In Georgia, researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered a connection between two different types of cell wall glycans (sugars) and a specific cell wall protein known as arabinogalactan protein. This connection is not known to exist and does not conform to the commonly held scientific definitions of plant cell wall structure. What they […]
In Vietnam, the Saigon Times reports that Hiep Thanh Seafood Processing Corporation has been successful in producing biodiesel from catfish waste such as intestines, bones and fat as part of an EU-funded project led by Finland’s Technology Research Centre (VTT). For every million metric tons of fish coming out of the Mekong Delta every year, […]
In the UAE, researchers at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are screening mangrove root sediments in the UAE for novel enzymes to break down cellulose waste, a project which will include DNA mapping and interdisciplinary research to find microbes for refining cellulosic feedstocks.
In California, the Berkeley Lab is highlighting a trio of new technologies as licensing opportunities. Rapid Discovery and Optimization of Enzymes Solutions Using Tagged Biomass and Mass Spectrometry, a technology to create a more efficient workflow for hydrolytic enzyme discovery and enzyme cocktail optimization; Ligninolytic Enzyme Production, a technology to increase production of naturally derived […]
In Washington, the Energy Information Administration said that ethanol production averaged 770,000 barrels per day (b/d) — or 33.34 million gallons daily. That is down 22,000 b/d from the week before and is the lowest reported output since EIA began collecting data in 2010. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 793,000 b/d for […]
In Brazil, ETH Bioenergia announced that it has teamed with Denmark’s Inbicon for R&D into cellulosic ethanol with research also expected to lead to production. Results from the first collaboration are expected in 2015 with technology licensing first focused on the Brazilian market. ETH is investing $200 million through 2016 with various R&D partnerships to […]
In Malawi, a new study from the Centre for Agricultural Research and Development and the Stockholm Environment Institute says that boosting ethanol use in the country would do a lot to help reduce the negative effects of amid fuel shortages and a soaring inflation rate. Currently the country spends $33 million per month importing fuel.
In Texas, Joshua Yuan’s lab at Texas A&M University, United States, in a report in PLoS Genetics, compared the genetics of microbes found in the intestinal tracts of grasshoppers, termites and cutworm catepillars. In addition to confirming the attractive diversity of promising enzymes for breakdown of cellulosic material for biofuels, the researchers found that grasshoppers […]
In New York, a new market report published by Transparency Market Research titled “Synthetic and Bio-Based Lubricants – Global Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast, 2012 – 2018,” states that bio-based lubricant demand was 505.6 kilo tons in 2011 and is expected to reach 785.0 kilo tons in 2018, growing at a CAGR […]
In California, a new study from UC Santa Barbara modeled the relative efficiencies of the biofuel and solar technologies at converting a given amount of sunlight to miles driven and determined photovoltaics to be much more efficient than biomass at turning sunlight into energy to fuel a car.
