National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research 2 articles published in JoVE Bioengineering Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol Patricia J. Slininger1, Maureen A. Shea-Andersh1, Stephanie R. Thompson1, Bruce S. Dien1, Cletus P. Kurtzman2, Leonardo Da Costa Sousa3, Venkatesh Balan3 1Bioenergy Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 2Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 3Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Great Lakes Bioenergy Center, Michigan State University Adaptive evolution and isolation techniques are described and demonstrated to yield derivatives of Scheffersomyces stipitis strain NRRL Y-7124 that are able to rapidly consume hexose and pentose mixed sugars in enzyme saccharified undetoxified hydrolyzates and to accumulate over 40 g/L ethanol. Chemistry A Protocol for the Production of Gliadin-cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles for Hydrophilic Coating Sanghoon Kim1 1USDA/ARS/NCAUR This article presents a protocol for the production of protein-based nanoparticles that changes the hydrophobic surface to hydrophilic. The produced nanoparticle is an assembly of gliadin-cyanoacrylate diblock copolymers. Spray coating with the produced nanoparticle changes the surface of target material to a hydrophilic surface.