In California, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories will use their expertise in protein expression, enzyme engineering and high-throughput assays as part of a multiproject, $34 million effort by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) aimed at developing advanced biocatalyst technologies that can convert natural gas to liquid fuel for transportation. The ARPA-E program is Reducing […]
In California, researchers at UC Davis have determined that strict controls need to be put in place to avoid massive CO2 emissions resulting from palm oil expansion in Brazil. Unless oil palm development remains on already deforested land, the study says the GHG emissions of the new biofuels could be higher than fossil diesel.
In the UK, researchers from the University of Nottingham and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will collaborate to engineer enzymes, bacteria and bioconversion processes that will help to produce advanced biofuels from waste rice straw. The project, led by Professor Nigel Minton and Dr Syed Shams Yazdani, will receive $2.25 million from […]
In Missouri, a research effort to increase the amount of oleic acid found in soybean oil is already underway after the FDA announced its conclusion that trans fats are unsafe in food at the University of Missouri. Developing high oleic acid content traits in soybeans would avoid genetically modifying the beans, and could benefit the […]
In Tennessee, researchers studying more effective ways to convert woody plant matter into biofuels at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified fundamental forces that change plant structures during pretreatment processes used in the production of bioenergyThe research team, which published its results in Green Chemistry, set out to decipher the inner […]
In Denmark, Biomass DTU, DONG Energy and Bregentved Gods estate intend to show that agricultural biomass can be used both as a renewable energy source and as a substitute for costly fertilizer. Thermal gasification converts biomass into a combustible gas in an oxygen-poor environment, the bi-product being bio-ash. The gas can then be used to […]
In Canada, Lumenera is pleased to offer its support to Canada’s next generation of life science researchers by providing high-end digital scientific imaging solutions to 13 year old multiple gold medal winner Mikaela Preston. Mikaela’s award winning project involved research into enhancing Biofuel production through the mixture of multiple algae strains, and she contacted Lumenera […]
In Pennsylvania, even high school students are now making algae-based biodiesel. Students at Daniel Boone High School in Reading recently presented their research showing the entire production chain of algae-based fuels from growing and harvesting to drying and processing into oil. The kids hope to soon produce enough fuel to run the school’s garden maintenance […]
In Washington, in an attempt to debunk indirect land use change theories, a Resources for the Future paper considers the effect of biomass energy on forests using a general stylized forest sector. The current research, led by Roger A. Sedjo, Brent Sohngen, and Anne Riddle, notes that “if agricultural croplands are drawn into the production […]
In Wisconsin, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin is exploring how genetic modification may be utilized to enhance various traits in trees for forestry and biofuel applications. Among these modification targets are gibberellic acid and lignin. Gibberellic acid (GA) is a plant hormone that promotes cell elongation but may be down-regulated to produce more […]
