In North Carolina, researchers at North Carolina State University discovered that a bacterium found in camel crickets is capable of breaking down lignin – the stuff that makes wood tough – opening new research pathways for the development of biofuels and chemical manufacturing. The study also highlights the potential inherent in using ecosystem analysis as […]
In China, researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have developed an energy-dense drop-in aviation biofuel using cellulosic feedstocks that they say will allow planes to fly further than using conventional aviation fuel, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions during takeoff and landing. With 10% more energy density than conventional aviation fuel, the researchers […]
In Finland, a researcher at the University of Finland has taken a first step towards creating a precise measuring device for radioactive methane. The new method is an optical one based on spectroscopy. Previously, radioactive methane has been measured with accelerator mass spectrometry, involving expensive and huge machines. Optical measuring could be a cheaper and […]
In California, a new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows that sustainable plant-based bio-jet fuels could provide a competitive alternative to conventional petroleum fuels if current development and scale-up initiatives continue to push ahead successfully. “Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle greenhouse gas mitigation cost of five routes to […]
In Slovenia, ERDF-funded BioApp platform has become the focal point for research ideas on developing smart biomass materials in the cross-border region of Slovenia and Italy. The EU produces over 25 tons of plastic waste every year. In response, Slovenian and Italian scientists have joined forces to develop the BioApp platform with funding from the […]
In North Carolina, researchers at North Carolina State University uncovered how a complex network of transcription factors switch wood formation genes on and off, which has applications for modifying wood properties for timber, paper and biofuels, as well as making forest trees more disease- and pest-resistant. The new study upends ideas about transcriptional regulatory networks […]
In California, new research from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows how one such beneficial insect common to the Eastern U.S., the long-horned passalid beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus), has a hardy digestive tract with microbes to thank for turning its woody diet into energy, food for its young, and nutrients for […]
In Washington, nearly 3.3 million Americans now work in clean energy, according to a new analysis of energy jobs data by the national nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs). Across the country, nearly every state saw an increase in clean energy jobs in 2018, combining to add about 110,000 net new jobs for a growth […]
In the Netherlands, University of Groningen microbiologists and their colleagues from Lithuania have discovered a new glycocin, a small antimicrobial peptide with a sugar group attached, which is produced by a thermophilic bacterium and is stable at relatively high temperatures. They also succeeded in transferring the genes required to produce this glycocin to an E. […]
In Australia, gene-editing sugarcane for use in renewable energy and bio-plastics could help secure the industry’s future. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation researchers at the University of Queensland supported by the US Joint BioEnergy Institute and Sugar Research Australia through an Australian Research Council Linkage grant are testing a range of sugarcane varieties […]
