In Washington state, a new artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through lignin, the tough polymer that helps woody plants hold their shape. Lignin also stores tremendous potential for renewable energy and materials. Reporting in the journal Nature Communications, a team of researchers from Washington State University and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest […]
In Pennsylvania, Lehigh University’s Energy Research Center has been awarded a new $3.5 million project by the Department of Energy for the development of advanced technology for rapid detection and analysis of MSW streams. This project is part of a $34 million effort to support high-impact research and development to improve and produce biofuels, biopower, […]
In Canada, researchers at The University of British Columbia are studying how bacteria transform wood-derived compounds into useful chemicals. The researchers used the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to study an enzyme that breaks down the ring structures found in lignin, a major component of the woody biomass that is burned by […]
In Texas, Texas A&M AgriLife scientists are learning how to alter the ratio of potatoes’ two starch molecules—amylose and amylopectin—to increase both culinary and industrial applications. For example, waxy potatoes, which are high in amylopectin content, have applications in the production of bioplastics, food additives, adhesives and alcohol. Two articles recently published in the International […]
In China, joint research team led by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of Science and Technology of China has developed a hybrid electro-biosystem, coupling spatially separate CO2 electrolysis with yeast fermentation, which efficiently converted CO2 to […]
In Washington, enzyme electrodes are useful in a range of applications, including biosensing systems and electrochemical devices. Biofuel cells (BFCs) are specially promising candidates for powering a variety of bioelectronic devices by converting biochemical energy into electricity under mild biological conditions. Despite their characteristics, most biofuel cells provide low power output and short-term operational stability […]
In Japan, photoreduction of CO2 into transportable fuel like formic acid (HCOOH) is a great way of dealing with CO2’s rising levels in the atmosphere. To aid in this mission, a research team from Tokyo Tech chose an easily available iron-based mineral and loaded it onto an alumina support to develop a catalyst that can […]
In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) funds R&D of technologies necessary for deployment and production of cost-competitive bioenergy, primarily biofuels, and they just published the latest report with a status of those R&D efforts at the end of 2020 and the technical challenges and barriers facing the industry. This […]
In Sweden, international research team led by researchers of Stockholm University has for the first time been able to study the surface of a copper-zinc catalyst when carbon dioxide is reduced to methanol. The results – obtained at DESY´s brilliant light source PETRA III – are published in the scientific journal Science. A better knowledge […]
In Australia, in a bid to replace the harmful chemicals used in durable water repellent (DWR) textile coatings, a new research collaboration is developing a sustainable alternative made from biopolymers. The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has granted New Zealand based biotechnology research company, Humble Bee Bio, and Deakin University A$70,000 to develop and […]
