In Indiana, researchers at Purdue University have found a genetic mutation that allows a plant to better endure drought without losing biomass. During drought conditions, a plant might close its stomata to conserve water which also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide it can take in, limiting photosynthesis and growth, but the discovery shows plants […]
In Washington, the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program is offering a free Webinar on Monday, January 24, 2011, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern titled “Improving Photosynthesis for Hydrogen and Fuels Production” in conjunction with the Biomass Program. Dr. Tasios Melis of UC Berkeley will be providing an overview of his invention disclosing […]
In New York, a research team led by Cornell University and USDA Agricultural Research Service at both Cornell and North Carolina State University have related genetic variation across the entire maize genome to traits. The researchers found 1.6 million sites where one maize plant can vary from another, and then identified the genes that control […]
In Japan, researchers from the University of Illinois and the Univerisites of Miyazaki and Hokkaido in Japan have come across a hybrid of Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Miscanthus sinensis that will have similar phenotypic traits to the high-yielding Miscanthus x giganteus. By relying on just the giganteus variety, there is more risk of diseases and pests, […]
In Michigan, researchers have determined that threatened bird species would be better served by developing native perennials as energy feedstocks rather than corn. Almost twice as many species made their homes in grasses than in corn, while plots of switchgrass fell between the two in their ability to sustain biodiversity. More on the story.
In Illinois, researchers at the University of Illinois-Urbana Campaign have determined that half of the world’s current fuel consumption could be replaced with biofuels without competing with food or pastureland. A class of biofuel crops called low-impact high-diversity (LIHD) perennial grasses could produce bioenergy while maintaining grassland. Adding LIHD crops grown on marginal grassland to […]
In Texas, four inventors and Celanese International have received US Patent 7,863,489, for their novel process to produce ethanol from acetic acid using a platinum and tin based catalyst. Celanese owns the world’s largest acetic acid plant in the Pasadena area near Houston, as well as a major acetic acid plant in Nanjing, China. More […]
In China, GCiS China Strategic Research has published a study of the China market for biofuels, covering both ethanol and biodiesel. The study provides an in-depth look at the trends, participants and forecasts for the industry from 2009 to 2015. Findings include the growing, multibillion dollar market, is centered around the government mandated “ethanol-only” areas […]
In Germany, the German Biomass Research Center conducted a study on optimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rapeseed biodiesel. The study sought to analyze current default values for GHGs from rapeseed biodiesel, and to outline areas to improve current GHG levels. At the current default levels for GHG reduction, most biofuels will not meet GHG […]
In New Zealand, the former New Zealand Forest Research Institute, Scion, has published a 210-page report showing government officials that more than 1 million hectares of marginal land throughout New Zealand should be planted in exotic trees like pine, a renewable resource that can be converted to biofuels. In the proposal, Scion identified 19,900ha of […]
