In Washington state, a University of Washington team is trying to make poplar a viable competitor to fossil fuels by testing the production of younger poplar trees that could be harvested more frequently—after only two or three years—instead of the usual 10- to 20-year cycle. These trees, essentially juveniles compared with fully grown adults, are […]
In Tennessee, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have released the largest-ever single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset of genetic variations in poplar trees, information useful to plant scientists as well as researchers in the fields of biofuels, materials science, and secondary plant metabolism. For nearly 10 years, researchers with DOE’s […]
In Tennessee, GreenWood Resources has licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology based on the discovery of a gene in poplar (Populus trichocarpa) that makes it easier to convert poplar trees into biofuels. GreenWood, a global timberland investment and asset management company based in Oregon, plans to commercialize the technology to select and breed better […]
In Tennessee, a small stand of poplar trees harvested from a University of Tennessee AgResearch Center is set to help scientists progress further down the path toward low-cost, high-quality biomass and a bioeconomy. Located on UT’s East Tennessee AgResearch Center in Blount County, the 10-acre plot of hybrid poplars was planted just over four years […]
In Washington state, research to produce biofuels from poplar trees at commercial scale has been negatively impacted by low fuel prices as well. More than four years after the University of Washington received $40 million from the USDA to research tree-based biofuels, commercial production still requires oil to be above $80 per barrel. At $100 […]
In Washington state, a five-year, $40 million study is laying the foundation for a Pacific Northwest industry that converts sustainably produced poplar feedstock into fuels and chemicals. The research, led by the University of Washington, will seed the world’s first wood-based cellulosic ethanol production facility. The handful of other cellulosic ethanol factories use agricultural waste […]
In Maryland, Intrexon Corporation has entered into a collaboration with FuturaGene Group, a subsidiary of Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A., the second largest producer of eucalyptus pulp in the world. The collaboration aims to increase biomass in eucalyptus and poplar trees. This collaboration will utilize Intrexon’s platform to design complex, innovative gene constructs and FuturaGene’s […]
In Washington state, fall is harvest season and kicks off Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest’s first harvest of hybrid poplar for bioenergy. The Jefferson, Oregon and Hayden, Idaho demonstration sites were both harvested at the end of September and early October respectively. The trees grew rapidly at both sites and were ready for the first harvest […]
High on our popular poplar list, this study appeared this spring from Michigan State University and found that poplar trees genetically engineered for deconstruction may be a boon for biofuels. “By designing poplars for deconstruction,” says Curtis Wilkerson, “we can improve the degradability of a very useful biomass product. Poplars are dense, easy to store, and they […]
In Michigan, poplar trees genetically engineered for deconstruction may be a boon for biofuels, according to a Michigan State University study. “By designing poplars for deconstruction,” says Curtis Wilkerson, “we can improve the degradability of a very useful biomass product. Poplars are dense, easy to store, and they flourish on marginal lands not suitable for […]
