Category: Research

University of Illinois and the University of Florida get ARPA-E funding for biofuel crop research

May 10, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Illinois and Florida, researchers from University of Illinois and the University of Florida have been awarded a third round of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to realize ultra-productive biofuel crops. ARPA-E supports initial research for high-potential, high-impact energy technologies to show proof of concept prior to private-sector investment. […]

European JRC finds LNG and methanol best alternative fuels for shipping

May 9, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Italy, a recent JRC report finds that fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol are the most promising alternatives to drive decarbonization of the shipping sector and ultimately contribute to the fight against climate change. Market penetration by alternative fuels has already begun with ship builders, engine manufacturers and classification societies by introducing […]

Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award nominations launch; €10,000 prize at stake

May 8, 2016 | Jim Lane

In Belgium, EuropaBio invited small and medium sized biotech companies (SMEs) across Europe to apply for the 7th edition of the Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award – a unique annual initiative recognizing biotech innovation and its contribution to society. Depending on their field of activity, SMEs can apply in 3 categories: healthcare, agricultural or […]

USDA ARS researchers get tail-gas reactive pyrolysis to farm scale

May 5, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Pennsylvania, researchers with the USDA’s ARS Sustainable Biofuels and Coproducts Unit at the Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor have made substantial progress in developing an on-farm scale mobile pyrolysis unit to produce bio-oil from agricultural wastes that can then be used for machinery such as tractors. The “tail-gas reactive pyrolysis” or TGRP uses […]

Alliance Bioenergy Plus proves CTS technology can extract 100% sugar from most cellulosic feedstocks

May 4, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Florida, Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. announced the successful completion of its yearlong efforts to optimize its patented CTS technology to extract 100% of the sugar from virtually any cellulosic feed-stock after having it completed and proven by major industry ethanol producers. The Company would also like to announce that over the past several months […]

Ceres gets the OK to trial its biotech sugarcane in Brazil

May 3, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Brazil, Ceres announced that the company has received approval to initiate field testing of its biotech sugarcane in the country. The company plans to test its biomass and sugar yield and stress tolerance traits in several commercial sugarcane cultivars adapted to Brazil’s major production areas. The field evaluations, which were approved by Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, […]

Texas A&M AgriLife researchers digging into disease resistance in plants

May 2, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Texas, scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife are studying the virtual tug-of-war that takes place when a pathogen attacks a plant, research that could unlock new ways to improve plants by making them more disease-resistant. With almost $500,000 from the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative over three years, the researchers say the study will […]

Phosphorus fertilizer use can be reduced by using zinc oxide nanoparticles, finds WashU study

May 1, 2016 | Isabel Lane

In Missouri, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a way to reduce the use of fertilizer made from rock phosphorus and still see improvements in the growth of food crops by using zinc oxide nanoparticles. This is the first study to show how to mobilize native phosphorus in the soil using zinc […]

Australian researchers developing new tech using sugarcane waste for energy

April 28, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In Australia, Queensland University of Technology researchers are leading the way in developing and testing new technologies as part of a A$5.7 million three-year project with the potential to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in the sugar industry. Associate Professor Ian O’Hara, from QUT’s Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, said the project would see […]

University of Greenwich researchers find challenges with macroalgae in the UK

April 27, 2016 | Meghan Sapp

In the UK, researchers at the University of Greenwich have published a study that takes a critical view to opportunities for macroalgae production for biofuels in the British Isles, in particular for the MacroBioCrude processing pipeline for the sustainable manufacture of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from seaweed in the UK. The production of biofuel from seaweed […]

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