In Missouri, the University of Missouri at Kansas City has scored a grant valued at $1.2 million from JBEI to study the potential to produce biofuel from a particular mold including gene sequencing. The species of mold to be studied is seen as a model for how microbes can break down complex molecules. The grant […]
In Illinois, the Argonne National Laboratory is highlighting a new GREET fuel cycle model release (GREET1 2013) uploaded to the GREET web site. This release includes the following updates: New marine fuel pathways and commercial vessel operations: New sorghum ethanol pathways; New Tallow pathway; Electric power sector technology shares, efficiencies and emission factors by technology […]
In Norway, until now, it has taken weeks to make biofuel from trees. This slow pace has been a bottleneck for the industry. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have now shortened the process to a few hours. The biggest challenge in making biofuel from wood to date has been that it […]
In New York state, scientists at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified the key genes required for oil production and accumulation in plant leaves and other vegetative plant tissues. Enhancing expression of these genes resulted in vastly increased oil content in leaves, the most abundant sources of plant biomass—a finding that could have important […]
In South Dakota, researchers at South Dakota State University are researching a pest discovered in 1906, forgotten, and renamed the switchgrass moth in 2004 for insights into how best to produce cellulosic ethanol. They are also looking at a species of midge more damaging to the crop as well as other insects that are natural […]
In India, a researcher from the Veterinary College and Research Institute has developed an economically viable way to produce biodiesel from poultry carcasses, a technology that could significantly reduce the amount of carcasses disposed of unhygenically. It takes six birds to produce a liter of biodiesel.
In Minnesota, researchers are domesticating intermediate wheatgrass, which could be a promising northern-climate alternative to switchgrass. As a perennial grain crop, the plant also can reduce soil erosion and the release of soil carbon, as well as requiring less energy, pesticide, and fossil-fuel based fertilizer. Although lines are already for commecial use, the project aims […]
In North Carolina, a Wake Forest University project has developed a new sugar-based catalyst that could cut the cost of producing biofuels from poor quality waste oils and fats. The project has created an alternative to sulfuric acid, the traditional catalyst for esterification to convert free fatty acids into biodiesel, that is inexpensive and environmentally […]
In Spain, a researcher at the Public University of Navarra has genetically modified tobacco to produce 700% as much starch and 500% as much fermentable sugars in the leaves for use in biofuel production. The project is the first to use tobacco proteins as biological tools.
In Washington, after carefully reviewing 43 studies on the effects of E15 on engine durability, emissions, and other factors, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) issued a report finding that the available literature “…did not show meaningful differences between E15 and E10 in any performance category.
