The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) has selected four research teams to receive 2026-27 seed funds supporting innovative, interdisciplinary research that addresses pressing sustainability, energy, and environmental challenges.
Each team will receive $30,000 to launch new collaborations, generate preliminary results, and advance their work toward larger external funding opportunities. Through its annual Seed Funding Program, iSEE helps researchers build interdisciplinary partnerships, advance innovative ideas, and generate the early results needed to pursue larger research initiatives with real-world impact.
The four selected projects aim to transform food waste into clean aviation fuels, leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuels and safer nuclear energy technologies, and better understand the health of coral reefs threatened by microplastics.
2026-27 Seed funding recipients:
Artificial Intelligence-Augmented Design and Automation of Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Genetically Modified Bioenergy Crops
Principal investigator: Hong Yang, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Co-principal investigators: Jeremy Guest, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Vijay Singh, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Jeff Moore, Department of Chemistry; Diwakar Shukla, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.
This project will use artificial intelligence to accelerate the production of hydrocarbon aviation fuel from a genetically modified non-food bioenergy crop developed at Illinois. Building on a breakthrough catalyst developed by the research team, the project aims to create a more efficient and economically viable pathway for producing next-generation jet fuel.
Circular Carbon Platform for Food Waste: Integrated Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and CO2 Capture Materials
Principal investigator: Jiajun He, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering
Co-principal investigator: Yuanhui Zhang, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
This project will transform food waste into two valuable products: sustainable aviation fuel and advanced carbon materials that capture carbon dioxide. By creating a closed-loop system that converts waste into clean energy and carbon capture technologies, the research aims to advance carbon-negative fuel systems while reducing landfill waste.
A Multi-Omics Investigation of Microplastic Effects on Coral Health
Principal investigator: Rosa Espinosa Marzal, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Co-principal investigators: Jonathan Sweedler, Department of Chemistry; Ran Mei, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Amy Wagoner Johnson, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering; Mayandi Sivaguru, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; Boxuan Zhao, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; Tracy Lawson, Department of Plant Biology.
Coral reefs support marine biodiversity, protect coastlines and sustain communities around the world, yet the effects of microplastics on coral health remain poorly understood. This project will use advanced molecular and biological tools to reveal how microplastics affect coral growth and resilience, laying the foundation for future coral restoration strategies and bio-inspired materials.
AI-Enabled Mechanistic Modeling of FeCrAl Corrosion in Nuclear Energy Systems
Principal investigator: Haohan Wang, School of Information Sciences
Co-principal investigator: Jianqi Xi, Department of Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering.
This project will develop an artificial intelligence-powered modeling system to better predict how advanced nuclear materials corrode over time. The research could accelerate the development of safer, more durable materials for next-generation nuclear reactors while reducing the time and cost of complex scientific simulations.
Together, these four projects demonstrate the breadth of sustainability research at Illinois, bringing together expertise from engineering, environmental science, biology and artificial intelligence to tackle complex challenges with innovative, interdisciplinary solutions. By investing in promising ideas and collaborations, iSEE’s Seed Funding Program helps accelerate research that addresses some of today’s most pressing sustainability, energy and environmental challenges.