

The initiative will explore integrating business training into RBI fellowship programs, engaging business graduate students in RBI research, strengthening industry partnerships, and advancing joint entrepreneurship activities that translate scientific discoveries into ventures. 

“Scientific innovation alone doesn’t create impact,” said Fernandes. “We need the strategy, entrepreneurship, and systems thinking that allow discoveries to move from the lab into markets and communities. This initiative is about building those pathways intentionally.” 

Fernandes currently serves as extension professional for the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, an initiative of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. In this role, she advances initiatives in materials circularity and food and agriculture. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and is a Certified Circular Economy Manager, with experience designing sustainability and resource efficiency policy at national and state levels, including work on e-waste reform in India and circular economy implementation in the U.S. 

RBI’s Strategic Initiative Leaders are appointed for renewable 12-month terms and are expected to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations that extend beyond their home units. Leaders participate in shaping research directions, reviewing fellowship proposals, developing workshops and symposia, and connecting faculty, students, industry, and national laboratories.