Rebecca G. Ong

Contact

rgong1@mtu.edu
906-487-2662
Chem Sci 717A

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Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Co-Director, Graduate Programs, Chemical Engineering

PhD, Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University
BS, Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
BS, Biological Sciences (Plant Biology), Michigan Technological University

Links of Interest

Faculty Webpage

Courses Taught

CM5300 – Advanced Transport Phenomena
CM3979/ENT3979 – Alternative Energy Processes and Technologies
CM4125 - Bioprocess Engineering Lab

Research Interests

Lignocellulosic-Based Biofuels and Biomaterials
Sustainability of Bioenergy Production Systems

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Williams DL, Ong RG, Mullet JE, Hodge DB. Integration of pretreatment with simultaneous counter-current extraction of energy sorghum for high-titer mixed sugar production. Front. Energ. Res. In Press.
Zhang Y, Oates LG, … and Ong RG. Diverse lignocellulosic feedstocks can achieve high field-scale ethanol yields while providing flexibility for the biorefinery and landscape-level environmental benefits. Glob. Change Biol. Bioenergy (2018). doi:10.1111/gcbb.12533.
Ong RG, Shinde S, da Costa Sousa L, et al. Pre-senescence harvest of switchgrass inhibits xylose utilization by engineered yeast. Front. Energ. Res. 2018. 6(52).
Kumar R, Bhagia S, Smith MD, Petridis L, Ong RG, et al. Cellulose-hemicellulose interactions at elevated temperatures increase cellulose recalcitrance to biological conversion. Green Chem. 2018. 20(4):921-934.
Williams DL, Crowe JD, Ong RG, et al. Water sorption in pretreated grasses as a predictor of enzymatic hydrolysis yields. Bioresource Technol. 2017; 245:242-249.
Crowe JD, Feringa N, Pattathil S, Merritt B, Foster C, Dines D, Ong RG, Hodge DB. Identification of developmental stage and anatomical fraction contributions to cell wall recalcitrance in switchgrass. Biotechnol. Biofuels 2017; 10:184
Valli L, Rossi L, Fabbri C, Sibilla F, Gattoni P, Dale BE, Ong RG, Bozzetto S, et al. Greenhouse gas emissions of electricity and biomethane produced using the Biogasdoneright™ system: four case studies from Italy. BioFPR 2017; http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1002/bbb.1789.
Ong RG, et al. Inhibition of microbial biofuel production in drought-stressed switchgrass hydrolysate. Biotechnol. Biofuels 2016; 9:237.
Park S-H, Ong RG, & Sticklen M. Strategies for the production of cell wall-deconstructing enzymes in lignocellulosic biomass and their utilization for biofuel production. Plant Biotechnol. J. 2016; 14:1329 1344.
Serate J, Xie D, …Ong RG, and Zhang YP. Controlling microbial contamination during hydrolysis of AFEX-pretreated corn stover and switchgrass: effects on hydrolysate composition, microbial response and fermentation. Biotechnol. Biofuels 2015; 8(1):1-17.
Karlen DL, Beeler LW, Ong RG, Dale BE. Balancing energy, conservation, and soil health requirements for plant biomass. J. Soil Water Conserv. 2015; (70); 5:279-287.
Park, S-H, Mei C, Ong RG, Sticklen M. Lignin Down-regulation of Zea mays via dsRNAi and Klason Lignin Analysis. J. Vis. Exp. 2014; (89):e51340, doi:10.3791/51340.
Dale BE, Ong RG. Design, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable bioenergy production systems. BioFPR. 2014; 8:487-503
Dale BE, Anderson JE, …Ong RG, et al. Take a closer look: Biofuels can support environmental, economic and social goals. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 2014; 48:7200-7203.
Shao Q, Cheng C, Ong RG, Zhu L, Zhao C. Hydrogen peroxide presoaking of bamboo prior to AFEX pretreatment and impact on enzymatic conversion to fermentable sugars. Bioresour. Technol. 2013; 142:26-31.
Dale BE, Ong RG. Energy, wealth, and human development: Why and how biomass pretreatment research must improve. Biotechnol. Progr. 2012; 28:893-898.
Park S-H, Mei C, Pauly M, Ong RG, Dale BE, Sabzikar R, Fotoh H, et al. Down-regulation of maize cinnamoyl-CoA reductase via RNAi technology causes brown midrib and improves AFEX-pretreated conversion into fermentable sugars for biofuels. Crop Sci. 2012; 52:2687-2701
Kim S, Dale BE, Ong RG. An alternative approach to indirect land use change: Allocating greenhouse gas effects among different uses of land. Biomass Bioenerg. 2012; 46:447-452.
Garlock RJ, Bals B, Jasrotia P, Balan V, Dale BE. Influence of variable species composition on the saccharification of AFEX™ pretreated biomass from unmanaged fields in comparison to corn stover. Biomass Bioenerg. 2012; 37:49-59.
Garlock RJ, Balan V, Dale BE. Optimization of AFEX™ pretreatment conditions and enzyme mixtures to maximize sugar release from upland and lowland switchgrass. Bioresour. Technol. 2012; 104:757-768.
Garlock RJ, Wong YS, Balan V, Dale BE. AFEX pretreatment and enzymatic conversion of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to soluble sugars. Bioenergy Res. 2012; 5:306-318.
Garlock RJ, Balan V, Dale BE, Ramesh Pallapolu V, Lee YY, Kim Y, Mosier NS, et al. Comparative material balances around pretreatment technologies for the conversion of switchgrass to soluble sugars. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11063-11071.
Falls M, Shi J, Ebrik MA, Redmond T, Yang B, Wyman CE, Garlock R, et al. Investigation of enzyme formulation on pretreated switchgrass. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11072-11079.
Shi J, Ebrik MA, Yang B, Garlock RJ, Balan V, Dale BE, Ramesh Pallapolu V, et al. Application of cellulase and hemicellulose to pure xylan, pure cellulose, and switchgrass solids from leading pretreatments. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11080-11088.
Kim Y, Mosier NS, Ladisch MR, Ramesh Pallapolu V, Lee YY, Garlock R, Balan V, et al. Comparative study on enzymatic digestibility of switchgrass varieties and harvests processed by leading pretreatment technologies. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11089-11096.
Donohoe BS, Vinzant TB, Elander RT, Pallapolu VR, Lee YY, Garlock RJ, Balan V, et al. Surface and ultrastructural characterization of raw and pretreated switchgrass. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11097-11104.
Tao L, Aden A, Elander RT, Pallapolu VR, Lee YY, Garlock RJ, Balan V, et al. Process and technoeconomic analysis of leading pretreatment technologies for lignocellulosic ethanol production using switchgrass. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11105-11114.
Pallapolu VR, Lee YY, Garlock RJ, Balan V, Dale BE, Kim Y, Mosier NS, et al. Effects of enzyme loading and βglucosidase supplementation on enzymatic hydrolysis of switchgrass processed by leading pretreatment technologies. Bioresour. Technol. 2011; 102:11115-11120
Garlock RJ, Chundawat SPS, Balan V, Dale BE. Optimizing harvest of corn stover fractions based on overall sugar yields following ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Biotechnol. Biofuels 2009; 2:29.

Book Chapters

Ong RG, Chundawat SPS, Hodge DB, Keskar S, Dale BE. Linking Plant Biology and Pretreatment – Understanding the Structure and Organization of the Plant Cell Wall and Interactions with Cellulosic Biofuel Production. In: McCann MC, Buckeridge MS, Carpita NC, eds. Plants and BioEnergy: Springer New York; 2014, p. 231-253.
Chundawat SPS, Bals B, Campbell T, Sousa L, Gao D, Jin M, Eranki P, Garlock R, et al. Primer on Ammonia Fiber Expansion Pretreatment. In: Wyman CE, ed. Aqueous Pretreatment of Plant Biomass for Biological and Chemical Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., 2013, p. 169-200.
Balan V, Bals B, da Costa Sousa L, Garlock R, and Dale BE, A Short Review on Ammonia-based Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreatment, in Chemical and Biochemical Catalysis for Next Generation Biofuels. 2011, The Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 89-114.