Facilities

Bioindustrial Innovation Center

Waseca, Minnesota

Overview

Technical staff offer business and scientific services in product and process development, product evaluation and testing, along with sourcing materials, equipment, and other professional services.

The facility is used to develop new uses for plant and animal products that provide environmental and economic benefits, with a particular focus on scaling promising concepts toward industrial application.

The main focus areas for adding value include the use and processing of crops, with AURI emphasizing both established and emerging crops, crop residues, and coproducts from commodity processing. Recently, there has been greater focus on identifying productive uses for waste streams from agricultural commodity processing, animal manure, and other agricultural- and food-related waste materials.

Services & Capabilities

The Bioindustrial Innovation Center can process pre-commercial and small commercial-scale quantities of feedstock to perform:

production-environment testing
material characterization
validation of process performance, quality, and economics
demonstration activities
production of material for market and product development

Equipment can be reconfigured to simulate many industrial processes and workflows, enabling the collection of relevant performance data for scale-up, process design, and evaluation. The Center activities are complemented by AURI’s Chemistry Laboratory in Marshall, Minnesota, for analytical services.

AURI’s Bioindustrial Innovation Center is organized around four laboratories:

Applied Biology Laboratory

Focuses on developing bench-scale biological processes, especially for anaerobic systems.

Biomass and Fiber Processing Laboratory

Designed to convert raw agricultural materials, biomass, and coproducts into engineered intermediates and products in controlled, pilot-scale environments.

Grains and Oilseeds Processing Laboratory

Designed for small-scale, pilot-relevant processing of cereals, pulses, and oilseeds.

Anaerobic Digestion Pilot Plant

Two 1,250-gallon tank digesters, each with approximately 1,100 gallons of working volume.

In addition to the labs:

The Center features a training room that can host over 50 people and is equipped with audiovisual aids for training sessions, demonstration workshops, and other outreach and development activities, where access to equipment and facilities enhances impact and effectiveness. Several guest workstations are also available for short-term residencies of third-party professionals collaborating or training with AURI.

Our Team

AURI’s Food scientists are available to provide consulting and technical services in the areas of product and process development, product evaluation and testing, sourcing materials, equipment and services

Alan Doering

Senior Scientist, Coproducts

(218) 281-7600 x126 Email

Jimmy Gosse Ph.D

Senior Scientist, Biobased & Renewable Energy

(218) 281-7600 x114 Email

Camren Nikoley

Bioindustrial Lab Associate

(218)281-7600 x139 Email

John Sorensen

Bioindustrial Facilities Manager

(218)281-7600 x128 Email