University/College Programs – Advanced BioFuels USA

Duke University Researchers Develop Robotic System that Sniffs Ethanol Leaks

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In North Carolina, engineers at Duke University are developing a smart robotic system for sniffing out pollution hotspots and sources of toxic leaks. Their approach enables a robot to incorporate complex calculations of airflows in confined spaces made on the fly, rather than simply guide the robot

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Tech Taiwan Makes Advance in Biofuel Production Technique

by Yu Hsiao-han and Chung Yu-chen (Focus Taiwan News Channel) Academia Sinica Thursday unveiled a technique that facilitates the production of more biofuel using cryo-electron microscopy, a technology that enables researchers to better capture the structure of enzymes — biological catalysts that accelerate the process by which biomass is transformed

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Sustainable Way to Increase Seed Oil Yield in Crops

(Science Daily/Nanyang Technological University) Scientists have developed a sustainable way to demonstrate a new genetic modification that can increase the yield of natural oil in seeds by up to 15% in laboratory conditions. — The new method can be applied to crops such as canola, soybean and sunflower, which are in a

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Helps Develop a Novel Extraction Process that May Provide a More Economical Way to Make a Promising Biofuel

(Worcester Polytechnic Institute/PR Web) Isobutanol has been hailed as a possible green replacement for fossil fuels like gasoline, but producing it has proven difficult and costly. In a paper in Nature Communications, a research team that includes a WPI chemical engineer shows how a novel process may make producing this and

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Florida Climate-Smart Ag Initiative Announced

(Solutions from the Land) Florida agricultural leaders are calling for deeper exploration of farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners as suppliers of environmental protection as well as of food and fiber. The Florida Climate-Smart Agriculture Work Group has declared its ambitions to craft a plan for how the state’s 26 million acres of

April 18, 2019 Read Full Article

ICGEB’s Novel Yeast Strain Increases Ethanol Production

by R. Prasad (The Hindu) The strain produces ethanol by fermenting rice and wheat straw — Compared with currently available strains, a robust yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae NGY10) that can produce up to 15.5% more ethanol when glucose or lignocellulose biomass — rice and wheat straw — is fermented has been isolated by

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Gov. Ivey Awards Grant to AU for Feasibility Study on Biofuels Crop

(Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey) A $39,757 grant, awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey, will enable Auburn University to determine if an oilseed crop can be successfully grown and marketed in Alabama as a biofuel and become another cash crop for the state’s farmers. Carinata, also known as Ethiopian mustard, is

April 16, 2019 Read Full Article

MIT Says We’re Overlooking a Near-Term Solution to Diesel Trucking Emissions

by Megan Guess (ARS Technica) … Daniel Cohn and Leslie Bromberg, a pair of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published a paper with the Society of Automotive Engineers, suggesting that the best way forward is not to wait for all-electric or hydrogen-powered semis, but to build a plug-in

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

NUI Galway Launches Biofuels Research Lab

(Roscommon Herald) NUI Galway has launched a new laboratory to research the generation of biofuels from organic waste. Professor Piet Lens, a leading expert in environmental biotechnology, will lead a team of 25 PhD and post-doctoral researchers in the university’s Department of Microbiology Programme, ‘Innovative Energy Technologies for Bioenergy, Biofuels and

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Made from Used Tyres Could Be the Solution to Australia’s Fuel Security Problems

by Erin Semmler (ABC News) A central Queensland oil refinery has made biofuel from old tyres that can work in a standard diesel engine; Hopes are the production of the fuel, once commercialised, will help curb tyre waste and offer fuel security in the event of market failure; One passenger tyre will provide approximately

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

A Laser Focus on Finding Better Ways to Make Renewable Fuels

by Whitney Clavin (California Institute of Technology/Phys.org) … Researchers have for decades made strides in using sunlight to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, wherein the resulting hydrogen gas can be used as stored fuel. But the method is still too expensive. Materials called catalysts are needed to run the

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Make a World of Difference — Explore Penn State Energy and Sustainability Programs Online

(Pennsylvania State University) The global shift to clean energy is creating opportunities for project developers and policy experts to drive renewable energy initiatives and encourage a culture of sustainability. Prepare yourself to help shape the future by graduating from one of Penn State’s energy and sustainability programs, offered completely online

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Technology Turns Municipal Wastewater Algae into Specialty Chemicals for Biofuels, Bioplastics

(Purdue University/Phys.org) Gen3Bio has designed mobile 15-gallon enzymolysis pilot plants to be placed in wastewater treatment facilities to transform algae into specialty bio-based chemicals, such as biofuels or bioplastics. — A startup is advancing a unique way to transform algae used to purify municipal wastewater into specialty bio-based chemicals such as

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

New Study: Non Flex Fuel Vehicles Benefit From Ethanol Blends

(Urban Air Initiative) A newly published study finds that most vehicles on the road today can adapt to mid-level ethanol blends, helping cars run more efficiently while reducing greenhouse gas emissions along with other pollutants. The study was conducted by North Carolina State University and commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative. “This study

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Algae-Derived Solar Fuel

(Algae Industry Magazine) Susan Kraemer writes in solarpaces.org that to use solar thermal energy to convert farmed algae to fuel, the solar fuels research team at Australian National University (ANU), led by John Pye together with Mahesh Venkataraman, proposed a new process, detailed in their paper Modelling of a 50 MWth On-Sun Reactor

April 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Circular Bioeconomy Days 2019 — June 25-27, 2019 — Foulum, Denmark

How can companies and agriculture enter into a circular bioeconomy, and how do we ensure that its further development will be of value to industry and society? These questions are the focal points of the conference Circular Bioeconomy Days 2019, to be held from 25 to 27 June 2019 at Aarhus

April 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Food, Energy, New Materials – How Do We Use Our Land Resources Most Effectively? — April 11, 2019 — Gothenburg, Sweden

The demand for land and biomass is expected to increase, as a growing and wealthier global population requires more food, paper, textiles, etc. Additional biomass demand arises as policies, regulations and strategies are aligned with visions about a biobased circular economy, which have been formulated in response to concerns about

April 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Technical Report Comparison of Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Tools

(Task 39 – Commercializing Liquid Biofuels/International Energy Agency (IEA Bioenergy)) … Bioenergy plays an important role in the decarbonization of the transportation sector. Its medium and long-term benefits depend on the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions brought forth by the conversion of renewable feedstocks, which can be quantitatively determined through a Life

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Air Pollution Caused by Corn Production Increases Mortality Rate in US

(University of Minnesota/EurekAlert!) New paper presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production — A new study establishes that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing a monetized cost of $39 billion. The paper,

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Students’ Soybean Straws Win Award

(The Exponent) Three Purdue students brought home top honors and a $20,000 prize at this year’s Student Soybean Product Innovation Competition for their biodegradable soybean based drinking straw, according to a Purdue press release. “Team Stroy” is made up of Natalie Stephenson, a senior in the Krannert School of Management; Morgan Malm, a graduate

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Electrochemistry for Biofuels Waste Valorization: Vinasse as a Reducing Agent for Pt/C and Its Application to the Electrolysis of Glycerin and Vinasse

by RudyCrisafulli, Fernando M.de Lino Amorim, Suzana M.L.de Oliveira Marcionilio, William Mendes Cunha, Brenda R.S.de Araújo, José A.Dias and José J.Linares (Electrichemistry Communications) Vinasse is used for the first time for preparation of a Pt/C electrocatalyst. Deposition of Pt particles was achieved with some cotton-like agglomerations. Vinasse-prepared Pt/C was very active for glycerol

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Teachers of the Trade

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) An American Ethanol partnership facilitated an ethanol-focused presentation to future and current mechanics at one Universal Technical Institute campus. — Mechanic certification focuses intensely on engines themselves, and the mechanical aspects of engine parts. It makes sense, then, that mechanics are just as susceptible to believing

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Apoptosis in Algae Could Have Implications for Biofuels Production

(Biofuels International) A new study has shown the first evidence of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in algae, which could have wide-reaching implications for the production of biofuels. Results of the research carried out by University of Alberta (UAlberta) microbiologists were published in a paper titled ‘Phaeobacter inhibens induces apoptosis-like programmed cell

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Scientists Develop High-CO2-Tolerant Microalgae

(Algae Industry Magazine/Chinese Academy of Sciences) … However, the high concentration of carbon dioxide in flue gases generally inhibits the growth of industrial microalgae. Therefore, reducing the so-called “CO2 poisoning effect,” i.e., improving tolerance to high levels of CO2, has become a priority in the development of super microalgae for carbon fixation.

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Ridgewater College Toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC)

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Forty-one students from Ridgewater College toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) in Benson yesterday to learn about an important ethanol co-product, dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS). “Tours like this educate students on the role ethanol plays in boosting the economy in rural Minnesota and reducing harmful greenhouse

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Surrey Catalyst IP Set to Ignite Innovation in Modern Bio-Refineries

(University of Surrey) The University of Surrey has developed a new, cost-effective type of catalyst that it hopes will ignite innovation in bio-derived added value chemicals and bring about the next generation of bio-refineries. As the world is looking to combat the catastrophic effects of climate change, many hope that bio-based

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

WEBINAR: Key Competencies for Sustainability Degree Programs — April 3, 2019

Every year, new sustainability degree programs are launched at colleges and universities across the country, joining a global trend of sustainability degree programs. The 2017 National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) Research Report “Scope of Interdisciplinary Environmental, Sustainability, and Energy Baccalaureate and Graduate Education in the United States”

March 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Cricket Bacteria Break Down Lignin, Highlighting Ecology’s Utility in Applied R&D

(North Carolina State University/Phys.org) Researchers have discovered that a bacterium found in camel crickets is capable of breaking down lignin—the stuff that makes wood tough—opening new research pathways for the development of biofuels and chemical manufacturing. The study also highlights the potential inherent in using ecosystem analysis as a tool

March 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Princeton’s Algal Library Explores Genes for Photosynthesis

(Algae Industry Magazine) A team led by Princeton University researchers has constructed a public algae “library” to help researchers find out what each gene does during photosynthesis. Using the library, the team identified 303 genes associated with photosynthesis, including 21 newly discovered genes with high potential to provide new insights

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Soy Innovation Campus to Co-locate with New Minn. Biodiesel Plant

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council plans to co-locate its new Soy Innovation Campus with Epitome Energy LLC’s proposed 30 MMgy biodiesel production and soybean crush facility in Northwest Minnesota. Earlier this year, Epitome Energy was awarded a $450,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass for Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) International Energy Agencyis an autonomous organization that works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. Professor Mark Brown, Director of Forest Industries Research Centre – USC, IEA Bioenergy Exco Rep for Australia, and Task Leader for the IEA Bioenergy Task

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Commitment to R&D is the Key

by Debi Durham (Iowa Economic Development Authority/Biofuels Digest) … Toward that end, Iowa offers incentives such as the Research Activities Tax Credit to alleviate the potential financial risk associated with R&D investments, and ultimately, improve the potential for profitability. As one of the few states providing this kind of incentive,

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Transcription Factor Network Gets to Heart of Wood Formation

by D’Lyn Ford and Jack Wang (North Carolina State University News) North Carolina State University researchers have uncovered how a complex network of transcription factors switch wood formation genes on and off. Understanding this transcriptional regulatory network has applications for modifying wood properties for timber, paper and biofuels, as well as making

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Novel Potent Antimicrobial from Thermophilic Bacterium

(University of Groningen/EurekAlert!) University of Groningen microbiologists and their colleagues from Lithuania have discovered a new glycocin, a small antimicrobial peptide with a sugar group attached, which is produced by a thermophilic bacterium and is stable at relatively high temperatures. They also succeeded in transferring the genes required to produce this

March 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Biobased Radio: A Podcast Promoting a More Sustainable Future

(Ohio State University) A podcast promoting a more sustainable future through conversations with industry, university, and environmentalists Delivered twice monthly, you’ll hear conversations around what it means to be biobased and what steps industry, university, and activists are taking to shape our world for years to come. Biobased Radio is

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Sugar Set for ‘Energycane’ Reinvention

(University of Queensland/Phys.Org) Gene-editing sugarcane for use in renewable energy and bio-plastics could help secure the industry’s future. The University of Queensland’s Professor Robert Henry said sugarcane’s reinvention as an “energycane” crop could sustain the industry in the face of falling global demand for sugar. “The industry must think beyond just producing sugar,

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

This Beetle’s Gut May Hide Clues to Making Better Biofuels

(Berkeley News) The passalid beetle’s unique gut architecture helps it transform decaying wood into energy-rich materials. — Decaying wood doesn’t make the most nutritious food, but the long-horned passalid beetle has evolved to make the best of it. The guts of this forest-dwelling insect are adapted to take tough plant materials,

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Engineered Microbe May Be Key to Producing Plastic from Plants

by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable — but frustratingly untapped — bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous plastics. Researchers, like those at the University of Wisconsin–Madison-based,

March 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Report: Feds’ Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences

(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single gallon of ethanol can require up to two thousand

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

SMU Researcher Studying Purpose-Grown Biomass Crops

(Saint Mary’s University/Canadian Biomass Magazine) Research into how poor-quality, marginal land can be used to produce biomass as a potential revenue stream for farmers underway at Saint Mary’s University received $1.2 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience program and the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub Fund. … Led by

March 8, 2019 Read Full Article

3-D-Printed Live Cells Convert Glucose to Ethanol, Carbon Dioxide to Enhance Catalytic Efficiency

by Anne M Stark (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have 3-D printed live cells that convert glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide gas (CO2), a substance that resembles beer, demonstrating a technology that can lead to high biocatalytic efficiency. Bioprinting living mammalian cells into complex 3-D scaffolds

March 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Mushroom-Root Styrofoam Replacement Wins Lebanon Student Startup Competition

by Rebecca Coons (NUU Digital Voice of the Advanced Bioeconomy) In Lebanon, a team from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik is set to compete in a global competition for $1 million in seed capital for Mushtic, their biobased material with similar shock absorbance and insulating properties to Styrofoam. The group, which will

March 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Super Corn Microbe, Self-Healing Concrete, Jute Gene Tweak, Mushroom Root Styrofoam Replacement, Biodegradable Food Packaging and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of March 6th

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 March 6th. In today’s Digest, super corn microbe, self-healing concrete, jute gene tweak, mushroom root Styrofoam replacement, biodegradable food packaging. READ MORE #1 Mushroom-root Styrofoam replacement

March 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Harnessing Synthetic Biology to Co-Produce High-Value Terpenoid Biomaterials and Biofuel in Plants

(Michigan State University/Phys.Org) Michigan State University scientists have developed synthetic biology tools to co-produce high-value compounds in plants. The study is published today in the journal Nature Communications. Terpenoids form the largest class of natural products in plants and have been used by humans for thousands of years. Modern applications for

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Online Programs in Energy and Sustainability at Penn State

(Pennsylvania State University) The global power shift is creating jobs for renewable energy project developers as well as policy experts who can drive clean energy initiatives and encourage a more sustainable culture. Let our online programs help you become an agent of change in the emerging green economy. Prepare yourself —

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Engineers Develop Fast Method to Convert Algae to Biocrude

(University of Utah/Science Daily) A team of chemical engineers have developed a new kind of jet mixer for creating biomass from algae that extracts the lipids from the watery plants with much less energy than the older extraction method. This key discovery now puts this form of energy closer to becoming

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Applications Open for Statewide Bootcamp for Tennessee Agricultural Innovation Startups — July 8-12, 2019 — Knoxville, TN

(AgLaunch) AgLaunch and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center are again partnering for a week-long agri-tech bootcamp to support Tennessee agriculture startup teams. The bootcamp will be held on the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture campus in Knoxville from July 8-12, 2019. Teams accepted into the program will experience best-in-class agricultural entrepreneurship programming and

March 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Clover Improves Soil Quality, Feeds Biofuels Crop

by Christie Delfanian (South Dakota State University/Phys.Org) A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study. Planting Kura clover, a pasture legume, with prairie cordgrass can improve microbial activity in the soil, thus reducing

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Omni3D and the Cyprus University of Technology Are Working on Reducing CO2

(Omni3D) Omni3D Ltd, which is specialized in the production of industrial 3D printing, is conducting an innovative project in collaboration with the Cyprus University of Technology within the European M-Era net. — The participants of the project “The production of biofuel in process using BioElectroCathodes and CO2” include Research and Innovation

February 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Research Uncovers Potential Sustainable Refining Method for Lignin

(Phys.Org/Texas A&M University) Lignin, used as a renewable resource to produce high-value products, has presented both production and economical challenges for biorefinery operations. However, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist suggests the use of an extraction method, plus other refining processes to produce multiple lignin streams. Dr. Joshua Yuan, chair of Synthetic

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuel Use Reduces Aviation Emissions and Contrail Cirrus Climate Effects

by S. Himmelstein (Engineering 360) Aviation makes a significant contribution to anthropogenic climate forcing in the form of soot, aerosol and greenhouse gas emissions. Soot emissions are responsible for the formation of cirrus contrails composed of ice crystals that can trigger climate warming effects. The increased use of biomass-based aviation fuels can

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Bioeconomy Initiative BioYork Gets the Royal Seal of Approval

(N8 Research Partnership) Princess Anne was guest of honour at the official launch of University of York’s new bioeconomy initiative, BioYork. The project, BioYork, has been established as a focus for bioeconomy activity in the North of England as part of an interdisciplinary approach to research into health, food and bio-based fuel

February 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Food Industry Waste Becomes Profitable Biogas

by Monica Westman Svenselius (Linköping University) Huge gains can be made by using waste from the food industry for biogas production, no matter whether the biogas is used in vehicles or to produce electricity and heat. This is the conclusion of researchers from the Biogas Research Center in a recently published article.

February 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Ultraviolet Light Could Provide a Powerful New Source of Green Fuel

by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Methanol—a colorless liquid that can be made from agricultural waste—has long been touted as a green alternative to fossil fuels. But it’s toxic and only has half the energy as the same volume of gasoline. Now, researchers report they’ve created a potentially cheap way to

February 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Montana State University Algae Research Could Make Biofuel Production More Economical

by Anne James and Marshall Swearingen (KSEN) In an effort to improve the feasibility of a renewable energy source, Montana State University researchers are exploring a potential breakthrough in producing biofuel from algae. Backed by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the research team — which includes scientists

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Pilot Plant to Turn Sugarcane Waste into Biofuel and Beer Bottles

(Queensland University of Technology) QUT researchers and Mercurius Australia have commenced work on a pilot plant to prove the economic viability of turning sugarcane waste into either jet and diesel fuel or chemicals that could be used to make plastic soft drink and beer bottles. Dr Darryn Rackemann, Senior Research Fellow

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Sustainable Bioproducts and Bioenergy Program Seeks Internship Hosts

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In North Carolina, with the goal of increasing awareness and interest of traditionally underrepresented groups in the bioeconomy, NCSU has established a professional development and certificate program called the Sustainable Bioprogram and Bioenergy Program. The program is funding with a USDA NIFA grant similar to

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

County Considers Biofuel Relocation Option

by Joe Sutter (Messenger News) An update to Webster County’s Urban Renewal Area will enable payments to Cargill Inc. for a wastewater treatment project, as well as paving the way for a potential joint project between the county and Iowa Central Community College for its biofuels testing lab. … The plan

February 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Student Scientists Earn Scholarships to National Biodiesel Conference

(National Biodiesel Board) A dozen university-level science majors interested in learning about all aspects of the biodiesel industry received travel scholarships to attend the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo, Jan. 21 – 24 in San Diego. Some of the students, who are members of the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel, also received

February 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Next Gen Biodiesel Scientists Take One Small Step

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) … NGBS (Next Generation of Biodiesel Scientists) co-chair Jennifer Greenstein, North Carolina State University, moderated a panel of four young scientists from around the world during the recent National Biodiesel Conference in San Diego. Haixin Peng, Auburn University is from China; Shyam Paudel, Missouri University of Science

February 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Brazil May Boost Ethanol Production without Deforestation

by Rodrigo de Oliveira Andrade (SciDev.net) Ethanol sugarcane by-products serve to feed cattle with highly nourishing forage; Requires adapting US system; Recovery strategies for deforested areas also required — By integrating the cultivation of sugarcane for ethanol with beef cattle breeding on the same land, Brazil could increase food and sustainable fuel production without

February 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Potential Trade‐Offs of Employing Perennial Biomass Crops for the Bioeconomy in the EU by 2050: Impacts on Agricultural Markets in the EU and the World

(ResearchGate) Perennial biomass crops (PBC) are considered a crucial feedstock for sustainable biomass supply to the bioeconomy that compete less with food production compared to traditional crops. However, large‐scale development of PBC as a means to reach greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation targets would require not only the production on land previously

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Growth of Engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 on Glucose, Xylose and Arabinose: Hemicellulose Hydrolysates and Their Major Sugars as Sustainable Carbon Sources

by Yan Wang, Felix Horlamus, Marius Henkel, Filip Kovacic, Sandra Schläfle, Rudolf Hausmann, Andreas Wittgens, Frank Rosenau (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant bioresource on earth containing polymers mainly consisting of D‐glucose, D‐xylose, L‐arabinose and further sugars. In order to establish this alternative feedstock apart from applications

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Strategies for Growing Biomass for Fuel Can Have Economic, Ecological and Environmental Benefits

(University of California – Santa Barbara/Science Daily) In efforts to curb our use of greenhouse gas-generating fossil fuels, plant-based biofuels are among the top contenders as alternative liquid energy sources for transportation. However, strategies to produce high yields of biomass for fuels are not a one-size-fits-all proposition, according to a new

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

U OF Illinois Researchers Develop Biofuel Crop Miscanthus with Improved Winter-Hardiness

(AgriMarketing/University of Illinois) For farmers, Miscanthus represents a big up-front investment. The large perennial grass must be established from vegetative pieces at great cost to farmers, but it promises a decade or more of massive biomass yields, starting in year two or three. If a cold winter happens to strike in

February 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Taxes versus Emissions Trading System: Evaluating Environmental Policies that Affect Multiple Types of Pollution

by Boon-Ling Yeo and Andrew Coleman (Environmental Economics and Policy Studies) This paper examines the interaction of different policies used to control two types of agricultural pollution. Pollution control policy is efficient when both pollution types are controlled by taxes, although a tax increase on one type of pollution can increase the

February 3, 2019 Read Full Article

ARPA-E Projects to Develop Sensors for Bioenergy, Agriculture

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy recently awarded nearly $6 million to four projects under its OPEN+ program for the Sensors for Bioenergy and Agriculture cohort team. According to ARPA-E, the team will develop ultra-low energy distributed sensors to improve production efficiency

January 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Growth of Engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 on Glucose, Xylose and Arabinose: Hemicellulose Hydrolysates and Their Major Sugars as Sustainable Carbon Sources

by Yan Wang, Felix Horlamus, Marius Henkel, Filip Kovacic, Sandra Schläfle, Rudolf Hausmann, Andreas Wittgens, Frank Rosenau (Global Change Biology Global Energy) Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant bioresource on earth containing polymers mainly consisting of D‐glucose, D‐xylose, L‐arabinose and further sugars. In order to establish this alternative feedstock apart from applications

January 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Ready for Take Off? Aviation Biofuels Past, Present, and Future

by David Hitchcock (Atlantic Council) … However, the importance of powering the aviation sector (both military and commercial) through sustainable fuels cannot be overstated. David Hitchcock’s paper, “Ready for Takeoff? Aviation Biofuels Past, Present, and Future,” provides a keen look at the history of biofuels, current uses of biofuel, and investments

January 26, 2019 Read Full Article

E. coli Takes On Biofuels

by Jessica Velez, Angel Fernando Cisneros Caballero and Narjes Alfuraiji (Science Trends) … In the genetic engineering world, E. coli is a valuable user-friendly host with a well-known growth metabolism and the largest set of genetic engineering tools available. Many people may be surprised to know that this bacteria has been studied

January 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Reaping the Benefits of Agricultural Waste

(University of New Castle) Australia’s $63 billion* agriculture sector stands to benefit from a revolutionary fuel technology that will convert multiple agricultural waste streams into valuable biofuel and green chemical products for the first time. In partnership with the University of Newcastle, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) and

January 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Attis, Iowa State Partner on Lignin-Based Carbon Fiber

(Attis Industries Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) Attis Industries Inc., a diversified innovation and technology holding company, today announced a partnership with Iowa State University for a funded research program to develop carbon fibers for use in a wide variety of applications derived entirely or predominately from lignin produced at Attis’ planned biorefineries. Carbon fibers

January 25, 2019 Read Full Article

USask Research Turning Ethanol Waste into Alzheimer’s Meds, Industrial Products

(University of Saskatchewan) A University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team’s quest to extract protein from more than a billion litres of annually produced wastewater (called thin stillage) at Saskatchewan’s ethanol plants has yielded something far more valuable—a compound used in many countries to slow cognition loss in Alzheimer’s patients. That compound

January 25, 2019 Read Full Article

EnergyPath and EnergyCamp 2019: “Financing the Energy Future” — July 22-25, 2019 — Center Valley, PA

With innovations in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies emerging at an exponential rate, our energy portfolio is becoming increasingly sustainable. This shift towards a more sustainable future is made easier by recent advancements in energy financing. This conference will feature both energy and financial experts who will present financing

January 24, 2019 Read Full Article

New Biosensor Highlights Best Biofuel-Producing Microbes

by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center/University of Wisconsin-Madison) A major goal of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center is to harness the power of microbes to create biofuels. But often, it’s an expensive challenge for scientists to identify the most useful individual variants among thousands of similar microbe strains. A new

January 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Chlorella’s Wastewater Cleaning Ability Confirmed

(Algae Industry Magazine) Environmental engineers at the University of Arkansas have discovered that Chlorella vulgaris, a single-celled fresh water algae species, effectively removes pollutants from wastewater even at fluctuating levels, making it an effective tool for wastewater treatment. The study, published recently in Water Environment Research, indicates that Chlorella vulgaris continues to remove harmful elements

January 23, 2019 Read Full Article

New ‘Architecture’ Discovered in Corn: Scientists’ Findings May Improve Biofuel Production

(Louisiana State University/Science Daily) New research on the United States’ most economically important agricultural plant — corn — has revealed a different internal structure of the plant than previously thought, which can help optimize how corn is converted into ethanol. — It has been previously thought that cellulose, a thick and rigid

January 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Quest Fulfilled? Holy Grail Found? 40% Crop Yield Increase Really Possible?

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … (S)cientists in Illinois may have just gotten incredibly close to finding the treasure that any crop producer has been searching for. In field testing across two different growing seasons, they showed >25% increase in biomass of pathway 3 plants compared to wild type,

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Sinclair Clears Snow Using Biodiesel Fuel Made from Recycled Cooking Oil

(WHIO TV) While clearing snow is a chore for most people, it gives Sinclair Community College an opportunity to teach students about chemistry and engineering while saving money. The college teaches students how to recycle cooking oil into biodiesel fuel that is then used to power its snow blowing and grass

January 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Pushing Microbes to Deliver Preferred Products

by Tom Ziemer (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) If environmental engineer Daniel Noguera had his way, he would orchestrate a microbiome to pump out higher-value chemical products. In that vein, Noguera, the Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with graduate student Matt Scarborough and collaborators in the

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Study Argues Sustainable Palm Oil Should Be Easily Accessible

(Biofuels International) A new research study from the University of Cambridge is arguing that sustainable choices on palm oil should be made easier to understand and more accessible to consumers. The study is to be published in Environmental Research Letters. The study outlines how consumer goods companies and retailers need to be

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Farmland Expansion Increases Carbon Footprint across Northern Corn Belt

(Illinois Farmer Today) Faster conversion of land into agricultural production in recent years has raised the region’s carbon cost of producing grains, according to recently published research from an Iowa State University scientist. The study, published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters, shows that increases in crop production due

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Yeast Makes Ethanol to Prevent Metabolic Overload

(University of Groningen/Phys.Org) … (Y)east cells produce ethanol as a ‘safety valve’ to prevent overload when their metabolic operation reaches a critical level. The new theory, which was published in Nature Metabolism on 7 January, could have far-reaching implications, as it also explains why cancer cells waste energy by producing lactate, known

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Expanded Centre for Synthetic Biology Launches at Imperial

by Hayley Dunning (Imperial College London) The Centre brings together researchers using synthetic biology to solve challenges such as in healthcare, biomaterials and sustainable energy. Synthetic biology is the application of engineering principles to biology; designing and creating biological components and systems that do not already exist in the natural world.

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

They Develop Biosensors to Optimize Biodiesel Production

(Uniradio Informa/Notimex (Google Translation)) They develop biosensors to optimize biodiesel production — The Institute of Engineering of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) developed biosensors in this border city, with the aim of optimizing the biodisel production process. The UABC researcher, Margarita Stoytcheva Zlateva, reported that the project “Development of nanostructured

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

UC Riverside Team Examines Influence of Mid-and High-Level Ethanol Blends on Pollution from GDI Flex Fuel Vehicle

(Green Car Congress) A team from the University of California Riverside has investigated the influence of low-, mid-, and high-ethanol fueling—as well as the influence of the aromatic hydrocarbons in the fuel blend—on the regulated and greenhouse gas emissions, the mobile source air toxic pollutants, and the particulate emissions from a

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Corn Ethanol Production Has Minimal Effect on Cropland Use, Study Shows

by Madhu Khanna (Farms.com) Ethanol production has increased sharply in the United States in the past 10 years, leading to concerns about the expansion of demand for corn resulting in conversion of non-cropland to crop production and the environmental effects of this. However, a new study co-authored by a University of

December 28, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Rebecca (Becky) Ong

Rebecca (Becky) Ong majored in chemical engineering and tacked on a degree in plant biology. “I had no plan to integrate them at all,” she says, “I was just interested in plants.” All of that changed, however, when Ong attended a lecture by Michigan State University professor Bruce Dale on

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Love of Plants and Problem-Solving Drives Bioenergy Researcher Rebecca Ong

(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) … “My parents really instilled in me the importance of conservation,” says (Rebecca) Ong, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University and researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). “From an early age, I had this idea of sustainability and the

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) DEADLINES: May 24, 2019 (4th Friday in May) and August 28, 2019 (4th Wednesday in August)

(National Science Foundation) The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Undergraduates Participate in Bioenergy Research at GLBRC through REU Program

by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center hosted 10 REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) students in summer 2018. Seven students participated in bioenergy-related research at Michigan State, and three at UW–Madison. We asked them to tell us a little about their interests, motivations, and/or goals related to

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Rebecca Smith Brings Enthusiasm, Ingenuity to Bear on Tough Lignin

by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Rebecca Smith has loved plants for a long time. In fact, her interest stems from an AP biology class in high school. “Something about the enormous variation and complexity in the plant kingdom sparked my interest,” says the assistant scientist at the Wisconsin Energy Institute

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Finnish Pilot Develops a New Solution for Sustainable Forestry

(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd/EurekAlert) Finnish pilot develops a new solution for sustainable forestry New unique mobile application puts forest Big Data to more efficient use The whole of Europe is feverishly looking for new ways to use farm, forest and fishery resources more responsibly and sustainably and to

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Alt-Shift: As Alternatives to Alternatives, RNG and Fuel Cell Tech Markets Come Clearer, Closer

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, on the final day of California’s 2018 legislative session, a bill sponsored by the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas that would pave the way for a state renewable natural gas procurement program was approved by the Legislature, passing 29-10 in its reconciliation in the Senate.

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

New Study Touts Agricultural, Environmental Benefits of Biochar

(North Dakota State University/Phys.Org) The many benefits of a biomass-made material called biochar are highlighted in a new publication in which Ghasideh Pourhashem, assistant professor at NDSU’s Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials and Center for Sustainable Materials Science, is the lead author. he 24-page article, “Policy Support for Biochar: Review

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Grants Fund Research on Biofuel Production, Reduced Fertilizer Use

(University of Arkansas News) A University of Arkansas biologist working on research that could decrease the need for agricultural fertilizers and boost the production of biofuels recently received grants totaling more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Daniel Lessner, associate professor in the

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Biodiesel-Powered Vehicles “Wrapped” Just in Time for Christmas

(National Biodiesel Board) In keeping with the spirit of the season, five biodiesel users have unveiled new vehicle “wraps” that are helping to share their stories of sustainability and emissions reductions with area residents from Maine to the Midwest. “Our annual biodiesel vehicle wrap program provides matching funds to help biodiesel

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Improved Catalyst Can Speed up Conversion of Industrial Biomass into Biofuel

by Monika Kundu Srivastava (TechExplorist) … Scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, have developed a faster, environment-friendly method for conversion of industrial biomass into biodiesel. An organic compound called furfural is produced from agricultural waste biomass like bagasse, cottonseed hulls, sawdust, oat hulls, rice hulls, wheat husk, and bran. Typically furfural

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

DOE Awards $1M to UMass Lowell-Led Team to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Wood Byproducts; Co-Optima Project

(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers led by a UMass Lowell mechanical engineering professor that is working to develop renewable fuel additives from sawdust and other wood byproducts. The project is part of the Department of Energy’s Co-Optima

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

Direct Electrolysis Has Mixed Results for Extracting Fuel Sources from Microalgae

(Universiti Malaysia Sabah/Phys.Org) Researchers are investigating ways to improve biodiesel production by using electrical fields to break open microalgae cells with varied results, according to a new study in the Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology. Lipids inside microalgae are a promising source of biofuel. Microalgae cells must first be broken apart

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Students Make Biodiesel from Used Vegetable Oil

by Aditi Gyanesh (Times of India) What do you do with vegetable oil after use? Flush it down the drain? You could convert it into biodiesel, as PES University students have been doing for the past three years. SH Kavitha, PhD student, department of biotechnology, has been converting used vegetable oil from different sources

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

British Airways Launches Sustainable Aviation Fuels University Challenge DEADLINE 1: January 18, 2019

(GreenAir Online) British Airways is challenging UK academics to create a new generation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) based on carbon reduction potential, innovation, value to the UK economy and feasibility to implement. In a collaboration with Cranfield University, a competition with a first prize of £25,000 to fund further research

December 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Biobased Beer Can Rings, Algae and Bugs, Chitin-Based Plastic Breakthrough, Gribble Gut Enzymes, Banana-Based Products: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of December 14th

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 14th. In today’s Digest, biobased beer can rings, algae and bugs, chitin-based plastic breakthrough, gribble gut enzymes, banana based products — these and more,

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

New Climate Response Model Calculates Impact of Road Traffic Fast

(Delft University of Technology/Phys.Org) Vanessa Rieger created a model which assesses the impact and the contribution of road traffic emission scenarios on O3 and CH4 concentration and the subsequent climate effect. She will defend her Ph.D. thesis at TU Delft on Friday 7 December. Impact Emissions of road traffic crucially influence