In Missouri, a Danforth Plant Science Center project has been awarded $1.5 million from the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture to understand physiologic responses of bioenergy grasses to environmental changes. The research team will use a model grass, Brachypodium distachyon, to analyze the gene regulatory networks underlying drought stress responses. Specifically, they will […]
In Indiana, Purdue University physicists are part of an international group using spinach to study the proteins involved in photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert the sun’s energy into carbohydrates used to power cellular processes.
In the UK, researchers at the Institute of Food Research are looking at how to turn straw from oilseed rape into biofuel. Preliminary findings are pointing at ways the process could be made more efficient, as well as how the straw itself could be improved. Straw from crops such as wheat, barley, oats and oilseed […]
In Washington, U.S. agriculture could provide up to 155 million tons of crop residues and 60 million tons of manure to produce clean fuels and electricity in 2030 that would help cut the nation’s oil use and phase out the use of coal, according to a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). […]
In the Netherlands, oil produced from biomass — such as wood chips or plant residues — seldom has the same quality and energy content as ‘classical’ crude oil. A new, simple catalyst, developed at the University of Twente, improves the quality of this oil before it is even transported to the refinery. This technology was […]
In South Carolina, the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance (SCCEBA) is leading a “Farm to Fly 2.0” project to effectively create a “match.com” type of opportunities listing for fuel companies to get to know states and localities for biofuels. The group is extending a Pacific Northwest Regional effort under the original “Farm to Fly” […]
In Washington, the DOE and USDA announced the selection of 10 projects that will receive funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve plant feedstocks for the production of biofuels, biopower and biobased products. The $12.6 million in research grants are awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program that began in 2006 focused on fundamental […]
In Brazil, Petrobras is teaming with Embrapa to develop sugarcane varieties that will be successful in temperate climates, especially in Rio Grande do Sul state with the aim of producing ethanol there. Currently that state imports 100% of its ethanol consumption from other states.
In California, VIASPACE announced that the company has entered into a research collaboration with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division (UCANR). The objectives of the research are to: · Compare the growth of Giant King Grass using subsurface drip irrigation with flood (furrow) irrigation · Compare individual node and whole stalk planting […]
In Montana, a process that improves the nutritional value of barley for use in fish feed has been developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Montana Microbial Products LLC (MMP) of Missoula, Montana. Barley typically contains about 10 to12 percent protein, but 40 to 60 percent protein is needed in diets […]
