In Florida, University of Central Florida researchers are working to narrow the field of potential biofuels as part of a Department of Energy initiative, known as the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines. In some of their latest research, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers determined that ethanol […]
In Germany, the Faculty of Biology at TU Dresden received the approval of a promising, large-scale bio-economic project in mid-January. Project coordinator Professor Michael Rother is delighted and eager to start researching and operating the small methanogenic eco-factories: “Methanogens, which are methanogenic microbes from the domain Archaea, have so far “only” been industrially applied as […]
In New York, a Cornell University study reports a successful, first-ever open-field release of a self-limiting, genetically engineered diamondback moth, stating that it paves the way for an effective and sustainable approach to pest control. The diamondback moth, also known as Plutella xylostella, is highly damaging to brassica crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and […]
In Switzerland, WinGD (Winterthur Gas & Diesel) has bolstered its investment in fuel research with the development of a flexible injection system. In a whitepaper released today, ‘Flexible Injector to Advance Alternative Fuels Research’, the engine designers describe how the concept will play a crucial role in its investigations into low-carbon liquid fuels and engine […]
In Illinois, WTTW reports that the Cook County jail has implemented a new project that teaches inmates how to produce biodiesel from used cooking oil supplied by the jail’s cafeterias, and then the fuel produced fuels the jail’s two utility trucks exclusively. The jail invested $11,000 in the production kit last November and started offering […]
In Portugal, the Lusa news agency reports that the BLC3 association is working to produce advanced biofuels from vine and fruit tree and olive tree waste. More than half a million hectares of land grow these crops around the country, providing sufficient sources of biomass. The drop-in fuel that could also use crop waste as […]
In Missouri, researchers at Missouri University have teamed with Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis to use artificial intelligence in an effort to significantly reduce the cost of biodiesel production from algae by mapping the shapes and amino acids of proteins. With that information, bioengineers can then change the structure so it’s cheaper […]
In Germany, plant physiologists from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, the Universities of Geneva, Lausanne and the University of Lyon have jointly tracked down the internal molecular dialogue between the embryo and endosperm, genetically two different organisms, that is required for seed development. The communication of the embryo and the surrounding endosperm is based […]
In Washington, at the Washington Auto Show, Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) investment of nearly $300 million in funding for research and development of sustainable transportation resources and technologies. This investment, split up between three, separate funding opportunity announcements (FOA), supports DOE’s goal of ensuring that […]
In Massachusetts, chemical engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are broadening attempts to convert waste into environmentally friendly biofuels, lowering reliance on fossil fuels, cutting the amount of municipal waste going into landfills, and reducing water pollution and unhealthy emissions from petroleum products and landfills. Now, with a $1,995,199 three-year grant from the Department of Energy […]
