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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In Massachusetts, researchers at MIT will next month undertake a season-long experiment by using three drones—one from the air and two by land—to monitor sorghum production every two weeks in an attempt to pinpoint the exact moment of the plant’s peak as a biofuel feedstock. The hope is that using drones and their on-board sensors […]
In India, the country has inaugurated its first second generation biofuel production facility that processes 10 metric tons of cellulosic feedstock per day using domestically-developed technology. Developed by DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai, supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Biotechnology Industry […]
In Colorado, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have demonstrated the way a new process using light to reduce dinitrogen in ammonia could inspire the development of more sustainable processes for ammonia production. According to the study, photochemical (photon) energy can serve as a substitute for the adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent electron transfer mechanism […]
In Mexico, researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in collaboration with the University of Newcastle have determined the country is idea for growing microalgae as biodiesel feedstock. Chlorella, scenedesmus and Desmodesmus are native to Texcoco Lake and can be grown in just one day and processed into biodiesel in three hours. Researchers are […]
In Washington, using a microwave and catalyst-coated beads, scientists have devised a new way to convert waste cooking oil into biodiesel that could make it more affordable. They report how they did it in ACS’ journal Energy & Fuels. Biodiesel has many advantages over traditional fuels. It is renewable, biodegradable and emits less carbon dioxide. […]
In California, a team led by researchers from University of California, Berkeley and including researchers from the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, have described cassava’s genetic diversity in an April 18, 2016 advanced online publication of the journal Nature Biotechnology. As cassava roots contain 20-40% starch that costs […]
