Missouri’s Researchers Are Turning Off-Season Crops Into Next-Gen Biofuels

• August 14, 2025

Missouri researchers are pioneering next-generation biofuels using plants that don’t compete with food crops, fueling a more sustainable future while preserving food security.

CoverCress, which was recognized as one of America’s Top GreenTech Companies by TIME magazine, was developed in St. Louis from field pennycress, a cover crop that grows in the off-season on existing farmland, adding income for farmers while improving soil health. Now, University of Missouri researchers are advancing this mission with arabidopsis, a close relative of pennycress, to further improve the efficiency and scalability of low-carbon biofuels.

These crops are being engineered to produce higher concentrations of seed oil, boosting profitability for farmers while providing renewable feedstock for biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel.

With world-class research institutions and the largest concentration of plant scientists on the planet, Missouri is an innovation powerhouse in plant science, sustainable energy, and agricultural technology, leading the way in creating solutions that feed, fuel, and heal the world.

Home to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the world’s largest independent nonprofit devoted entirely to plant research, including crop improvement, genetics, bioinformatics, and sustainable agriculture solutions, St. Louis is recognized as an emerging global hub for indoor soilless agriculture innovation.

The 39 North AgTech Innovation District, a 600-acre hub anchored around the Danforth Center, integrates agriculture research institutions, Bayer Crop Science, startups, and accelerators into one collaborative community.

The University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and Missouri’s Agricultural Experiment Station support research in genetics, perennial crops (e.g., breeding perennials that sequester carbon), biofuel feedstocks, pest management, and regenerative soil systems.

Powered by its ag-science expertise, partnerships, and efforts to tackle indoor farming’s energy footprint sustainably, Missouri is at the forefront of advancing climate-smart agriculture for a growing world.