• Department Links ▼
  • PBE Home
  • PBE People
  • Quick Facts About PBE
  • History
  • Literature
  • Courses
  • Contact PBE
  • Facilities
  • ESF in the High School
• Undergraduate Programs ▼
  • General Information
  • Degree Programs:
  • Bioprocess Engineering
  • Paper Engineering
  • Paper Science
• Graduate Programs ▼
  • General Information
  • MPS (non-thesis) Program
  • MS & PhD Programs
  • Option Areas:
  • Paper Science and Engineering
  • Bioprocess Engineering
  • Biomaterials Engineering
  • Sustainable Engineering Management
  • Advanced Certificate in Bioprocessing
  • Current Graduate Students
• Resources, Jobs & Careers ▼
  • SPPF: Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation
  • Internships, Co-ops & Research Experiences
  • ESPRI: Empire State Research Institute
  • Careers for Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Graduates
  • ESF Career Services:
  • ESF Career Services Jobs Database
  • PBE Internships

Biomaterials Engineering (BME) Option
Graduate Programs in Paper & Bioprocess Engineering

Participating Faculty

• Thomas E. Amidon; teamidon@esf.edu
  biorefinery, fiber properties, paper properties, management, pulping, bleaching, de-inking
• Biljana Bujanovic; bbujanovic@esf.edu
  chemistry of lignocellulosics and products, lignin structure and reactivity, pulping, bleaching
• Klaus Dölle; kdoelle@esf.edu
  pulp & paper and related environmental topics, design, constructed wetlands, fossil energy, bioenergy, hydropower, water and waste water treatment, paper recycling, filler materials, energy savings, renewable energy & processess, engineering & machine design
• Raymond C. Francis; francis@esf.edu
  bioenergy, chemical engineering, pulping
• Yuan-Zong Lai; yzlai@syr.edu
  chemistry of wood, pulping, bleaching, bioproduct development
• Shijie Liu; sliu@esf.edu
  bioengineering, fermentation, kinetics, separation, pulping, bleaching, fiber properties
• Bandaru V. Ramarao; bvramara@esf.edu
  chemical engineering, instrumentation, flow phenomena, process control
• Gary M. Scott; gscott@esf.edu
  biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, paper machine operations, recycling, modeling

Areas of Study

Biocomposite Materials, Biopolymers (M.S., Ph.D.)

• Paper, cellulosic and natural fibrous materials
• Natural rolled erosion control products
• Bacterial cellulose and polyesters
• Wood, lignocellulosics-based composites, fiber-based composites

Various composites incorporating materials derived from bioresources such as lignocellulosics are critical to the future of sustainable development. This research area is focused toward training students on the design and performance of various composites engineered from sustainable and renewable materials. Biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are of particular interest for production from plant- or tree-based resources. These polymers, besides being produced from sustainable resources, degrade quickly in the environment and reduce the environmental footprint of the products. Therefore they contribute to sustainable living besides incorporating green processing principles. They also avoid the use of fossil carbon sources helping mitigate climate change effects in the environment.

Bioactive Materials and biosensors (M.S., Ph.D.)

• Bioactive paper, cellulosic and natural fibrous materials
• E-paper
• Photosensitive polymers, fibers and materials
• Antimicrobial coatings, fibrous and nonwoven products

Novel and designed materials displaying significant biological activity, e.g. antibody binding, antimicrobials, photosensitive or other kinds of stimuli responsives are being applied for a wide array of sensors and uniquely functional products. Wound and hygiene care, protective materials, identification materials are of interest. 

Nanocomposites and nanostructured materials (M.S., Ph.D.)

• Nanocrystallites of cellulose from wood
• Nanostructured fibrous materials from lignocellulosics
• Functionalized nanomaterials from lignocellulosic raw materials

A new area of research is nanocomposites and nanostructured materials. Many components of plants and trees are nanostructured. For example, cellulose microfibrils liberated from wood and plant cell walls can be incorporated into different polymers to yield composites of unique properties. These materials are usually derived from natural and renewable resources and contribute to sustainability.