University/College Programs – Advanced BioFuels USA

Residual Biomass to Gasoline: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Bioliq Pilot Plant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie’s Bioliq pilot plant is producing synthetic fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic, ash rich biomass. Bernd Zimmerlin from Karlsruher Institut für Technologie gave this illuminating presentation on the technology behind the magic, from fast pyrolysis to entrained flow gasifier at ABLC Global 2018

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers Advance Biomass Transformation Process

(Chinese Academy of Sciences/Phys.Org) … Thus, it is important to develop a highly efficient water-resistant catalyst to directly and selectively convert crude aqueous oxygenate mixtures to value-added chemicals; water-immiscible ones (easy separation after reaction) are especially of great importance. However, the efficiency and selectivity of the transformation process for biomass-derived intermediates remains

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Omani Woman Scientist Wins UNESCO Fellowship for Research in Biofuels

(Muscat Daily) An Omani woman scientist is among those honoured at the fifth edition of the L’Oréal-Unesco ‘For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship’. Dr Lamya al Haj from the Sultan Qaboos University was recognised at a ceremony held on Monday along with four other extraordinary women from the GCC

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

NCERC Pumped up with 15 Years of Success

by Karen Binder (AgriNews) While most talk these days about ethanol swirls around fuel credits and marketing needs, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center has quietly celebrated its 15th anniversary. And what a 15-year run it’s been. “The difference is that as policies, technologies and products have evolved, the center has evolved

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel By-Product Helps Fuel Come Clean

(King Abdullah University of Science and Technology/Phys.org) … This work on glycerol carbonate also supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to diversify the Kingdom’s economy from its current reliance on the oil industry. (Binod) Giri explains that this research stems from the idea that some of the hydrocarbons

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

To Fulfill Biofuels’ Promise, Scientists Boost Plant Oils with Gene Editing

by Cici Zhang (Chemical and Engineering News) Increasing the fatty acids in crops’ seeds, leaves, and stems could make biofuels more economically viable — … Plant scientist Heike Sederoff of North Carolina State University, however, is very familiar with the oils that camelina offers. The highly concentrated fatty acids produced by

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Coffee Sunglasses, Cotton Biofuel Cells, Evolving Yeasts, Biobased Boat Stickers, Microalgae Chemicals, Potato Plastic, Bioplastic Shoes: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 5th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 5th. … #7 Cotton-based hybrid biofuel cell could power pacemakers In Georgia, a glucose-powered biofuel cell that uses electrodes made from cotton fiber could

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel from Castor Oil: How Thabang Mabapa Is Helping Farmers

by Lesetja Malope (City Press) … Thabang Mabapa is a self-confessed curious social entrepreneur who might just have a viable alternative to the country’s current fuel price crisis. He makes biofuel from castor oil extracted from castor trees and its growing demand is proving to be a disruptor in the commercial farming

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Why a Curious Crustacean Could Hold Secret to Making Renewable Energy from Wood

(University of York/EurekAlert!) Scientists studying the digestive system of a curious wood-eating crustacean have discovered it may hold the key to sustainably converting wood into biofuel. Gribble are small marine invertebrates that have evolved to perform an important ecological role eating the abundant supplies of wood washed into the sea from

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Florida ‘Best Site’ for Algae Cultivation

(Biofuels International) New research has evaluated a number of specific regions across the United States and concluded Florida is the best for algae production. According to a statement, the 19 month long study involving scientists from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and Arizona State University (ASU) concluded that Florida’s humidity and

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

New Biocontainment Strategy Controls Spread of Escaped GMOs — Engineers Safely Control Genetically Engineered Microalgae

(Science Daily) Researchers successfully developed a biocontainment strategy for GMOs. Their new method prevents genetically modified microalgae from surviving outside of their test environment, enabling ways to more safely research the effects of GMOs. Hiroshima University (HU) researchers successfully developed a biocontainment strategy for genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Their new

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

More Sustainable: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Intensification Response & Landscape Design in Bioenergy Production

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Many prominent bioenergy critiques are feedstock-focused — for example, iLUC (Searchinger et al. 2008), carbon debt. Marginal land strategies identify areas where energy crops likely have competitive advantage for productivity and/or conservation based on Biophysical characteristics (land capability classification) and past/current land use (pasture/rangeland, ‘abandoned’ land.

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Fungi Convert Waste Material into Food, Fuel and Feed

(University of Borås/Alpha Galileo) Wastes become resources in the project Ways2Taste, where researchers at the University of Borås are developing methods for growing fungi on material that would otherwise have become waste. The goal is to produce climate-smart materials–including a whole new source of protein. Two of the world’s major environmental

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Brain Regeneration, Data Storage with Biocomputers, Plastic from Waste Gases, Bamboo Diapers, Gene-Edited Wheat, Jackets from Bison Fluff : The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of November 29th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 29th. … #3 Munich researchers use algae to convert waste gas to carbon fiber In Germany, researchers at the Technical University of Munich are

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

European Bioeconomy University: UEF and UNIBO Join Four Universities to Form International Alliance with Focus on Bioeconomy

(Science/Business) Europe’s leading universities in the field of the bioeconomy are looking to further intensify their existing cooperation to develop common problem-solving approaches for society’s most urgent challenges. JOINT PRESS RELEASE from the Universities of Hohenheim, Bologna, and Eastern Finland, AgroParisTech, BOKU Vienna, and Wageningen University and Research Think Tank for

November 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Which Way to Take Protons Findings Pave the Way for Chemical Replication of Hydrogen-Producing Enzymes.

(Ruhr-Universität Bochum) How exactly certain algae enzymes produce hydrogen has previously been the subject of speculation. Dr. Martin Winkler, dr. Jifu Duan, Prof. dr. Eckhard Hofmann and Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Happe from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), together with colleagues from Freie Universität Berlin, succeeded for the first time in exactly reproducing the pathway of the

November 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Scientists Seawater Fuel Discovery Cuts Demands on Freshwater Use

(University of Huddersfield) The use of seawater in the production of bioethanol significantly reduces of water footprint in the bioethanol production industry. Bioethanol is a climate-friendly alternative to petrol and its adoption has been encouraged by many governments. In the fight against global warming, bioethanol fuel is seen as a climate-friendly

November 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Pardon Me, Turkey, Is This Stool Taken? Scientists Turn Poultry Poop into Fuel

by Lina Zeldovich (National Public Radio) … But a team of scientists at Ben-Gurion University in Israel is preparing something different: turkey poop. They say that when cooked under the right temperature, pressure and other conditions, turkey droppings transform into a form of coal, which can fuel power plants and serve

November 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Bio Jet Fuels Good for the Climate, but Technologies Need Tweaking

(Norwegian University of Science and Technology/EurekAlert) Norway’s forestry wastes could meet 20 per cent of its aviation fuel needs while protecting the environment — Even travelling relatively short distances in Norway’s populated south, say from Bergen to Trondheim, two major coastal cities 700 km apart, takes up to 12 hours by car

November 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Israeli Researchers Create Hydrochar from Human Waste

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Israel, researchers at the Ben-Gurion University Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research have published a study in the Journal of Cleaner Production showing the use of hydrothermal carbonization to transform human waste into hydrochar for use as biofuel. A byproduct of the process is a liquid fertilizer for

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Purple Bacteria Can Turn Human Waste into Clean Hydrogen Energy

(ResearchGate) The new method reduces carbon emissions and turns wastewater treatment plants into green generators. A significant downside to wastewater treatment plants is their carbon footprint. Now, researchers have found a way to reduce carbon emissions from sewage and produce hydrogen energy at the same time. Their method uses purple bacteria and electrical

November 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Company Removing Nitrates from Water Using Algae

by Jon Vanderford (1011 Now) The algae found in a lab at the University of Nebraska’s Beadle Center may hold the key to clean water. Research on algae first started several years ago with a goal of producing oil. “The initial impetus was a DOE project involving many labs here in

November 16, 2018 Read Full Article

Renewable Energy: Decarbonise, Decentralise and Digitalise

Alan Brent (Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Engineering and Computer Science) … Where we haven’t reached consensus is what to do with heavy transport and aviation, which our economy (like any other) highly depends on. For KiwiRail to switch from electric to diesel locomotives just doesn’t make sense—unless, of course, they

November 16, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel Cell Can Match the Performance of Platinum

(The Engineer) Researchers in Germany have developed an enzyme-based biofuel cell that can match the performances of fuel cells made using platinum. — Described in Nature Communications, the biofuel cell uses the enzyme hydrogenase as a catalyst in place of the precious metal. However, enzymes must be stored in an aqueous environment, making

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

2019 Energy Innovation Seed Grant Announcement

(University of Maryland) The Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2) is focused on translating university energy research into new clean energy companies in the State of Maryland and thus simultaneously benefiting our environment and creating high paying jobs to help our State economy. MEI2 proposes a unique opportunity through the following seed

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

How Maryland Is Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay: LiveBIG 2018-19

(BTN Live BIG) With a specially-built algae growth system, University of Maryland researchers are scrubbing excess nutrients from Chesapeake Bay waters, a process that will help restore oxygen levels in the troubled coastal ecosystem. The algae, in turn, can be used to produce methane, a renewable resource for green energy. WATCH

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Federal University of Goiás Holds an Event on the Impacts of Brazilian Biofuels Policy

by Bruno Roque and Jakeline de Oliveira * (University of Goiás/Advanced Biofuels USA) The New Brazilian Policy for biofuels called RenovaBio was one of the topics addressed at the 15th Congress of Research, Education and Extension (Conpeex) held on October 16, 2018, at Federal University of Goiás (UFG in Portuguese).

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Fuel Causes Mechanical Issues for Three of Loyola’s Shuttles

(Loyola Phoenix (Chicago)) One of Loyola’s intercampus shuttles stopped running on the road, and another couldn’t drive faster than 20 miles per hour after biodiesel froze in their engines Friday, Loyola officials said. A third shuttle stopped running Tuesday for the same reason, according to the university, leaving students to wait

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Activating the Right Bacteria: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 3Bar Biologics

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 3Bar Biologics’ Bio-YIELD uses naturally occurring microbes that are precisely matched to specific crops and soil environments. These microbes were discovered and isolated during a 15-year extensive research process by scientists at The Ohio State University. The Bio-YIELD inoculant system makes it easy for farmers to

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Report on the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium at Auburn University

by Leyla Battista-Channell* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Auburn, Alabama: Home to the Auburn tigers, the “loveliest village on the plains,” and this year’s host to the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium. Previously held at other universities, why Auburn University this year? The Biosystems Engineering department at Auburn University has been on the rise

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Broad Genome Analysis Shows Yeasts Evolving by Subtraction

by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin–Madison) An unprecedented comparison of hundreds of species of yeasts has helped geneticists brew up an expansive picture of their evolution over the last hundreds of millions of years, including an analysis of the way they evolved individual appetites for particular food sources that may be

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility

(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) … Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol refinery could use a range of plant types without having

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Deal Inked for Biofuel Research

(The Hindu) The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has signed a three-year, Rs. 11 crore deal with The Energy and Research Institute to set up a centre to produce “advanced biofuels and bio-commodities.” This is the fifth such dedicated centre for bioenergy-research and development set up by the Department. The others are

November 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Graphene Takes a Step toward Renewable Fuel

(Linköping University/Phys.Org) Using the energy from the sun and graphene applied to the surface of cubic silicon carbide, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, are working to develop a method to convert water and carbon dioxide to the renewable energy of the future. They have now taken an important step toward this

November 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel from a Container

(Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft/TechExplore) … Even then, gasoline would still be required to power combustion engines, which will be operating for decades to come. The only sustainable way to keep us mobile is to replace this gasoline with alternative fuels. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM, working together with twelve

November 7, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Lee Lynd issued a call to action in a recent Nature Biotechnology commentary: Three key measures should be part of any effort to revitalize cellulosic biofuels. First, pursue commercial deployment in achievable, successively enabling steps, proceeding from where the industry is today. Second, maximize social and environmental benefits based on examples

November 7, 2018 Read Full Article

In the Quest for Cleaner Fuels, a Scientist Turns to Tim Hortons Coffee Grounds

by Richard Cuthbertson (CBC News) Dalhousie University chemical engineer Sophia He is converting coffee grounds into fuel that could power cars — When chemical engineer Sophia He was recruited to Dalhousie University’s agriculture school five years ago, she began to brainstorm with local farmers about how leftover organic material could be turned into

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Scientists Find a “Switch” to Increase Starch Accumulation in Algae: A Brighter Future for Renewable Energy and Materials

(Tokyo Tech News) Results from a collaborative study by Tokyo Tech and Tohoku University, Japan, raise prospects for large-scale production of algae-derived starch, a valuable bioresource for biofuels and other renewable materials. Such bio-based products have the potential to replace fossil fuels and contribute to the development of sustainable systems and

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

German-Language STEM Workshops at University of Rhode Island for High School Students–CO2 Experiment

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) For scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, Germany offers a broad range of opportunities when it comes to higher education and professional development. The University of Rhode Island’s (URI) German International Engineering Program (GIEP), together with the Goethe-Institut Boston and the American Association of Teachers

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

The Grand Challenge of Cellulosic Biofuels

by Lee R. Lynd (Energy Today/Nature Biotechnology/Dartmouth College) Why cellulosic biofuels have fallen short of expectations and what we can do about it. — A robust second-generation biofuels industry based on inedible cellulosic biomass available as wood, grass, and various wastes was widely expected to be in place by now. Anticipated benefits

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

EcoAgriculture Partners Announces Climate Smart Agriculture Training Curriculum

(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) EcoAgriculture Partners, a non-profit, integrated-landscape-management advocacy group, has announced a new climate smart agriculture (CSA) training curriculum is under development. Louise Buck, the organization’s director of collaborative management, was in New York City for last month’s Climate Week NYC , where she introduced the Training Curriculum

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought … and the Salt and the Heat

(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Poplar saplings being grown at the University of California Davis are not expected to survive the rigorous conditions simulating prolonged droughts and heat waves that are being imposed on them. But they are helping a team of researchers make ones that can. Poplar provides a

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Designing a More Productive Corn Able to Cope with Future Climates

(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) An international research team has found they can increase corn productivity by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In a report published in the journal Nature Plants, researchers note that corn is a staple food for billions of people around

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Biobased Credit Cards, Useful Products from Diapers, Chicken-Fat Biodiesel, Mobile-Based Precision Ag, Biodegradable Insulation, Soy Synth Meat, Algae-Based Straws: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of November 1st

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 1st In today’s Digest, biobased credit cards, useful products from diapers, chicken-fat biodiesel, mobile-based precision ag, biodegradable insualtion, soy synth meat, algae-based straws —

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

DBT Set up the Fifth Centre of Excellence in Bioenergy

(India Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology) Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India and The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) today (31st October 2018) for setting up of India’s first ever DBT–TERI Centre for Integrated Production of Advanced Biofuels

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Israeli Scientists Develop Method to Produce Fuel from Olive Waste

(Xinhua) Israeli researchers have discovered a method to turn the waste generated by olive oil production into fuel used by vehicles, the news website Ynet published Friday. During the olive oil production process, of every 1,000 kg of olives squeezed in the olive press, only 200 kg of olive oil are

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Can Utah Lake’s Algae Be Harvested? UVU Professor Has Plans, Is Seeking Funding to Turn Algae into Fuel

by Braley Dodson (Daily Herald) Barges could be running across Utah Lake by next summer, sucking up water and filtering out algae to prevent future massive blooms from forming on the lake. At least, that’s Kevin Shurtleff’s plan. Shurtleff, an associate professor of chemistry at Utah Valley University, presented his idea for

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Minnesota State Mankato Agroecology Class Tours Guardian Energy

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Fourteen students from Minnesota State University, Mankato toured Guardian Energy yesterday to get a closer look at clean renewable energy production. During the tour, the students learned several components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, ethanol

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Enzyme Ancestors Resurrected to Boost Thermal Stability

by Emma Stoye (Chemistry World) Scientists constructing enzyme library make serendipitous discovery — Researchers have made more active, heat tolerant versions of two potentially useful enzymes by reconstructing the forms thought to exist in the ancestor to all modern vertebrates 450 million years ago. They say this approach – demonstrated on a

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Minister Launches BEACON Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre and National Pilot Biorefining Facility

(University College Dublin Innovation) €28 million in total invested in BEACON and National Bioeconomy Campus; Launch at Lisheen part of inaugural Bioeconomy Ireland Day — Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD today launched the new €22.2 million BEACON Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre at the €5.75 million National Bioeconomy Campus

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Growing Algae More Sustainably for Biofuel Production

by Jessica Cox (Colorado State University/Phys.Org) … Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used to create them. Ken Reardon, the Jud and Pat Harper

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Engineering Prof. Receives $2 Million Grant to Research Biofuel

by Rochelle Li (The Cornell Daily Sun) A Cornell professor believes biofuel can make fuel cleaner, and was recently granted $2 million by the Department of Energy to research the future of biofuel use in diesel engines. Prof. Thomas Avedisian, mechanical and aerospace engineering, hopes to answer whether enough biofuel can

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break down Biomass

(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants such as moose help break down recalcitrant plant biomass into carbon nutrients, but how do they do this over the course of seasons when the moose diet changes, and what microbes are involved? Now, an international research team has studied

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Over 70% Bioethanol Engine Developed

(Biofuels International) An Austrian university of technology, TU Wien (TUW), announced in a public release that it has developed a diesel engine that utilises over 70% bioethanol. TUW detailed the technology used in the development of the engine, which uses both diesel and bioethanol in a ‘special’ dual-fuel combustion process which

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Iranian Researchers Use Chicken Fat to Produce Biodiesel

(Iran Front Page) A group of Iranian researchers have developed the knowhow to produce biodiesel out of chicken fat. … In a laboratory project, Iranian researchers managed to carry out nanocatalysis-based synthesis which makes it possible to turn chicken fat into biodiesel. … “In recent years, researchers working in this field have

October 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Texas A&M AgriLife Research Wins $2 Million for Biofuel Research

(Texas A&M AgriLife Research/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to Texas A&M AgriLife Research will help researchers investigate potential discoveries for waste products used in lignocellulosic biofuel production, turning them into valuable agents used in producing commercial products such as biodiesel

October 24, 2018 Read Full Article

New Research Looks beyond Carbon Efficiency to Improve Advanced Biofuel Strategy Development

by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) … For researchers, this means that the more carbon in the crop that ends up as carbon in the fuel, the better. But carbon efficiency may not be the whole story: fuel quality and energy requirements are also key factors for selecting next-generation biofuels

October 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Boosting Crop Yields

(Algae Industry Magazine) Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have engineered tiny carbon-capturing engines from blue-green algae into plants, in an innovation that can help boost the yields of important food crops such as wheat, cowpeas and cassava. READ MORE/WATCH VIDEO

October 20, 2018 Read Full Article

REA Resource Recovery Systems and UConn Join to Create Biodiesel from Wastewater

by Kevin Zimmerman (Westfair Communications) “It’s a huge problem, both in the United States and internationally,” said REA Operations Manager Eric Metz. “And with population growth increasing, there’s going to be more Brown FOG going into the sewer systems,” which can result in overflows and blockages that can be expensive to

October 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Red-Hued Yeasts Hold Clues to Producing Better Biofuels

by Jill Sakai (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A compound that has scientists seeing red may hold the key to engineering yeasts that produce better biofuels. A red pigment called pulcherrimin, naturally produced by several strains of wild yeasts, is synthesized in part through the same biochemical pathway that researchers hope to use

October 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Success Is Sweet: Researchers Unlock the Mysteries of the Sugarcane Genome

(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Phys.Org) For centuries, sugarcane has supplied human societies with alcohol, biofuel, building and weaving materials, and the world’s most relied-upon source of sugar. Now, researchers have extracted a sweet scientific prize from sugarcane: its massive and complex genome sequence, which may lead to the development of hardier

October 11, 2018 Read Full Article

PHYCO2 Algae Production and Carbon Emissions Reduction Pilot Program with MSU Reach New Milestones

(PHYCO2) PHYCO2 LLC reached a new milestone in its three-year pilot program with Michigan State University, announcing today the operation of its new, scalable algae production technology reactor, which will reduce the level of carbon emissions produced by electric power generation boilers. In 2015, PHYCO2 engaged with MSU to test its patented

October 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Production of Renewable Gas from Waste Wood

(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) KIT’s researchers succeeded in producing renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for honeycomb methanation. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is comparable to that of fossil natural gas and can be used as fuel in cogeneration and heating plants

October 11, 2018 Read Full Article

University of Idaho’s National Biodiesel Education Program Brings Resources for Small Businesses Online

(University of Idaho National Biodiesel Education Program) Are you interested in starting your own biodiesel business? Our website now has a page with resources that may help you. Biodiesel Business Information These videos may assist you in determining what you need for your biodiesel business. Learning How To Make Biodiesel We

October 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Harvesting Solar Fuels through a Bacterium’s Unusual Appetite for Gold

by Theresa Duque (University of California Berkeley) A bacterium named Moorella thermoacetica won’t work for free. But UC Berkeley researchers have figured out it has an appetite for gold. And in exchange for this special treat, the bacterium has revealed a more efficient path to producing solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis. M.

October 10, 2018 Read Full Article

Sustainable Intensification: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to More Biomass for Bioenergy without Imposing iLUC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in combination with biorefinery processing can produce more biomass for bioenergy without imposing iLUC. That’s the topic of this illuminating overview from Poul Erik Laerke and Uffe Jørgensen of Aarhus University Foulum, as presented at a recent IEA Bioenergy Task 43

October 10, 2018 Read Full Article

How Some Algae May Survive Climate Change

(Rutgers Today) Green algae stole genes from bacteria to survive in harsh environments, Rutgers-led study suggests — Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy genes they stole from bacteria, according to a Rutgers-led study. These Picochlorum single-celled

October 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers Find Value in Unusual Type of Plant Material

by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) An ideal biorefinery would turn renewable crops into a variety of fuels and products with little waste. A significant challenge in realizing this vision is what to do with lignin, a fibrous and difficult-to-break-down material in the cell walls of plants that gives them their

October 9, 2018 Read Full Article

UTech, Jamaica and Elhydro Limited Sign MoU for Biodiesel Production and Research

by Michelle Beckford (go-Jamaica.com/University of Technology, Jamaica) The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Ja.) and Elhydro Limited on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise collaboration in biodiesel production and research. The MoU agreement signed by UTech, Jamaica President, Professor Stephen Vasciannie and Elhydro Limited President,

October 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Engineering Plants for a Sustainable Future

by Staffan Persson (University of Melbourne/Phys.org) … Our new discovery, published in Nature Plants, shows how plant walls could be manipulated in the future to change the way we produce biofuels, bioplastics and other biomaterials. … In particular, understanding how to control the production of flexible primary walls, which support cell growth,

October 8, 2018 Read Full Article

Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought … and the Salt and the Heat

by Laura Shields (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Improving poplar biomass production under stress conditions — … Stresses, such as high temperatures and a lack of freshwater, can cause reduced crop growth or even complete loss. The rising frequency of these stressful periods inspires a race to find more tolerant plants.

October 8, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Sawdust

by Edwin L. Aguirre (University of Massachusetts Lowell) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers from UMass Lowell, the University of Maine and Florida-based Mainstream Engineering Corp. to develop renewable fuel additives made from “woody biomass” – particularly sawdust from sawmills. “The

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

From Waste to Fuel: Researchers to Develop Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts

by Julianne Beck (Northwestern University Campus News) A new collaboration led by Michael Jewett, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University, will combine recent technological advancements in bioengineering to develop a transformative production system for next-generation biofuels and bioproducts. The multi-institutional project is supported by a three-year, $1.6 million contract

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Caltech Scientist Is among 3 Awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Sparking ‘a Revolution in Evolution’

by Deborah Newtburn and Karen Kaplan (Los Angeles Times) … Frances Arnold, a biochemical engineer at Caltech, was awarded half of the $1.01-million prize for her pioneering experiments in the field known as directed evolution. The other half of the prize was split between George P. Smith of the University of Missouri in

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

From Ponds to Power: $2M to Perfect Algae as Diesel Fuel

by Nicole Casal Moore (University of Michigan) U-M becomes one of the few institutes in the world working on the problem end-to-end — With $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, University of Michigan researchers aim to make the long-touted promise of algae as a biofuel source for diesel engines into

October 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Canadian University and Xebec Embark on Power-to-Renewable Gas Project

(Xebec/McGill University/NGV Journal) Xebec Adsorption Inc. will co-develop a prototype reactor to produce renewable natural gas using a power-to-gas (P2G) process with McGill University. This process combines electricity generated from renewable sources with CO2 generated from waste. The project is being funded by Xebec as the Industrial sponsor and by the

October 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Country-Level Social Cost of Carbon

by Katharine Ricke, Laurent Drouet, Ken Caldeira and Massimo Tavoni (Nature Climate Change) The social cost of carbon (SCC) is a commonly employed metric of the expected economic damages from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Although useful in an optimal policy context, a world-level approach obscures the heterogeneous geography of climate damage and

October 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Development, Deployment of Integrated Biorefineries: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Biorefining in the US

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced biomass (wood, crops, residues, etc.) as base for a global

October 2, 2018 Read Full Article

UI’s Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab Finally ‘Across Finish Line’

by Lyndsay Jones (News-Gazette) Twenty years, two budget cuts and several billion dollars in funding later, the University of Illinois’ Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory held what Chancellor Robert Jones called its “final grand opening” Thursday afternoon. … The 42,000-square-foot building at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. is intended to bridge academic research on

October 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Enter 2019 Storyfest; Win Trip to Galápagos Islands

(Planet Forward) Tell an inspiring story to move the Planet Forward. Enter to win our Storyfest Award. Grand Prize: A storytelling voyage through the Galápagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions and Planet Forward in August 2019! In every corner of the planet, amazing people are working hard to figure out solutions to the environment’s biggest

October 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Tell a Data Story. Visualize a Better World.

(Google) In collaboration with the World Bank, the United Nations Foundation, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, Google Cloud is hosting a data storytelling contest called Visualize 2030. If you’re a college or graduate student, this is your chance to make an impact on the global community. From ending

October 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Climate Researchers: More Green Space, Less Biofuel

(Iran Daily) … According to UPI, John M. DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute, and William H. Schlesinger, president emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, want to see more conservation of the planet’s natural resources. … “Current policies advancing bioenergy contribute to the pressure

October 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Nebraska Will Test 30 Percent Ethanol Blend in State Vehicles

by Joe Duggan (Omaha World-Herald) Nebraska will run 50 state-owned vehicles on a 30 percent ethanol blend to see how the corn-derived fuel performs in conventional engines. The pilot program will monitor the effects of E-15 and E-30 blends on vehicle performance, fuel economy and emissions control systems in state

September 26, 2018 Read Full Article

University of Rhode Island Energy Fellows Program: Applications for 2019 Now Open! DEADLINE: November 12, 2018

(University of Rhode Island Extension) In response to a growing need for student experiential learning opportunities in energy, URI Cooperative Extension created the Energy Fellows Program in 2008 to enhance the undergraduate and graduate student learning experience. To date, the program has seen over 100 students complete program requirements, with over

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

New Method More than Doubles Sugar Production from Plants

(SwissInfo.ch) Chemists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a method that can significantly increase the yield of sugars from plants, improving the production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials. Producing fuels and chemicals from biomass (for example wood and grasses) is one of the most promising

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

A Switchgrass Sugar Situation

by Paige Short (Michigan Technological University) Switchgrass is a promising biofuel alternative to corn, but farmers, environmentalists and biofuel developers, find deciding on the right time to harvest particularly thorny. … The current viable harvest window for switchgrass extends from peak biomass, when the grass is at its biggest before it

September 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Industrially Important Molecules: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Constructive Biology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Berkeley legend Jay Keasling gave this illuminating overview of the promise and progress of a new company in the Keasling universe, Constructive Biology. READ MORE

September 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Seattle University Will Become First College in State to Divest of Fossil Fuels

by Katherine Long (Seattle Times) The university says it will become the first among the nation’s 28 Jesuit universities to divest its endowment of fossil fuels. — Seattle University will become the first university in Washington state to divest its endowment of fossil fuels over the next five years. The action means

September 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Reaping Profits from Microalgal Biorefineries

by Annie Megan Santamaria (Research Matters) Biorefineries which run on microalgae make for unconventional alternatives to satisfy our ever-growing thirst for energy. Studies in the past have proved that producing only biodiesel from microalgae biomass is non-profitable, and hence not sustainable. However, there is a growing market for coproducts produced during the

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

On the Origin of the Elusive First Intermediate of CO2 Electroreduction

by Irina V. Chernyshova, Ponisseril Somasundaran and Sathish Ponnurangam (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) The understanding of a catalytic reaction starts with understanding its first elementary step. Surprisingly, despite the large number of studies, it is unclear whether one common or two different first intermediates control the selectivity of

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

‘Next Gen Scientists for Biodiesel’ Program Selects Two New Leaders

(National Biodiesel Board) Rowan University and Missouri University of Science and Technology students chosen as co-chairs — Shyam Paudel’s interest in energy comes from deep in his childhood, growing up in the mountains of Western Nepal. Children commonly studied by the light of kerosene lamps. “One summer, my father bought two solar

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

iSEE Helps Secure $6M+ in New Research Grants for U of I Agriculture Studies: $5M DOE Grant for Energy Crops Study

(Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) … A U of I Crop Scientist will lead a team of researchers on a five-year study of new crops that could contribute to the production of affordable, sustainable sources for market-ready fuels and other valuable products. U of I College of Agricultural, Consumer, and

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Resilience through Regional Partnership: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Consortium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC) is a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead), the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia, Auburn University, and other institutions, government agencies, the civil aviation industry, and Agrisoma Biosciences and Applied Research Associates (ARA) from

September 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Shell-backed Startup Creates Fuel from Carbon Dioxide and Fake Sunlight

by Cole Latimer (Sydney Morning Herald) startup company backed by energy giant Shell has developed a method to turn carbon dioxide into fuel by adding fake sunlight. US company Dimensional Energy has developed an “artificial photosynthesis” process with a photoreactor that converts carbon dioxide, using sunlight and water, into synthetic fuels and

September 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Bacteria That Turn Sugar into Hydrogen Being Engineered by Researchers

by Joanna Sampson (Gasworld) Macquarie University researchers have teamed up with BOC Australia and Bioplatforms Australia to genetically engineer bacteria that turn sugar into hydrogen (H2). The project has received a $1.1m grant from ARENA, the Australian Government’s Renewable Energy Agency. The three-year grant from ARENA is being matched by

September 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Eliminating Biofilms in Biofuels: A Bacterial Approach

by Anna Bete, Yazmin Camacho, Jonah Carter, Jason Dong, Christopher Guptil, Max Herrmann, Hayley Jesse, Peter Menart, Travis O’Leary, and Laura Polanka* (Carroll High School and the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Air Force Research Laboratory) With growing environmental concerns on the rise in recent years, more companies and individuals are becoming

September 18, 2018 Read Full Article

A Protective Shield for Sensitive Enzymes in Biofuel Cells

(Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum/Phys.Org) An international team of researchers has developed a new mechanism to protect enzymes from oxygen as biocatalysts in fuel cells. The enzymes, known as hydrogenases, are just as efficient as precious metal catalysts, but unstable when they come into contact with oxygen. They are therefore not yet suitable for technological

September 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Research Brief: Researchers Discover How Caged Molecules ‘Rattle and Sing’

(University of Minnesota) A team of energy researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of Massachusetts Amherst has discovered that molecular motion can be predicted with high accuracy when confining molecules in small nanocages. Their theoretical method is suitable for screening millions of possible nanomaterials and could improve production of

September 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Chemists Develop Nanocatalysts for Continuous Biofuel Synthesis

(RUDN University/Phys.Org) A chemist from RUDN synthesized new catalysts with ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles for producing biofuel from organic biowaste. Nanocatalysts support more intensive and sustained reactions than the compounds currently available in the market. The results of the study were published in the ChemSusChem journal. Rafael Luque, an external specialist from RUDN, works