Thousand Oaks Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. received a $5 million advanced research grant to develop higher biomass yields from its Energy grasses.

The three-year project is expected to begin next month.

Among the various types of tests, Ceres researchers will test advanced traits in a variety of energy grasses such as switchgrass, sorghum and miscanthus. Upon successful completion, the Ceres traits would undergo a customary evaluation by USDA prior to full commercialization

“At the heart of our ambitions for a full-scale bioenergy industry will be how well we utilize our land resources,” said Richard Hamilton, Ceres chief executive. “With greater use of technology, increased productivity will go hand-in-hand with greater sustainability.”

The grant was given by the America Competes Act, a program managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, part of the U.S. Department of Energy.