In Tennessee, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new method to peer deep into the nanostructure of biomaterials without damaging the sample. This novel technique can confirm structural features in starch, a carbohydrate important in biofuel production. The research team used the sharp probe tip of an atomic […]
In Japan, in a study published in Advanced Materials, researchers at Aalto University, the University of Tokyo, Sichuan University, and the University of British Columbia have demonstrated that plant-derived cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can form an adhesive that fully integrates the concepts of sustainability, performance, and cost which are generally extremely challenging to achieve simultaneously. Unlike […]
In Canada, researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough have, for the first time, turned waste cooking oil – from the deep fryers of a local McDonald’s – into a high-resolution, biodegradable 3D printing resin. Using waste cooking oil for 3D printing has significant potential. Not only is it cheaper to make, the plastics made from it break down […]
In Germany, oxygen inactivates biocatalysts for energy conversion even under a protective film within a short time and researchers at the Ruhr University Bochum discovered that the addition of iodide salts to the electrolyte can prevent this and considerably extend the life of the catalysts. Biological and bio-inspired catalysts abound, and their catalytic performance is […]
In the Netherlands, recent study by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) analyzed the fate of compostable packaging products in a full- scale industrial organic waste treatment facility. The results show that the tested EN13432 certified products break down within a maximum of 22 days. The project was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs […]
In Belgium, an interdisciplinary team of bioscience engineers and economists from KU Leuven has mapped out how wood could replace petroleum in the chemical industry. They not only looked at the technological requirements, but also whether that scenario would be financially viable. A shift from petroleum to wood would lead to a reduction in CO2 […]
In Oklahoma, a recent $3.1 million grant awarded to Oklahoma State University to study greenhouse gas emissions is expected to help sorghum farmers save money and improve the industry’s sustainable field management practices. The three-state research project approved under the SMARTFARM program of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is headed […]
In the UK, a project using waste from pea processing to clean water is one of seven projects which have just received funding from the THYME project to boost the region’s bioeconomy. These projects join 13 THYME projects already funded in 2019, bringing the total research funded by the project to almost £1 million (nearly […]
In Indiana, a Purdue University study shows that only a scant fraction, less than 1%, of the deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia can be pinned on U.S. biofuel production and policy and that the expansion of palm oil production in those countries is not driven by biofuel production in the U.S. Farzad Taheripour, a research […]
In Australia, pine plantations from Gympie to Bundaberg will be at the center of research to turn logging offcuts and treetops into bioenergy and other bio-based products. The joint project between University of the Sunshine Coast’s Forest Industries Research Centre and Queensland’s largest forest plantation owner, HQPlantations, has received a A$50,000 research grant from the […]
