In Brazil, researchers led by the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro have determined that soy-based biodiesel is less toxic to lung cells, provoking no damage unlike fossil-based diesel. The tests exposed particles from combustion of fossil diesel, soy biodiesel, soy biodiesel with additives and ethanol to lung cells. Researchers hope that the results […]
In New York state, by engineering a novel enzyme involved in lignin synthesis, Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists have altered the lignin in plant cell walls in a way that increases access to biofuel building blocks without inhibiting plant growth. Lignin is a natural component of plant cell walls, the scaffolding that surrounds each cell and […]
In Washington state, an ARS researcher led a team looking at the current state of knowledge and highlight gaps in research on biogeochemical processes and ecosystem sustainability related to biomass production. Biomass production systems incrementally remove greater quantities of organic matter, which in turn affects soil organic matter and associated carbon and nutrient storage (and […]
In Washington, members of Congress Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Congresswoman, Dupont’s Jan Koninckx and US Assistant Secretary of the Navy Dennis McGinn are among the keynote speakers announced by the US Department of Energy for its annual Bioenergy 2016 meeting, which will be held July 12-14 in Washington. In addition, Bernardo Silva, Executive President, […]
In Washington state, PNNL Scientist Alex Beliaev will receive a joint appointment to the Queensland University of Technology, the institutions advise. The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, have collaborated on bioenergy and microbial biotechnology in the past. Now they are formalizing their relationship to […]
In Canada, researchers from the University of Calgary co-founded the startup Solar Biocells which uses an entirely new concept for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into biomass in a innovation for the production of renewable, clean energy. Solar Biocells uses micro-organisms, like algae or cyanobacteria, which naturally process energy from sunlight and take up CO2 […]
In South Dakota, POET is expanding its cover crop research as part of soil sustainability work in Emmetsburg, Iowa for cellulosic ethanol development. The work is part of an ongoing commitment to helping farmers make sound management decisions around harvesting crop residue for cellulosic ethanol. To ensure proper land management, Iowa State University and USDA […]
In Arkansas, the biodiesel lab at Arkansas State University is helping high schools and college students to see the benefit of biofuels through hands on production, testing and use. The lab was set up in 2010 with the intention of testing and analyzing fuels, but with so little biodiesel being produced in the state, if […]
In North Carolina, the state may follow in Hawaii’s footsteps to begin supervised research on hemp as a feedstock for biofuels and other biomaterials thanks to approval of a bill by the state’s House Agriculture Committee. Land grant universities, under the supervision of the USDA and a nine-member commission, could begin growing the crop for […]
In Washington, a group of researchers from 10 institutions led by IFPRI released a report (access the complete report here) concluding that bioenergy can actually support food security. This challenges the “fuel vs. food” argument that biofuels contribute to global hunger. The effects of bioenergy policies on food security could be strongly positive, the […]
