The Center for Innovative Biomaterial Education and Research (CIBER) is directed at addressing key material science/chemistry/biochemistry parameters that limit greater exploitation of biomass for biopolymers and biomaterials.  This multidisciplinary team is chartered to develop:

• An innovative, leading-edge national collaborative research program directed at developing new biomaterial polymers from this nation’s forest resources.
• An educational program to teach the next generation of scientists and engineers about the science/technology and social issues concerning biomass conversion. 
• An e-center for the collection and dissemination of research publications, editorial discussions and databases concerned with the research, application, testing, and concerns dealing with biomaterials.

The objective of CIBER is two-fold: (1) to educate professionals and the general public on the opportunities and science of converting biomass into innovative biomaterial: (2) develop new technologies that will provide valuable and practical biomaterials from biomass. These new materials will have broad applications in the packaging, transportation, and health care industry, and will displace the need for nonrenewable, petroleum-based materials currently employed.  The need to develop new materials from bio-based feedstocks has seen increasing national importance as acknowledged in Presidential Executive Order 13134, titled “Developing and Promoting Bio-based Products and Bio-energy.”  This order challenges the research community to develop new materials derived from renewable biomaterials. The research deliverables of this proposal will be of prime value to the U.S.A. forest products industry that ranks among the top ten U.S. manufacturing industries.