In Arizona, a researcher at Arizona State University has identified an algae found at the bottom of sulfurous springs in Yellowstone national park that is ideal for wastewater treatment that is more efficient and cheaper than standard treatment methods. The algae are then used as feedstock for biofuel production. Trials are underway at New Mexico […]
In California, researchers generated nearly 16,000 sequences of gene-containing regions for barley, mapping approximately two-thirds of all annotated barley genes. While researchers continue to work on a complete reference sequence for the barley genome, the determination of improved sequence assemblies for the regions rich in barley genes allows the research community to conduct comparative genomics […]
In Michigan, researchers at Michigan State University have built a molecular Swiss Army knife that streamlines the molecular machinery of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, making biofuels and other green chemical production from these organisms more viable. The team has done in a year what has taken millions of years to evolve. In the […]
In Tennessee, a catalyst being developed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory could overcome one of the key obstacles still preventing automobile engines from running more cleanly and efficiently. The mixed oxide catalyst could solve the longstanding problem of inhibition, in which nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons effectively clog […]
In Connecticut, a UConn researcher has identified a mutant plant that offers insight into how plants produce cell walls, which may ultimately reap applications for agricultural productivity and biofuel production. Developing mutant plants is a common procedure for genetic researchers who want to learn about the activity of genes that are sequenced but whose functions are […]
In Canada, farmers might one day grow sugar corn, or sweet corn, for a potentially huge alternative fuels market through a new project involving University of Guelph researchers. Along with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Western University, the Guelph researchers will study sugar corn […]
In California, Vertimass announced the company has chosen Technip to provide pilot testing, scale-up, and initial plant design for their novel technology for converting alcohol to renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel blend stocks that are compatible with the current transportation fuel infrastructure. The work will be done at the Technip’s Research Center in Weymouth, […]
In the UK, researchers at Cardiff University have devised a way of increasing the yield of biodiesel by using the waste left over from its production process. Using simple catalysis, the researchers have been able to recycle a non-desired by-product produced when biodiesel is formed from vegetable oil, and convert this into an ingredient to produce […]
In Washington, the USDA released its Agricultural Productivity Growth in the United States: Measurement, Trends, and Drivers. This report examines changes and trends in U.S. agricultural inputs (e.g., land and labor), output (e.g., crops and livestock), and productivity over the last six decades and the drivers behind productivity changes. The main findings of the report […]
In Malaysia, researchers from University Malaysia Sabah and the University of Hull in the UK have teamed together to develop efficient new ways to produce biofuel and fertilizers from palm oil waste. Part of the funding comes from the British Council via a Newton Fund grant. The multidisciplinary study will focus on using microwave technology […]
