New Richmond Lab Expected To Create Innovative Bio-Fuel

RICHMOND (KCBS) – A Lawrence Berkeley Lab scientist claims a new research campus in Richmond will work on reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil by turning bio-mass into bio-fuel.

Scientist Jay Keasling, associate director for biosciences at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, said that a new campus opening up at the Richmond Field Station will bring talented minds together to come up with an alternative to foreign oil.

"We'd love to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and one of the big things that we're trying to do is convert all of the bio-mass that we have in the U.S. that goes unused into bio-fuels," said Keasling.

KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:

If that could be done, predicts Keasling, the U.S. could replace about half the amount of foreign oil this country imports annually. He said that his team is up to the challenge.

"I represent the more than 800 people in biology and bio-engineering at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who will be the first people to inhabit this site, and do work at this site," said Keasling.

The second Lawrence Berkeley Lab campus at the East Bay location is expected to open sometime in 2016. Other areas of research will include genomics, cancer and renewable energy.

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