On December 4, 2009, Logos Technologies and EdeniQ announced that they were awarded a $20.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to modify and operate a pilot-scale bio-refinery plant to produce low-cost ethanol bio-fuel from cellulosic feedstock, such as corn stover and switch grass. Logos will manage the project, and EdeniQ will be responsible for the modification and operation of their existing refinery site in Visalia, California. The project team also includes Novozymes (enzymes), Ceres (switchgrass), NextStep Biofuels (pelletized corn stover), USDA Forest Products Laboratories (yeast R&D), and U. California-Davis (greenhouse gas emissions analysis). The project utilizes a suite of EdeniQ's proprietary technologies: the Cellunator (mechanical pretreatment), advanced enzymes for conversion of cellulose to sugars, and high-yielding yeasts to ferment the sugars to ethanol. The biofuels produced through this project will reduce CO2 emissions, displace petroleum, and accelerate the industry's ability to achieve production targets for cellulosic and advanced biofuels mandated by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). "Cellulose is the most abundant organic compound on Earth and is a compellingly interesting source of liquid fuels for our future transportation needs," said Dr. Greg Poe, CEO of Logos Technologies. "The technologies being developed by EdeniQ and Logos will dramatically reduce the time and capital required to achieve cellulosic production," predicted Larry Gross, CEO of EdeniQ.