In California, a DOE laboratory has developed a method of introducing a corn gene into switchgrass that would boost its yield as a feedstock. The gene, which prevents the switchgrass from advancing to the adult phase, would double the amount of starch in the switchgrass cell walls, resulting in a higher return from the conversion […]
In California, Energy Biosciences Institute, researchers have found a gene they named AXY4, in a model plant that exhibits a 20-45% reduction in xyloglucan O-acetylation. This chemical can inhibits a microbe’s ability to ferment sugars. The researchers found that blocking the expression of AXY4 in their model plant eliminated xyloglucan O-acetylation. For every 20% drop […]
In Sweden, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have shown that calculating the carbon lifecycle of biofuels is much more complex than previously thought, with between two and 100 years required for a feedstock to become carbon neutral depending on a variety of factors. Therefore policy should be based upon feedstock whose carbon neutrality can […]
In California, researchers at Stanford University have discovered that under the right conditions, E. coli can act as a super charged catalytic converter to turn sugars into diesel-type fuels. Though it’s not yet clear how to ensure the right conditions in all cases, the research funded by LS9 discovered that, they’ve found out that when […]
In Utah, two Salt Lake City high school students have invented a new way of making biodiesel, and have applied for a patent. Using leftover cooking oil from a Chinese restaurant owned by one of their parents, the students start with the traditional method of mixing oil with methanol and potassium hydroxide. Then two students […]
In Tennessee, ORNL researchers have determined that enzymes moving at the molecular level perform hundreds of chemical processes that have a ripple effect necessary for life. Previously, protein complexes were viewed as static entities with biological function understood in terms of direct interactions, but that isn’t the case The discovery was made using the Jaguar […]
In Delaware, the University of Delaware has been awarded a three-year grant of $2.2 million from the Dept. of Energy for research that will focus on genomic technology to develop microorganisms that are more resistant to toxic chemicals and engineered to withstand the stress response that can inhibit cell growth and cause cell death.
In Switzerland, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has developed a “feedback loop” between a computer and a common yeast that could help the production of biofuel from microbes by controlling biological processes such as switching on and off of specific genes. More on the story.
In Israel, researchers at Tel Aviv University have begun growing Tamarix, a botanical genus that includes salt cedar trees and is indigenous to the old-world deserts, to produce feedstock for biofuels that can survive in arid areas with poor quality water. Though Israel doesn’t have the sufficient land to produce these trees at scale to […]
In Utah, Utah State University is currently working on a portable floating algae pond that the University hopes will be scalable in the world’s large oceans or coastal regions. The one-acre pond may produce up to 3000 gallons of fuel per year.
