In Colorado, for decades engineers have dreamed of programming organisms to sustainably produce ethylene, a chemical that is nicknamed “the king of petrochemicals” for its importance in plastics. Now, one hopeful pathway to this petrochemical is nearing reality, via a photosynthetic bacterium that is genetically specialized to turn sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethylene. […]
In the UK, researchers at Cambridge University have developed a low-cost device that can selectively capture carbon dioxide gas while it charges. Then, when it discharges, the CO2 can be released in a controlled way and collected to be reused or disposed of responsibly. Designed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the supercapacitor could […]
In France, in a new study published in Nature Communications on May 24, 2022, a research team from the CNRS and the University of Paris-Saclay was able to develop new polymers that degrade in water in one week, a record time. Thanks to a polymerization technique making it possible to design macromolecules with a controlled […]
In Finland, a recent study conducted by researchers from Åbo Akademi University, University of Turku, and PBI Research Institute, analyzed how much sustainable shipping would affect the prices of different good categories and found it would increase the prices of electronics and transportation equipment by less than a percentage. “The study shows that transportation of […]
In the Netherlands, artificial photosynthesis, like the natural variant in green plants, consists of two parts. One is water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen. The other one is carbon dioxide reduction into energy-rich hydrocarbons. The target is to achieve these two parts in one system that on the one hand reduces the CO2 content of […]
In Michigan, an integrated approach to land management practices in the U.S. can reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere far more than earlier estimates based on separate approaches, Michigan State University researchers say. Their research was published May 31 in the journal Global Change Biology. Researchers are now finding how combining those practices might reduce […]
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 […]
