R & D Focus – Advanced BioFuels USA

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

Benefuel Secures Land for Sarnia Biodiesel Plant

by Paul Morden (The Sarnia Observer) … (Benefuel CEO Rob) Tripp said Benefuel has successfully commercialized its patented process for manufacturing low carbon biodiesel and bio-lubricants from waste feedstocks, such a used cooking oil and byproducts from ethanol refining. It has demonstrated the process at a biodiesel refinery in Nebraska for

January 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Independent Study Finds Vehicle Emission Testing Is Not Reliable

(Urban Air Initiative) A new study finds that many of the test fuels used in emissions research studies do not reflect the makeup of consumer fuels, limiting the ability of ethanol to be used to reduce emissions and improve vehicle efficiency. The Urban Air Initiative (UAI) is pleased to announce

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Gulfstream Notches G280 City-Pair Record Using Biofuel

by Kerry Lynch (AIN Online) Gulfstream’s G280 set a city-pair record using sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) on Wednesday while flying to California’s Van Nuys Airport to participate in yesterday’s industry-wide event, “Business Jet Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability,” held to promote the use of SAJF. The record flight spanned

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

2019 Soil Health Summit Interviews Available

(Soil Health Partnership/AgNewsWire) A Project to make agriculture more productive and sustainable through improved soil health. The Soil Health Partnership is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health, benefiting farmer profitability, a stable food supply, and the environment. READ MORE includes AUDIO

January 21, 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

Immediate Fossil Fuel Phaseout Could Arrest Climate Change – Study

by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) … Climate change could be kept in check if a phaseout of all fossil fuel infrastructure were to begin immediately, according to research. … The study found that if all fossil fuel infrastructure – power plants, factories, vehicles, ships and planes – from now on are replaced by

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

World Energy, SkyNRG and AEG Fuels Supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Bombardier Business Aircraft Flying to the Business Jets Fuel Green Event in Los Angeles

(SkyNRG) World Energy, SkyNRG and AEG Fuels completed the delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Bombardier Business Aircraft. As a part of the OEM’s environmental leadership and commitment to industry objectives to reducing emissions, the SAF was used for a flight on a Challenger 350* jet flying from Bradley International Airport (BDL) in

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Etihad Airways Flies the World’s First Flight Using Fuel Made in The UAE From Plants Grown in Saltwater by Khalifa University

(Etihad Airways/Aviation Pros) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, announced the world’s first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE’s GEnx-1B engines. The flight from

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and start-up of a new 10 million gallon/year production facility

January 17, 2019 Read Full Article

ENI Launches New Biofuel Production Project

(ANSA Med) From castor oil plants, experimentation in Gafsa, Tunisia — ENI has launched a biofuel pilot project in Gafsa, Tunisia, using castor oil plants, which will be used in the ENI biorefinery in Venice and subsequently in the biorefinery in Gela on the island of Sicily. The experimental project aims to

January 16, 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

Greenbelt Resources Receives PURNOL Funding and Commences Enhancements to Production Facility and Supply Chain Logistics

(MarketWatch/Greenbelt Resources Corporation ) PURNOL to market premium brand bioethanol for extraction solvent — Greenbelt Resources Corporation GRCO, (Greenbelt), the developer of a sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms waste into revenue generating bioproducts including bioethanol, today announced initial funding for a licensing and exclusive distribution rights agreement from PURNOL, a California-based distribution company. In accordance

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

VTT Develops New Wood Gasification Method to Produce Biofuel, Chemicals

( VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Canadian Biomass) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification, which offers a sustainable way to turn forest industry byproducts, such as bark, sawdust and forestry waste, into transport fuels and chemicals. The new technique reduces carbon dioxide

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Porsche Hemp Race Car, Cigarette Butt Bricks, Biobased Boo-Boo Bandages, Flax Phone Cases, Bursting Balloon Bubbles, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of January 16th

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 January 16th. In today’s Digest, Porsche hemp race car, cigarette butt bricks, biobased boo-boo bandages, flax phone cases, bursting balloon bubbles — these and more,

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Algae: As Different from Each Other as They Are from You and Me

by Amanda Barry (U.S. Department of Energy) … In a recent project funded by the Advanced Algal Systems (AAS) Program, researchers from LANL and the New Mexico Consortium are exploring the biofuel candidate Chlorella sorokiniana, developing genetic engineering tools in order to introduce novel traits that would allow the algae to grow faster and accumulate

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

We’ll Begin Production of Ethanol, Glucose Syrup from Sweet Sorghum Soon

by Vincent A. Yusuf (Daily Trust) Nigeria will in the first quarter of 2019 begin the production of ethanol and glucose syrup from sweet sorghum for industrial use. In this interview, the Director General of Raw Materials Research Council (RMRDC), Dr. Ibrahim Hussaini Doko, explained the journey so far and the

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Integrated Bioenergy Crops: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to EFC Systems

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) EFC Systems recently bought AgSolver which helps farmers maximize profit on every acre via tools that give them the power to analyze their fields’ financial performance. David Muth from EFC Systems gave this illuminating presentation on integrated bioenergy crops to improve profitability and environmental outcomes at

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Neste Is Not Using Palm Oil as a Raw Material for Renewable Aviation Fuel

(Neste) Biofuel Watch published a report “Neste: The Finnish company preparing to put palm oil in aircraft fuel tanks” on 9 January 2019. The report suggests that Neste is looking to palm oil as a key raw material for the expansion of its aviation fuel production, and that the firm cannot

January 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Finnish Pilot Develops a New Solution for Sustainable Forestry

(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd) 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 promote the production of the best possible raw

January 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National laboratory researchers demonstrate improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. — Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have identified an approach to improve the efficiency and reduce costs of biofuel production that moves

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Cellulosic Ethanol and DDGS: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to D3MAX

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) D3MAX is a corn fiber-to-ethanol technology provider. Mark Yancey, D3MAX’s CTO, gave this illuminating overview of the technology and process behind the cellulosic ethanol and high protein DDGS from corn kernel fiber with D3MAX at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot: The Zydeco of Xyleco

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … This week on 60 Minutes, another unlikely character burst onto the national scene, courtesy of one of the lightest technologies profiles ever investigated on 60 Minutes by the otherwise redoubtable Lesley Stahl, who offered up the story of Xyleco, presumably as a proxy for the efforts of the

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Green Science Alliance Developed an Effective Method for Making Bioethanol from Plants, Wood, Wood Waste, Paper Waste and Food Waste. The Challenge Now is to Use Bioethanol as a Biofuel and an Alcoholic Drink.

(Green Science Alliance/PR Newswire) … Utilizing plants, wood, wood waste, paper waste, and food waste as raw materials for bioethanol production is extremely effective and environmentally friendly. These kinds of biomass are the most abundant raw materials on earth and are a potential carbon-neutral source for alternative natural resources in

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

FuelCell Energy Enters into Option Agreement for Newport Beach, California Coyote Canyon Landfill Energy Redevelopment Project

(FuelCell Energy/GLOBE NEWSWIRE) FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCEL), a global leader in delivering clean, innovative and affordable fuel cell solutions for the supply, recovery and storage of energy, today announced the signing of an exclusive option agreement with the County of Orange regarding the utilization of landfill gas at the Coyote Canyon

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Heavy Duty Diesels: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Cummins

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cummins is conducting diesel research on mixing controlled compression ignition and advanced compression ignition with low reactivity fuels. John Deur from Cummins gave this illuminating overview of biofuel opportunities and challenges for heavy duty diesels at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Scale-Up From the Microbes Perspective

by Mark Warner (Warner Advisors LLC/Biofuels Digest) On a biotechnology project years ago, one of the team members responsible for biological advancement referred to themselves as the microbial organisms “shop steward”, a reference to union representation. While it was somewhat in jest, it did imply that to get the most from the

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy 2019

(Bergeson & Campbell) Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to offer you our Forecast 2019. In this richly detailed document, the legal, scientific, and regulatory professionals of B&C and Acta distill key trends in U.S. and global chemical law and provide our

January 9, 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

Japan Airlines to Utilize Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Reduce CO2 Emissions

(Japan Airlines/Aviation Pros) Japan Airlines (JAL) will take another step forward in its commitment to invest and realize the operation of an aircraft utilizing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). By the end of January, JAL plans to operate select flights from San Francisco to Tokyo (Haneda) with SAF supplied by Showa Shell

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2019? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2018 gives way to the dawn of 2019, once again roll the

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Before the Electric Car Takes Over, Someone Needs to Reinvent the Battery

by David Stringer and Kevin Buckland (Bloomberg) Solid-state technology promises to be cheaper and charge faster than anything on the road today. But no one is close to figuring it out. — … Scientists in Japan, China and the U.S. are among those struggling to crack the code of how to significantly

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

More Designer Peptides, More Possibilities

(U.S. Department of Energy) With their tiny scaffolds of atoms, peptides hold the promise of creating catalysts for biofuels, capturing hazardous waste, and delivering new therapies to improve health. While nature offers a few peptides with the perfect characteristics for such purposes, scientists have been attempting to design peptides more precisely.

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

California Hydrogen Fuel Cell Summit

by Cory Shumaker (California Hydrogen Business Council/ACT News) The California Hydrogen Business Council (CHBC) hosted its 6thannual California Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Summit in Sacramento December 11-12. The Summit brought members of the industry together with government agencies to discuss the progress made in California and beyond in the continually developing hydrogen landscape.

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life into Fuel

by Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes/CBS News) Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products — … What (Craig)Masterman helped implement was Medoff’s novel idea of using these large blue machines called electron accelerators to break apart nature’s chokehold on the valuable

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Here’s What ‘Compression Ratio’ Actually Means and Why It Matters

by Kristen Lee (Jalopnik) … We know that high compression is good, and that low compression is bad. We know that Mazda’s new Skyactiv-X “Holy Grail” engine is high compression, along with Infiniti’s “diesel slayer” and Toyota’s “Dynamic Force” series that all advertise more power along with more efficiency. We live

January 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Past, Present and Future

by Marc Kellens (Biodiesel Magazine) Marc Kellens, the global technical director for Desmet Ballestra, takes us through the history and future of biodiesel production, identifying key milestones and cultural shifts, including the introduction and proliferation of renewable diesel. — … The food-vs.-fuel debate forced the industry to look for alternative biomass sources—wood,

January 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Cutting Edge

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine profiles nine companies whose process technologies, products and services are on the frontline of change in this industry. Third Coast Commodities Biodiesel feedstock trading is evolving, and Third Coast Commodities is one of the firms ushering in this change. … The only way to

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Ricketts: My Goals for 2-19

by Pete Ricketts (Office of Governor of Nebraska/Star Herald) As we enter the new year, I have put together a list of goals for our state in 2019. I am sharing a few of them here. … Year-Round E15 – In October, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and I joined President Trump in

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Wood Pellets: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 40

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 40’s aim is to focus on international bioenergy technology potential, barriers, and trade as well as its wider implications. Christiane Hennig from IEA Bioenergy Task 40 gave this illuminating overview of key regions, developments, and governance for global wood pellet markets at ABLC Global 2018

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life : Insights from CSA Country Profiles Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America (English)

(The World Bank) Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life: Insights from CSA Country Profiles across Africa, Asia, and Latin America The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Country Profile Series assesses climate change challenges and solutions in the agricultural sectors of more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

UN Food and Agriculture Organization Highlights Climate Smart Agriculture

(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

OPINION: UST Corrosion Blame Game Continues

by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … (B)iofuel opponents will continue to blindly blame ethanol for corrosion in underground storage tanks (USTs). However, ethanol is not the culprit, and retailers need to know the facts to help fight back against misinformation. Beginning around 2007, UST owners reported new incidents of

January 3, 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

India Makes Breakthrough in Biofuel Development

by Haley Zaremba (OilPrice.com) … The latest headline to come from efforts of scientists around the globe is a new discovery by a team of scientists based in the west Indian city of Pune at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), which offers a quicker, eco-friendly technique for converting industrial biomass into biodiesel.

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Aviation Solutions: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Neste

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste has a strong history of developing, commercializing, and marketing new fuels, including diesel, renewable chemicals, renewable jet fuel, and more. Neville Fernandes from Neste, gave this illuminating overview of their plans for the production and expansion of renewable jet fuel as well as plans for

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

3D Printing Lignin, Potato Postal Sleeves, Alginate Sausage Casing, Tree to Textiles, Chemical Recycling and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of January 2nd

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 January 2nd. In today’s Digest, 3D printing lignin, potato postal sleeves, alginate sausage casing, tree to textiles, chemical recycling — these and more, ready

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

The Most of Every Kernel: Two Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Ethanol Plants are under Construction, Stirring Hope that the Concept Is Gaining Steam.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In October 2018, construction began on Ace Ethanol’s cellulosic ethanol plant in Stanley, Wisconsin. The plant will be the first to incorporate D3Max’s corn kernel fiber-to-ethanol process, and will help the plant increase its yields and produce higher-protein distillers dried grains with solubles, all without

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

African Centre for Crop Improvement Sweet Sorghum Varieties Poised to Boost Biofuel Industry

(African Centre for Crop Improvement) A breakthrough by the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breeding of sorghum could have far-reaching implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has been working on developing sorghum and sugar beet varieties,

January 2, 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

Thailand: New Facility Opens to Produce, Store and Deliver Biogas

(Cenergy Solutions/NGV Journal) Cenergy Solutions has completed the installation of their first Adsorbent Natural Gas (ANG) Biogas Cleaning, Storing and Utilization System at a pig farm in Thailand that has been venting biogas for over 30 years. The biogas is cleaned with Cenergy’s Biogas Upgrading System, compressed in the CS-180 compressor

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Biogas Innovations: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 37

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy has several member countries involved in Task 37 which aims to improve innovations in biogas systems. Professor Jerry Murphy from IEA Bioenergy Task 37 gave this illuminating presentation on innovations in biogas systems at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco – and it’s ready for you

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

Emerging Process Tech: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to EPIC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) EPIC helps pilot plants test and scale new process technologies. Check out their latest presentation with top four emerging process technologies that they are seeing a lot of right now: carbon capture, gas-to-liquids technologies, bio-based ethylene glycol, and biomass to commodity chemical application – and it’s ready

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Creating Trust in Bioenergy: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted research on various approaches to creating trust in sustainability of bioenergy through effective governance. Inge Stupak and Tat Smith, IEA Bioenergy researchers gave this illuminating overview of ways to increase legitimacy and gain trust in bioenergy at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco –

December 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Top 18 of 2018 – Looking Back to Look Forward

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … So on this last day of 2018, join the Biofuels Digest in looking back at our most visited and popular stories of 2018. … In today’s Digest, the hottest technologies, aviation developments we only dreamed of, cash out of trash innovations, biogas, cellulosic biofuels, lignin,

December 31, 2018 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 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

A Carbon Price Can Benefit the Poor While Reducing Emissions

by Helen Mountford and Molly McGregor (World Resources Institute) … Recent research from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate finds that bold climate action could deliver at least $26 trillion in economic benefits through 2030. … On the other side of the coin, climate action can inadvertently hurt the poor

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Breaching the Biomass Problem: ORNL Team Provides Supercomputer-Aided Insights for How to Turn Plants into Fuel and Materials

by Jonathan Hines (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Humans have found uses for woody plants since time immemorial—tools, shelter, firewood. Today, scientists are working to add more major uses to the list: renewable, cost-competitive biofuel and value-added materials. Turning trees and waste biomass into liquid fuels and other bioproducts has long

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Waste to Energy Major Priority of Govt: Vijay Raghavan

(SME Times) Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan recently said that waste to energy and scaling up of commercially available technologies are top priorities of Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). … He cited several successful examples of adoption of local and global technologies such as the 2G

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

The First Two Biodiesel Groups Begin to Operate in the City of Buenos Aires

(Noticias Ambientales (Google translations)) A collective that works with 100% biodiesel produces 80% less pollutants than one with common diesel — … The pilot test of biodiesel in two units of buses will be done on lines 132 and 91, which will be analyzed over a year by the Transportation Secretariat of

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