As a part of Science Expeditions 2009, GLBRC will be presenting a program titled “Grassoline: Driving Away from Corn.” The program will focus on ways to make ethanol from different plants, as well as the opportunities and challenges of growing fuel for our cars. Students will run fermentation experiments using different feedstocks, get to grind their own corn, and see a demo of the production process from raw material, to pretreatment to fermentation to ethanol.

Read more about Science Expeditions below:

For the seventh year in a row, Science Expeditions welcomes anyone with a curious mind to enjoy a variety of jaw-dropping shows, hands-on exhibits and more. Join scientists and students on Saturday, April 4, to find out how things work and what’s going on in research near and far.

Organizers value the chance to both celebrate and give back to the community.

“It’s a way for us to share our science, and the enthusiasm we have as scientists, with the general public,” says Kevin Niemi, director of UW-Madison’s Office for Science Outreach. “We’re not just conducting theoretical experiments; what we do on campus has implications for everyone’s life, and we can change people’s lives and make them better through their shared support of science.”

Combining some of UW-Madison’s most popular science shows with new activities and expanded exhibition hours, Science Expeditions has something for everyone.

Science Spectaculars feature lively demonstrations more thrilling than magic. From noon-4 p.m., “Science is Fun,” and “The Wonders of Physics,” alternate each hour in UW-Madison’s Stock Pavilion, while “Fusion Science Theater” takes place in the Microbial Sciences Building.

Also in Microbial Sciences, as well as the Biochem Addition, dozens of Exploration Stations offer a chance to interact with scientists. From noon-4 p.m., visitors can get a close-up view of some of the cutting-edge work taking place on campus: animal biology from the School of Veterinary Medicine, DNA research, biotechnology, IceCube’s neutrino work at the South Pole and more.

Read the full release here.