In Florida, a researcher now at the University of Central Florida has developed a new method for identifying materials’ unique chemical “fingerprints” and mapping their chemical properties at a much higher spatial resolution than ever before. It’s a discovery that could have promising implications for fields as varied as biofuel production, solar energy, opto-electronic devices, pharmaceuticals […]
In Belgium, a new report from Insight Energy says that in the absence of action, emissions from EU-28 aviation will grow from 151 Mt of CO2 to 405 Mt in 2050. This represents a 167% increase on 2005 levels. Results indicate that for a ‘Hitting the Target’ scenario, where emissions are reduced to 50% below […]
In the UK, using bigger building blocks, scientists have shown they can make much longer oligosaccharide sequences than previously possible. The traditional synthetic route to long chain oligosaccharides is drawn out and complicated; they require numerous steps to produce the precursor tetrasaccharides, then further steps to connect these precursors into long chains. Normally they’re made by […]
In Iran, researchers at the Islamic Azad University have successfully produced 2 liters of biodiesel using flixweed as a feedstock. A member of the mustard family, the plant produces oil seeds and can grow in areas with poor soil conditions. Currently tests are underway to try the fuel in engine and field tests. The non-edible oil […]
In Washington state, Forest Concepts has been awarded an SBIR research contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The two-year, $499,997 contract will support development of advanced model-predictive control systems for biomass dryers used in the biofuel and bioproducts supply chain. Innovations and technologies resulting from this project can […]
In California, Ice Energy is opening a 22,000 sq. ft. research and development center for its Riverside Public Utilities and Southern California Edison projects to provide thermal energy storage technology in the form of ice and develop new innovative storage solutions for a smarter electric grid. The company recently was awarded a five-year contract from […]
In Washington state, with the addition of a single gene, rice can be cultivated to emit virtually no methane from its paddies during growth. It also packs much more of the plant’s desired properties, such as starch for a richer food source and biomass for energy production, according to a study in Nature. The results, which […]
In Israel, a novel approach to cellulose hydrolysis using a consortium of motile bacteria moving on solid surfaces and carrying microbial lug-gage – another bacteria that can efficiently hydrolyze cellulose, was demonstrated by the group of Professor Eshel Ben- Jacob (R.I.P) from Tel Aviv University. The innovation of the approach is the use of the recombinant […]
In Colorado, here’s the future of ethylene production as Dr. Jianping Yu sees it. “We envision some farms in the field that cover many acres. We will have cyanobacteria harvesting sunlight and C02 and then produce ethylene or ethylene derivatives,” said Yu, a research scientist in the Photobiology Group at the Energy Department’s National Renewable […]
In Tennessee, biorefineries could benefit from a new process developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that produces hydrogen from plant sources such as switchgrass. The method converts biomass waste streams into hydrogen through heating and processing in microbe-based electrochemical cells. This approach reduces the use of natural gas during biofuel production, which could help biorefineries […]
