Author Archive: Jim Lane

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Textile Innovation Company Evrnu Surpasses $9 Million in Series A Round led by Radicle Impact

Textile Innovation Company Evrnu Surpasses $9 Million in Series A Round led by Radicle Impact

October 5, 2019 |

In Washington state, Evrnu closed $9.1M in Series A financing for regenerative fiber technologies, including the recent debut of NuCycl, . The financing round was led by Radicle Impact who has joined the Evrnu board. Additionally, new investors include Twynam Investments Pty Ltd, Plum Alley Investments, The Mills Fabrica Fund and Giant Leap Fund.  They […]

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New process for controlling the structure of platinum nanoparticles promises breakthroughs in biofuels catalysts

New process for controlling the structure of platinum nanoparticles promises breakthroughs in biofuels catalysts

October 5, 2019 |

In Wales, researchers led by the Cardiff Catalysis Institute in collaboration with scientists from Lehigh University, Jazan University, Zhejiang University, Glasgow University, University of Bologna, Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH), and University College London have developed a techniqueto control and manipulate the structures of metal nanoparticles. These metal nanoparticles are widely used by industry as […]

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Industrial Microbes and Opus 12 win DOE award to produce chemicals from waste

Industrial Microbes and Opus 12 win DOE award to produce chemicals from waste

October 5, 2019 |

In California, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced a $1M SBIR Phase II grant award for a collaboration between Industrial Microbes and Opus 12 to facilitate the integration of Industrial Microbes’s methane-to-industrial-chemicals platform with Opus 12’s CO2-to-methane platform. The companies’ combined technology addresses remediation of the two most important GHG gases: CO2 and methane. […]

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Tolerating Even More: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Improving Yeast Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

Tolerating Even More: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Improving Yeast Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

October 3, 2019 |

Wouldn’t it be great if we could boost fermentation of high-toxicity biomass hydrolysates? Well, folks are working on this via enhanced biocatalytic tolerance. At the recent DOE BETO 2019 Project Peer Review, Felix Lam and Gregory Stephanopoulos from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, shared how they are working on a yeast bioprocess that is tolerant to […]

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Face fungus, sustainable camping gear, stationery made from stone, renewable naphtha, hydrogen-powered tugboat: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of October 4th

Face fungus, sustainable camping gear, stationery made from stone, renewable naphtha, hydrogen-powered tugboat: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of October 4th

October 3, 2019 |

October has arrived with fall fashion, and amongst our offerings this week, the latest in face fungus, sustainable camping gear and apparel. For those looking for a sustainable statement, why not stationery made from stone. Not to mention, renewable naphtha, liquefaction technology, wax coatings, the first hydrogen-powered tugboat, and much more.   #1 Australian company […]

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An Identity Crisis—Ethanol Blending is a Refinery?

An Identity Crisis—Ethanol Blending is a Refinery?

October 2, 2019 |

By Dave VanderGriend, President Urban Air Initiative Special to The Digest There have been many Hollywood movies where a character woke up to find they had become something else—a grown up becoming a kid, or a woman becoming a man, and so forth. Seems crazy but perhaps not so much because anyone who owns a […]

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“The mindset is there, we need the technologies and to integrate them: the time is now”: Looking at Enerkem’s evolution and the rise of the circular economy

“The mindset is there, we need the technologies and to integrate them: the time is now”: Looking at Enerkem’s evolution and the rise of the circular economy

October 2, 2019 |

From Enerkem in Canada comes the news that the company has snagged outgoing Chief Technology Officer and Director of Sustainability at AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, Peter Nieuwenhuizen. AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals spun out as Nouryon and now Nieuwenhuizen has spun out in to the world of emerging companies, after a 25-year run at Akzo. Nouryon, and Enerkem […]

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Engineering Thermophiles to Produce Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Syngas Bioprocess

Engineering Thermophiles to Produce Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Syngas Bioprocess

October 2, 2019 |

Drop-in fuels from syngas are in. Syngas feedstocks are relatively inexpensive and diverse, thermophiles have several unique advantages, and end products have value as fuel and solvent applications among others. Sounds like win, win, win, right? But the big question that Kiverdi and NREL are working on right now are how to develop recombinant thermophilic […]

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$73 Million, 35 Projects, who won, for what and why: The DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 Project Selections

$73 Million, 35 Projects, who won, for what and why: The DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 Project Selections

October 1, 2019 |

In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected 35 projects totaling $73 million for bioenergy research and development support. Funded through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects will help reduce the price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower, and enable high-value products from biomass or waste resources. […]

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Better Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to PET Upcycling

Better Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to PET Upcycling

October 1, 2019 |

As frustrated as you may get with your pet sometimes, we aren’t talking about upcycling dogs and cats here, but PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic that is typically landfilled. One group at NREL and ORNL are working on developing cost-effective biological methods to better breakdown and upcycle PET. At the recent DOE BETO 2019 Project Peer […]

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