In Arkansas, a University of Arkansas biologist working on research that could decrease the need for agricultural fertilizers and boost the production of biofuels recently received grants totaling more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. He is studying how methanogens, organisms similar to bacteria, are able to […]
In the UK, the University of Exeter has been awarded GBP1 million to create a new center to tackle the use of plastic and plastic waste. The Exeter Multidisciplinary Plastics Research Hub (ExeMPLaR) is one of eight prestigious new research projects across the UK to have been announced by the Science Minister, Chris Skidmore. The […]
In Tennessee, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a recipe for a renewable 3D printing feedstock that could spur a profitable new use for an intractable biorefinery byproduct: lignin. The discovery expands ORNL’s achievements in lowering the cost of bioproducts by creating novel uses for lignin—the material left over […]
In Washington, as part of this week’s funding opportunity (FOA) announcement from the Energy Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Office for approximately $37 million, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) expects to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million. Nine EERE technology […]
In Illinois, University of Illinois researchers report they can convert wet biowaste, such as swine manure and food scraps, into a fuel that can be blended with diesel and that shares diesel’s combustion efficiency and emissions profile. The researchers report the findings in the journal Nature Sustainability. Hydrothermal liquification is a potential solution to this […]
In India, researchers at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune have developed a new version of zeolite catalyst to produce furfural as well as ethyl levulinate from waste biomass sources much quicker. The country is a major producer of agricultural waste such as rice husk and wheat straw, so the new process could help to […]
In Indonesia, researchers are investigating ways to improve biodiesel production by using electrical fields to break open microalgae cells with varied results, according to a new study in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology. Lipids inside microalgae are a promising source of biofuel. Microalgae cells must first be broken apart in order to extract […]
In Minnesota, the Natural Resources Research Institute is helping a new start-up in John Day, Oregon, open a new market for the biomass by developing a coal alternative for energy production. The goal of Restoration Fuels is to convert trees thinned from the Malheur National Forest into a compressed renewable fuel that has energy content […]
In Nigeria, the University of Ilorin is developing a pilot mini-biodiesel production facility that will use jatropha as feedstock. The mini-plant is meant to show rural communities who already grow the oilseed tree extensively the energy production opportunities available to offset fossil fuel consumption. The university itself already planted 55 hectares of jatropha back in […]
In Massachusetts, researchers at Harvard University have expanded the concept of “biological-inorganic hybrid systems” to baker’s yeast that in combination with light-harvesting semiconductors is able to produce shikimic acid, an important precursor of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, several other medicines, nutraceuticals, and fine chemicals. When kept in the dark, the yeast cells produced ethanol and […]
