In Colorado, Sara Volz of Colorado Springs won the top award of $100,000 in the Intel Science Talent Search for her research of algae biofuels. Algae produces oil that can be converted into a sustainable, renewable fuel; however, the fuel can be costly. Sara used artificial selection to establish populations of algae cells with high […]
In North Carolina, the Bioenergy Deployment Consortium is having its Spring Symposium form 22 to 24 March in Greensboro. At the request of members Pyrolysis oil (wood oil or bio-oil) will be featured. Two tours of pilot plants will be included.
In Kansas, Praveen Vadlani, the Gary and Betty Lortscher associate professor of renewable energy in Kansas State University’s department of grain science and industry, is a co-principal investigator in a more than $6.5 million biomass research project between universities, industries and federal agencies. The three-year project, a jointly funded effort by the U.S. Department of […]
In the UAE, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has presented data on the UAE’s export potential in the biofuels-from-algae sector to delegates from the Algae World MENA2013 Conference, Seminar, and Summit. Dr. Hector H. Hernandez, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering program, Masdar Institute, said: “The algae available in the UAE desert is unique because it […]
In California, Ian Wheeldon, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering, received a $360,000 grant to better organize enzymes on electrodes to create nanoscale devices that more efficiently convert the chemical energy of sugars and complex carbohydrates into electricity. The award came from the Young Investigator Program run by Air Force Office of Scientific […]
In Colorado, a screening tool from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) eases and greatly quickens one of the thorniest tasks in the biofuels industry: determining cell wall chemistry to find plants with ideal genes. NREL’s new High-Throughput Analytical Pyrolysis tool (HTAP) can thoroughly analyze hundreds of biomass samples a day and […]
In Germany, research led by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology suggests that increased planting of trees such as eucalyptus, willow and poplar near urban areas for biofuel can lead to human deaths due to increased ozone inhalation. The study says that by 2020, as many as 1,400 deaths could be attributable to ozone inhalation.
In Washington, NASA researchers have begun a series of flights using the agency’s DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of alternate biofuel on engine performance, emissions and aircraft-generated contrails at altitude. The Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS) research involves flying the DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet while an instrumented […]
In California, California has more biofuel companies than any other state, according to a report by the Environmental Entrepreneurs. With nearly 30 advanced biofuels companies, refineries, and related operations, California ranks in front of Illinois, Colorado, Texas, and Iowa. According to the same report, the biofuel market could be worth more than $60 billion within […]
In Michigan, Michigan State University reports that fat worms confirm that researchers from Michigan State University have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves – a feat that could enhance biofuel production as well as lead to improved animal feeds. The results, published in the current issue of The Plant Cell, show that researchers could […]
