In South Korea, researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology along with private sector partners have boosted the efficiency of Clostridium acetobutylicum bacteria to increase production of butanol using systems metabolic engineering.
In China, a newly formed technology center created by Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) has announced that Hangzhou Energy Engineering & Technology, Co., Ltd., (HEET) will conduct the center’s first research project. HEET, a company with experience developing alternative energy technologies, will focus on ways to convert discarded cooking oil into a component […]
In Wisconsin, Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation announced a joint licensing agreement for a patent-pending renewable chemical and biofuel production method developed by University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemistry professor and a Hyrax founder, Ron Raines. The technology uses ionic liquids to transform cellulosic biomass, such as corn stover, into renewable fuels and high-value […]
In New York, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will participate in a $10 million USDA-sponsored research program that establishes a regional network of universities, businesses, and governmental organizations in order to develop biomass supply chains. Four professors from ESF will contribute research in areas of sustainability, logistics, and social sciences. The project, […]
In California, the DOE Joint Genome Institute reports that full repertoire of Agaricus bisporus genes has been determined. In particular, new work shows how its genes are actually deployed not only in leaf decay but also wood decay and in the development of fruiting bodies. Analysis Agaricus turned up several families of well-known sugar-degrading enzymes […]
In Pennsylvania, a $10 million federal grant for biofuels research has been awarded to Penn State University by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hopes the grant will develop biomass supply chains for the Northeast, as well as improve rural economies and create jobs through public […]
In Germany, Lufthansa has stopped testing biofuel in its aircraft after six months due to a lack of available supply. During the testing period, Lufthansa operated 1,187 domestic flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg using a 50/50 blend of regular fuel and bio-kerosene in one of the plane’s two engines. Luftansa reports it saved approximately 1,500 […]
In the EU, the biofuels industry serves to enrich the large industrial groups more than the environment, according to a recent study published by the International Journal of Environment and Health. Because of the emphasis placed on first-generation biofuels in the EU’s policies, Simone Vierri of the University “La Sapienza” of Rome argues that the […]
In Iowa, researchers at Iowa State and the DOE Ames Laboratory have published a new model of chemical activity within nanospheres. Nanospheres, tiny spheres of silica with a honeycomb of tunnels, or pores, throughout their structure and embedded with catalytic groups, were developed in the last decade as a solution to finding a reusable catalyst […]
In Florida, Applied Research Associates (ARA) is researching the use of carinata seeds to produce a low-cost, high-grade jet fuel. In partnership with Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., researchers will determine if the feedstock is appropriate for producing […]
