Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara
Creating Wonder from Waste
Michelle O鈥橫alley (ENG 2004) seeks scientific breakthroughs through unique chemical reactions on a microbial frontier where few others dream 鈥� or dare 鈥� to tread.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e developing biotechnology from poop,鈥� Michelle says. 鈥淢icrobes do awesome chemistry in our guts. They produce the enzymes that allow us to break food down, absorb nutrients and produce chemicals that keep us healthy.鈥�
Michelle focuses her chemical engineering and biotech skills on the world of large, grazing animals. Domestic livestock like cows and sheep eat fibrous diets, so they are full of unique enzymes that break down woody plant material. In her lab at UC Santa Barbara, she and her research team uncover the chemical processes in these animals. Then they mimic them to turn waste into products at large scale 鈥� possibly unlocking opportunities for new fuels, materials and medicines.
鈥淏ecause plant waste is abundant all over the world, we want to learn how large herbivores break down that material with the microbes in their gut and recreate the process in a bioreactor,鈥� she says.
It鈥檚 important work that鈥檚 earned her a Presidential Early Career Award from President Barack Obama as well as numerous other recognitions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the ultimate turning trash to treasure, right? Agricultural wastes are typically burned for energy,鈥� Michelle says. 鈥淲e would rather use enzymes to turn that waste into a fuel, chemical or a bio-based material that's not harmful for the environment.鈥�
Story by Elizabeth Speed