Feed tech updates hit funding snags at University of Illinois

Both projects had some funding coming through the state, said Neal Merchen, association dean for research in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. But, the state also has been without a budget since July.

For the feed technology complex, the university has put together a prospectus on what it is planning to do and update, he told FeedNavigator.

The university announced the project in the fall of 2014 after, industry partner Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) had offered $1.5m and the state approved $3.5m, school officials said. The university also had budgeted about $5m for the project, added Merchen.

However, a different governor was elected later that fall, he said. “It’s been a significant frustration in terms of being able to move that project along,”​ he said.

“Ever since the election the state has been deadlocked regarding budgetary issues including things like this,”​ he said.

Technology updates​

In addition to moving the feed technology complex to the south farms area of campus, the proposed updates would bring in new technology and possibly a new curriculum, said Merchen.

“We have a feed mill here that dates back to the early 1920s, and functionally it still operates fine,” ​he said. “We’ve had good employees over the years that have kept things together, and cobbled things together, and used it to carry out successful research in animal nutrition. But, it’s well past the point that it should be replaced.”​

It has seen some equipment updates, he said. But, the new building would be a modular type research facility with a focus on improving the equipment used for extrusion, encapsulation and ingredient utilization.

“A lot of the equipment is designed to do the same type of thing as the equipment the current one has, but [there have been] improvements in technology,” ​he said. “We grind materials, we mix materials, we often further process [them] by pelleting, by extrusion processing, by some processing like steam rolling and steam flaking. It’s to put together as many different options that we can within the budget.” ​

Construction has already started on the IBRL and it is about 25-30% complete, said Merchen. However, work stopped in July when the former state budget ended.

However, the technology budget for the project has covered several pieces of new equipment already, he said. “There is an equipment budget for the building, and there have been decisions made about some of the equipment made and purchased in terms of larger scale fermenters that might be related to biofuel, or development of different bacterial strains that might be used to express or produce larger quantities of higher value products,” ​he added.

Some of the pieces designated for the laboratory include several advanced fermenters, a Parr reactor, a hammer mill, accelerated solvent extractor, a nitrogen analyzer and wet and dry corn milling equipment, said university officials. The reactor aids deconstruction of biomass cell walls.

“It’s targeted on processing technology on biofuels and value added products that can be derived from agricultural technologies,” ​said Merchen. “[These] might be nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals that can be derived from plants and cereal grain.”​

One goal of the center will be to allow for a partnership between researchers and industry, he said. The space is being designed for allow for projects to be scaled up from the “lab bench”​ but not to full industrial levels.

Program updates​

When completed, the feed technology complex project was set to be a piece of larger project to draft a new educational program, said Merchen. It would involve educational opportunities offered by the new center and work to be done at the IBRL.

“We have a strong food science program, a food science pilot plant going through updating and top flight food animal nutrition program,” ​he said. “We have strong programs in equipment engineering – to me, I think we would be missing a big opportunity if we couldn’t take all those opportunities and integrate them into an education program for students unlike [what] they can get elsewhere.”​

The new infrastructure would give support a curriculum designed around feed and food technology, he said.