In Texas, Science News reports that University of Houston researchers have developed a more resilient yeast to convert corn stover into ethanol that has yields on a par with producing ethanol from corn kernels. By genetically modifying baker’s yeast, the aldehydes byproduct of the feedstock preprocessing that often kills yeasts and has thus far limited […]
In South Korea, scientists from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology proposed a reaction for the highly selective production of 1-butanol, a valuable alternative fuel, by electrochemical reduction using copper phosphide electrodes. Their findings offer a new insight on the use of Cu-based electrocatalysts for the electroreduction of CO2. The team of scientists reported […]
In New Zealand, University of Canterbury engineering researchers are developing a carbon-neutral – even carbon-negative – way to create clean ‘green’ hydrogen to power our world more sustainably. They are focusing on using renewable biomass – such as tree and plant waste from New Zealand’s forestry and agriculture sectors – to make green hydrogen. This […]
In Illinois, four new studies from the University of Illinois explore chemical-free pretreatment methods, development of high-throughput phenotyping methods, and commercial-scale techno-economic feasibility of producing fuel from energycane in various scenarios. The studies are part of the ROGUE (Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane) project at U of I. ROGUE focuses on bioengineering accumulation of […]
In Texas, bioplastics—biodegradable plastics made from biological substances rather than petroleum—can be created in a more economical and environmentally friendly way from the byproducts of corn stubble, grasses and mesquite agricultural production, according to a new study by a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. This new approach involves a “plug-in” preconditioning process, a simple adjustment […]
In Illinois, for decades, researchers have been working toward mitigating excess atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. One promising approach captures atmospheric CO2 and then, through CO2 electrolysis, converts it into value-added chemicals and intermediates–like ethanol, ethylene, and other useful chemicals. While significant research has been devoted to improving the rate and selectivity of CO2 electrolysis, […]
In Germany, Technical University of Munich researchers found that water in zeolites saves energy in the conversion of biomass into biofuel by taking a closer look at the role of water molecules in reactions inside zeolite’s pores, which are less than one nanometer in size. “If we are to do without fossil energy sources in […]
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $45.5 million for research projects geared towards understanding and harnessing nature’s biological processes to produce clean biofuels and bioproducts. This research will push the boundaries of biology and biotechnology research, while helping to enhance America’s energy security and build its clean energy economy. Awardees will pursue […]
In China, for more than 60 years, algae have been studied as a potential feedstock for biofuel production, but the cellulose in their cell wall makes it hard to access the critical molecules inside and convert them to biogas. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, an international research team reports their success in […]
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $8 million in federal funding for four projects to develop and test technologies that capture and utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) from power systems or other industrial sources to create valuable products and services, biomass and bi-products. Using algae, the […]
