IllinoisCollege of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental SciencesEngineering at Illinois
Department of Agricultural and Biological EngineeringDepartment of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
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Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois

Research In ABE

Research Activities

The department's research program areas include environmental protection of air, soil, and water resources; bioenvironmental engineering of plant and animal production facilities; off-road power and machinery design; and food and process engineering. Alternative energy technologies, such as ethanol, biomass conversion, solar, vegetable oil, and agricultural waste utilization, continue to be explored along with efficient management of conventional energy sources. More cooperation with industries that purchase, transport, process, and package agricultural commodities has broadened the scope of agricultural engineering research, especially in the development of monitoring sensors and process control systems using machine vision and other sensors. Research aimed at improving performance and reducing cost at all levels of production with minimal environmental impact is receiving considerable attention in an attempt to keep U.S. agricultural products competitive in the world market. Additionally, new markets, new products, and new uses are being sought for overly abundant agricultural commodities.

Research Groups

Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) -- The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) is a new research and development organization that harnesses advanced knowledge in biology, the physical sciences, engineering, and environmental and social sciences to devise viable solutions to global energy challenges and reduce the impact of fossil fuels to global warming.

Laboratory for Agricultural and Biological Nanotechnology (LAB-NANO)

Summary of Research