Category: Research

EPA head to lead Brazil delegation for sustainability talks, action

August 15, 2011 | admin

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the mayor of Philadelphia and representatives from US industry, government, academia and non-governmental organizations including, CH2MHILL, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft Corporation, Alcoa, the Rockefeller Foundation, Harvard University, C40 Cities and others to establish the United States-Brazil Joint Initiative on Urban […]

Corn yields down with high heat, low rain: USDA

August 15, 2011 | admin

In Washington, the USDA released the latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates Report. The report outlined signnificant drops in projected corn production, owning to heat and rain conditions in the Corn Belt. “U.S. feed grain supplies for 2011/12 are projected lower this month,” the report comments, “with sharp drops in forecast corn and sorghum […]

Researchs find an energy-enhancing switch in cyanobacteria

August 12, 2011 | admin

In Germany, researchers at the Ruhr-Universität and a group from the Tokyo Institute of Technology have found a genetic switch in cyanobacteria, which when removed allows use of excess energy for biotechnological purposes, such as hydrogen production. Professor Roegner of Ruhr-Universität estimated, “This should make it possible to use at least 50% of the energy […]

Biofuels conversion at 10X speed? Rice researchers say yes

August 11, 2011 | admin

In Texas, researchers from Rice University have developed a genetically modified e.coli bacteria that can produce butanol, from glucose and mineral salts, about 10 times faster than any previously reported organism. “Rather than going with the process nature uses to build fatty acids, we reversed the process that it uses to break them apart,” said […]

Corrosion-free engine for biofuels developed

August 10, 2011 | admin

In Spain, the European-funded project Equimotor Plus has developed a new engine designed to run specifically on biofuels that skirts around the issues of corrosion when excess water gets into current fuel tanks. The project, led by Tekniker-IK4 with researchers from Spain, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom. The motor isn’t actually […]

Researchers find biocides to prolong ethanol pipeline life

August 9, 2011 | admin

In Maryland, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found that bacteria can dramatically degrade pipelines when they feed on ethanol and produce acid. Acid boosted fatigue crack growth rates by at least 25 times the levels occuring in air alone. The results are meant to help pipeline engineers determine which materials […]

DOE relaunches, reforms Energy.gov website

August 8, 2011 | admin

In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the next step of its comprehensive website reform, making Energy.gov a cutting-edge, interactive information platform and saving taxpayers more than $10 million annually. Through a complete overhaul of its front-end and back-end design, Energy.gov modernizes how consumers and businesses access the information and resources they need to […]

Metabolic pathway of model algae mapped at genome-scale

August 5, 2011 | admin

In New York, researchers at New York University, the University of Virginia, Harvard, UCSD and other institutions have completed the first genome-scale reconstruction of a microalgal metabolic network. Their paper was published this week in Molecular Systems Biology. Integrating biological and optical data, and the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the researchers reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic […]

Newport issues RFQ for algal fuels demo

August 4, 2011 | admin

In Rhode Island, the City of Newport is soliciting a Statement of Qualifications (QBS) for the creation of a Demonstration Project converting naturally occurring algae into a biodiesel for the City of Newport. Deadline for responses is August 24. In calendar year 2007 The City of Newport purchased an Algae Harvester specifically designed to collect […]

Summer is the season…for Welsh kelp biofuels, say researchers

August 3, 2011 | admin

In the UK, the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University showed that the best month to harvest kelp off the Welsh coast for biofuel was in July when the kelp contained the highest proportions of carbohydrate and the lowest metal content, meaning the cleanest and easiest to use feedstock supply. Individual […]

Free Subscription

The Biofuels Digest newsletter

The most widely-read biofuels daily — 20,000+ organizations subscribe — why not you too?