The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) is a new research institution—initiated in 2007 as a collaboration among U.C. Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—whose primary objective is to understand the scientific, technical, and societal challenges associated with large-scale production of biofuels, and with biological aspects of fossil fuel utilization and sequestration. The energy company BP has committed to provide up to $500 M to support the EBI during the next ten years.  The EBI research program is largely focused on five research areas: (1) feedstock development; (2) biomass depolymerization; (3) biofuels production; (4) fossil fuel bioprocessing and carbon sequestration; and (5) environmental, social, and economic dimensions of cellulosic biofuels.  A summary of each of the 50 research projects and programs supported by the EBI and the names of the investigators involved is posted on the EBI website at www.energybiosciencesinstitute.org.