In Washington, a team led by current and former Carnegie plant biologists has undertaken the largest ever functional genomic study of a photosynthetic organism. Their work, published in Nature Genetics, could inform strategies for improving agricultural yields and mitigating climate change. Despite its fundamental importance, many of the genes associated with photosynthesis remain uncharacterized. Luckily, […]
In Colorado, perovskite materials may hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner, according to an analysis from scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The NREL scientists analyzed an emerging water-splitting technology called solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production, which can be potentially more energy […]
In Missouri, America is looking for more biofuel through the use of crops such as corn and soybeans, but concerns about higher food prices persist when land for biofuel displaces land for food crops. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are hoping to increase biofuel production without impacting food production. This fall, MU scientists […]
In Germany, the Renewable Carbon Initiative, CO2 Value Europe and nova-Institute have published a study showing the CO2 reduction potential of the chemical industry through carbon capture and utilization. In an exploratory scenario, the study “CO2 reduction potential of the chemical industry through CCU” investigates the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions that can be achieved in […]
In Russia, an international research team from Russia, India and Thailand has presented a technology for manufacturing a reinforcement (strengthening) composite from a waste coconut leaf sheath (CLS). Due to its lightness and strength, it can be used to cover autobahns, create interiors for railway cars and airplanes, as well as for domestic needs. The results of the study have been published in the Polymer Composites journal. […]
In Brazil, a research group at the Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), an arm of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), conducted an interdisciplinary study involving omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) and synchrotron light, and discovered two novel families of enzymes with biotechnological potential produced by microorganisms in the gut of […]
In Washington, D.C., a new assessment published by experts from the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois system found major flaws in a recent paper that made unfounded allegations about the greenhouse gas benefits of ethanol compared to gasoline. Responding to the report Environmental Outcomes of the US […]
In North Carolina, North Carolina State University researchers have developed a new biomaterial that could help solve the worsening problem of plastic pollution by discovering how to convert leftover sawdust powder and agro-residues into a Styrofoam-like packaging material. The wood-based material could someday replace the plastics found in many single-use items. With support from the […]
In Japan, milling rice to separate the grain from the husks produces about 100 million tons of rice husk waste globally each year. Scientists searching for a scalable method to fabricate quantum dots have developed a way to recycle rice husks to create the first silicon quantum dot (QD) LED light. Their new method transforms […]
In Japan, semiconducting nanomaterials with 3D network structures have high surface areas and a lot of pores that make them excellent for applications involving adsorbing, separating, and sensing. However, simultaneously controlling the electrical properties and creating useful micro- and macro-scale structures, while achieving excellent functionality and end-use versatility, remains challenging. Now, Osaka University researchers, in […]
