In New Mexico, the Los Alamos National Laboratory has published a paper on the binding of enzymes to cellulose polymers, and how oftentimes, increased binding does not lead to faster breakdown into simple sugars. The team, led by Shishir Chundawat of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, has been using biomass pretreatments to convert cellulose […]
In Wisconsin, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are researching an enzyme produced by leafcutter ants. The team has been able to isolate and identify the enzyme used by these critters to break down leaves and plant matter. The research, which could have tremendous implications for cellulosic producers, has encouraged several private companies to approach […]
In Spain, Spanish researchers coordinated by the Spanish National Research Council have to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina Expedition. Jesús María Arrieta, CSIC researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, explains: […]
In Missouri, the National Corn Growers Associaitonhas added a video and an interactive educational module to its online learning tools concerning water quality management. The video, titled “Driving Change,” showcases NCGA members describing the practices they are implementing to enhance water quality on their farms and in their area. The 30-minute NCGA Water Issues Learning […]
In Massachusetts, researchers at MIT have developed a new technique to make cost-effective renewable gamma-valerolactone (GVL). The molecule has more energy density than ethanol and can be used as a fuel both in drop-in form and as an additive for other fuels. The MIT team also said that renewable GVL can be used as a […]
In California, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory highlighted five technologies now available for license. They include: Improving Saccharification Efficiency by Inhibiting a Xylosyltransferase, a technology that increases soluble sugar extraction notably compared to wild type plants, offering a pathway to more efficient saccharification in bioenergy plants. Strengthening Bioenergy Feedstock Plants by Overexpression of Three Rice […]
In California, UC-Riverside professor Charles Wyman led the development of the book “Aqueous Pretreatment of Plant Biomass for Biological and Chemical Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals.” The book, published by John Wiley & Sons, contains 23 chapters written by experts from throughout the country. The book focuses on aqueous pretreatment of cellulosic biomass to promote sugar […]
In Colombia, researchers at the National University of Colombia have identified two strains of native freshwater microalgae with great potential to produce biodiesel: Scenedesmus ovalternus and Chlorella vulgaris. Due to Colombia’s high abundance of water and light, as well as the higher productivity level of algae-based biodiesel, the researchers hope to help Colombia respond to […]
In Ireland, Northern Ireland and Turkey, researchers funded by the EU’s Mabfuel project are harvesting seaweed to produce biodiesel. The project is developing farming and harvest techniques while exploring how to decrease oil extraction costs. Claiming that algae-based biodiesel could revolutionize the biofuel industry, the researchers are also developing solvents to make the extraction process […]
In California, The Energy Biosciences Institute, a partnership between UC Berkeley and BP, has been awarded its first intellectual property patent entitled “Methods and compositions for improving sugar transport, mixed sugar fermentation, and production of biofuels”. The research team includes UC Berkeley faculty, University of Illinois faculty, graduate and postgraduate students, and BP scientists working […]
