In Virginia, researchers at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute have assembled the draft genome of a marine algae sequence to aid scientists across the US in a project that aims to discover the best algae species for producing biodiesel fuel. Further analysis revealed that with fairly straightforward genetic modification, N. gaditana should be capable of producing biofuel […]
In South Dakota, research by a South Dakota State University dairy science PhD student shows the energy value of the ethanol co-product distillers grains (DDGS) in dairy feed. Sanjeewa Ranathunga was recognized for his research at the recent annual meeting of the Midwest American Dairy Science Association meetings by receiving the Young Dairy Scholars Award. […]
In California, researchers at UCLA have produced isobutanol from genetically modified bacteria, carbon dioxide and electricity produced from solar cells. Researchers say the new process could eventually be even more efficient than a plant’s own photosynthesis processes. The team is currently working on how to move up beyond laboratory scale now that the process has […]
In India, researchers from the Central Salt Marine and Chemical Research Institute have produced biodiesel from microalgae harvested off the western coast of the country. They recently did a test drive in an SUV that saw the vehicle get 12km to the liter, well above the 10-11km per liter averaged with fossil diesel. The project […]
In Washington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is planning to develop a major new research facility in Richmond to consolidate its biofuel-focused energy labs. The project is to have an annual budget between $200 and $250 million, 95% of the funding coming from the DOE. The effort is receiving significant pushback from activists against “synthetic biology,” […]
In California, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco used a technique called ribosome profiling have found a hidden, new layer of genetic information, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells — including the speed with which proteins are made. The team found that the speed change is caused by information […]
In Illinois, researchers from Argonne National Laboratory have identified a better way to analyze GHG emissions in algae using GREET, a tool for the life-cycle analysis of energy use and emissions in transportation systems. The baseline scenario produced 55 400 g CO2 equivalent per million BTU of biodiesel compared to 101 000 g for low-sulfur petroleum diesel. The […]
In Vietnam, researchers from FIRI, the Food Industries Research Institute, are going to prowl Vietnamese rainforests looking for pests that may have enzymes hiding in their intestinal flora that could be used as catalysts for cellulosic ethanol production.
In California, researchers led by Jay Keasling at the Joint Bioenergy Institute have developed a new technique called a dynamic sensor-regulator system (DSRS) – that can detect metabolic changes in microbes during the production of fatty acid-based fuels or chemicals and control the expression of genes affecting that production. The result in one demonstration was a […]
In Iowa, Cenusa Bioenergy has received a five-year, $25 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to grow native perennial grasses such as big bluestem, Indian grass and switchgrass on marginal lands as feedstock for bio-oil via. The project is based on a holistic approach that will lead to the development […]
