In Botswana, the University of Botswana Biodiesel Research Unit in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) has commissioned a biodiesel processing unit, designed to produce 380 liters of biodiesel per batch from different feedstock. The biodiesel production is a joint research project between the University of Botswana, Department of Agricultural Research and the Department […]
In Japan, researchers at Tohoku University have found that using inedible waste glycerol as feedstock for erythritol rather than more expensive sugar and starch-based feedstocks can lower the production costs and provide another product for potential biorefineries to produce to diversify their outputs and revenue streams. Using glycerol was shown to have similar or even […]
In Canada, fuel cells turn chemicals into electricity. Now, a University of Toronto Engineering team has adapted technology from fuel cells to do the reverse: harness electricity to make valuable chemicals from waste carbon (CO2). In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen come together on the surface of a catalyst. The chemical reaction releases […]
In Germany, a research team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum revealed the secret of how cyanobacteria converts CO2 which makes it possible to use the information to improve the production of sustainable fuels for example. By analyzing the molecular structure of the complex using cryo-electron microscopy in combination with computer simulations and other biochemical experiments, the team […]
In Finland, the circular economy can utilize surplus wind power to improve profitability of the entire energy system. This was demonstrated by VTT’s new modelling tool that was used to calculate the effects of circular economy in Åland Islands, where the share of wind power is expected to increase rapidly in the next few years. […]
In Michigan, researchers at Michigan State University are studying a mutant algal strain that degrades TAGs slower than usual as algae try to exit hibernation. Somehow, the algal mutant does not manage the hibernation process in a normal way. The responsible protein, missing due to the mutation, is called Compromised Hydrolysis of Triacylglycerols 7. It […]
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 […]
