In Wisconsin, researchers at UW–Madison and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center developed an inexpensive, industry-compatible process to produce high yields of the versatile chemical HMF – 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, which is used to make many bio-based chemicals, plastics and fuels. The team’s research shows that the process is simple and compatible with the existing infrastructure in […]
In Idaho, a researcher at Idaho National Laboratory has developed a way to grow blue-green algae – known as cyanobacteria – for bioenergy. The process could also help clean up water from wastewater treatment plants. Blue-green algae blooms can clog waterways around the world, from estuaries in Florida to the Mississippi River Basin to lakes […]
In the UK, Loughborough University has been awarded GBP200,000 for two projects which aim to make the transport sector more environmentally friendly. Researchers successfully bid for the grant which will come from the Department for Transport and Supergen Bioenergy Hub – a group of experts focused on developing sustainable bioenergy systems that support the UK’s […]
In Switzerland, scientists at EPFL’s Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering (LRESE) came up with the idea of concentrating solar irradiation to produce a larger amount of hydrogen over a given area at a lower cost. They developed an enhanced photo-electrochemical system that, when used in conjunction with concentrated solar irradiation and smart thermal […]
In Sweden, a new agreement between VTT and RISE was signed May 6 is to establish a framework for collaboration in the field of bio- and circular economy test and demo infrastructures. The purpose is to create a comprehensive infrastructure portfolio for the benefit of their customers, and to plan future investments. Industrial renewal is […]
In Michigan, scientists at Michigan State University developed synthetic biology tools to co-produce high-value compounds in plants. The new tools allow to produce both terpenoids and oil, a biofuel resource, in plant leaves. Modern applications for terpenoids range wide, from pharmaceuticals, fragrances, nutraceuticals and biopesticides, to chemical feedstocks. Terpenoids form the largest class of natural […]
In Canada, one of the objectives of IEA Bioenergy Task 39 is to enhance the understanding of the commonalities and differences between four well-recognized biofuels life cycle analysis (LCA) models (EU’s BIOGRACE, Canada’s GHGENIUS, USA’s GREET and Brazil’s VSB). These LCA models have been used globally by industry, policy makers and regulators to evaluate and […]
In the Netherlands, a team of researchers working at the University of Twente has solved the mystery of why a drop of oil bounces repeatedly when dropped in a water/ethanol gradient but eventually falls to the bottom of a jar. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes their study […]
In New York state, biochemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered two ways that autophagy, or self-eating, controls the levels of oils in plant cells. The study, published in The Plant Cell on April 29, 2019, describes how this cannibalistic-sounding process actually helps plants survive. It also provides mechanistic details […]
In Spain, the EU-funded project A-LEAF is working towards a system that will use sunlight directly to transform waste carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable chemical fuels using a clean, fast and cost-effective process. The researchers are developing a device that replicates the natural process of photosynthesis carried out by green plants to store energy. The […]
