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.
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... We are talking about the green stuff that grows in ponds and floats on the surface of water, often mistaken for algae. Why is this green goodness so good? Duckweed, also referred to as lemna
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
(National Algae Association) The Challenge: To identify the best commercial algae cultivation systems on the market. With many different variations of algae cultivation systems throughout the world, the emerging algae production industry needs to identify the best commercial algae cultivation systems in indoor and
(Arizona State University/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced 36 projects that together have been awarded $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development. Two Arizona State University research teams are among the grantees, with the grants to
(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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was, at times, not unlike the old trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and that was no coincidence, for there was optimism abounding and the deal-talk that flows from a general feeling that
(AlgaEnergy/Yokogawa/BusinessWire) AlgaEnergy, a Spanish biotechnology company specializing in the production and commercial applications of microalgae, and Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6841), a leading provider of industrial automation, control, and measurement technology, announce the signing of a partnership & equity participation agreement. The
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 7th. #10 Mazda backs carbon-neutral biofuel research on microalgae In the United Kingdom, Mazda is involved
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at
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
(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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
(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
(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
(Fish Information and Services) The report on blue bioeconomy published by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products. -- Researchers from the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) have determined that over 50 per cent of any
(Mazda/Automotive World) Mazda is currently involved in joint research projects and studies as part of an ongoing industry-academia-government collaboration to promote the wide-spread adoption of biofuels from microalgae growth -- As part of its ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’ long-term technology development programme, the
(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
(New Indian Express) Sweet sorghum is a variety of sorghum or jowar/jonna, which has high sugar levels in its stalk thus making it useful for processing of ethanol. -- With the country falling short of ethanol production from sugarcane with respect to
(Algae Biomass Organization) Six student scientists were presented with this year’s Young Algae Researcher Awards for their contributions to fields of algae biology and engineering at the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit, held in The Woodlands, Texas Oct 14-17. The awards are presented at the annual
(Smithfield Foods/CSR Wire) Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce, through the nationwide expansion of Smithfield Renewables, innovative projects designed to help meet its goal to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent by 2025, which it set in concert
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
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... It is true that some species of algae produce oils that can be converted into fuel. It is also true that crude oil originated from algae and plankton that lived millions of years ago, died, sunk
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Here, Lars Waldheim of Waldheim Consulting gave this illuminating
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Two ethanol producers are adopting quite different innovative technologies to add value to their corn oil—one making biodiesel with supercritical methods, the other making renewable diesel. East Kansas Agri-Energy’s renewable diesel plant has been
by Courtney Wilson (ABC News) Blue agave — which is the base ingredient for tequila — is currently grown on a commercial scale in Mexico, but Queensland's MSF Sugar is aiming to become a world industry leader, with plans to plant
(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
(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
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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How attractive are systems for Bioenergy Feedstock Production in Sustainably Managed Landscapes for Rural Development? Ioannis Dimitriou, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Dep. of Crop Production Ecology offered this illuminating overview at a recent IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 43’s goal is to contribute to sound bioenergy development driven by well-informed decisions in the forestry, agriculture and energy sectors as well as in investment institutions and government agencies. The group addresses critical issues for
(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
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
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
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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reliable information is an essential foundation for policy decisions. We are therefore working: to provide a solid database of the de facto development, to develop manageable and summarizing balance sheets and indicators, which aggregate multitude data
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
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
(Syngenta/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., recently toured the Syngenta Seeds Stanton, Minnesota, R&D facility and North America Seedcare Institute and participated in a discussion on the future of biofuels, including home-grown American ethanol. ... “Recently I toured Syngenta’s Seedcare Institute and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Judit Sandquist gave this illuminating overview of the
(U.S. Department of Energy/Joint Genome Institute/Phys.Org) ... For the highly polyploid sugarcane, an international team of researchers has successfully assembled a first monoploid reference sequence using a targeted approach that focused on the gene rich part of the genome by harnessing
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
(Biofuels International) At the G7 Environment, Energy and Oceans Ministerial Meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, global waste-to-biofuels and chemical producer Enerkem announced that it will be exploring opportunities to act against oceans plastic waste and marine litter. After constructing the ‘world’s first’
(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
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
by Scott Henry (Des Moines Register) ... A study from Environmental Defense Fund and managerial accounting firm K·Coe Isom AgKnowledge finds that conservation can boost farm profitability. The analysis includes detailed financial case studies of three Midwestern corn, soy and wheat farmers
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF), Pacific Ethanol, and Aemetis co-sponsored a new internship this year at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for a college student to learn more about low-carbon cellulosic biofuels and their potential to reduce greenhouse
by Igor Houwat (Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists have found a solution to enhance oil production and harvest using what many consider sea sludge. The new proof of concept, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels, is a biofuel production platform that uses
(MarketWatch/Cyanotech) Cyanotech [®] Corporation (nasdaq capital market:CYAN), a world leader in microalgae-based, high-value nutrition and health products, is pleased to announce that it has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Cellana LLC to acquire a six-acre production and research facility, known
(University of Queensland) A $4.5 million initiative to boost Australia’s synthetic biology capabilities will be built by The University of Queensland and CSIRO, helping drive advances in areas such as manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, environmental remediation, biosecurity, agriculture and healthcare research. UQ
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Groups like Eni, Wilmar, Novamont, Reverdia, Blue Sphere, or the many consortia? The key takeaways; the mandates and national targets; the key producers; process technology R&D; feedstock & supply chain development. All in one concise guide. Mandates
(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Biomass Magazine) On Aug. 23, Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland signed a collaboration agreement on the CERES flagship program and took a concrete step towards a joint innovation ecosystem in the field
by Samar Lahiry (Down to Earth) Several factors have led to slow progress in the country’s biodiesel development programme, nbotably, the Jatropha plant -- ... In India, there is a vast potential for the production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas (called Jangli arandi in Hindi
by Bruce Lieberman (Yale Climate Connections) They think nutrients in farm runoff could feed algae for biofuel. -- When fertilizer and pesticides run off farmland, they can contaminate waterways with nutrient pollution. Davis: “A classic example is the Mississippi Basin.” That’s Ryan Davis of
(NUI Galway) Plant biotechnologists from the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway have identified genetic breeding strategies to develop bigger and better sugar beet. Sustainable intensification of agriculture to meet rapidly growing global demand for food and non-food products produced by
by Carina Lopez (Xinhua) Massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed are invading Caribbean beaches mostly thanks to global warming and countries should work closely with scientists for a sustainable solution, said a researcher at a leading Mexican university on Saturday. Brigitta Ine Van
(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) ... To learn more about glucose, the sugary feedstock of biofuel refineries, scientists want to know where a polymer of glucose, mixed-linkage glucan (MLG), resides in grasses as grass species are a major potential renewable biomass feedstock.
by Debra Matabvu (Sunday Mail) Conceived 12 years ago when the country was in the throes of biting fuel shortages, the jatropha biodiesel project – which was premised on cutting the country’s fuel import bill – seemingly suffered a stillbirth. The multi-million dollar
by Abdelrahman Saleh Zaky, Darren Greetham, Gregory A. Tucker & Chenyu Du (Scientific Reports) Current technologies for bioethanol production rely on the use of freshwater for preparing the fermentation media and use yeasts of a terrestrial origin. Life cycle assessment has suggested
(R&D Magazine/Tokyo Institute of Technology) Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have honed in on an enzyme belonging to the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family as a promising target for increasing biofuel production from the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. Algae are known to store
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A remarkable and usually under the radar company known as Stover Ventures is said to be nearing its once-unlikely goal of raising capital — mostly so far from Iowa farmers — to construct a biorefinery near Osage, Iowa
(Joint Genome Institute) ... A diverse group of plant-produced organic compounds, terpenes play key roles in plant growth, defense, and environmental interactions. Terpenes are also economically important because of their use in industrial materials, pharmaceutical products, and as biofuel precursors. Collectively,
by Anahita Bharadwaj (Pennsylvania State University for Advanced Biofuels USA) Energy Days, 2018 at The Pennsylvania State University- University Park, brought together leading researchers, government agencies, industries, non-profit organizations and academics in the field of energy to understand the current challenges
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Calyxt is pioneering a paradigm shift to deliver both healthier specialty food ingredients, such as healthier oils and high fiber wheat for consumers as well as agriculturally advantageous traits, such as herbicide tolerance to farmers. The technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
by Caroline Ochieng, Francis X. Johnson and Anne Nyambane (Stockholm Environment Institute) This paper synthesizes the current knowledge about the impact of biofuels on ecosystem services. -- Biofuel feedstock production can be a significant driver of landscape modification, ecosystem change and biodiversity
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... “About 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year – an estimated one in three mouthfuls of food every day,” according to Alessandro Demaio, Chief Executive Officer of the Norway-based EAT, an international
by Yu Wang, Ming‐Hsun Cheng, Mark Mba Wright (Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining) Converting corncobs into fuel ethanol is different from converting stover because cobs have higher hemicellulose and lower lignin than stover. Current research provides life‐cycle assessments of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We eat it, we wear it, we burn it, we glue it, we live in it and more. Feedstock that is — crops and residues of the municipal, industrial, agricultural and forest type. We’ve been reporting
by Elizabeth Montalbano (Design News) Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have discovered a novel way to develop biofuel from green algae. -- ...One of the most promising alternatives has been molecular hydrogen, which provides carbon-free power in one of the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
(ICRISAT) To help the government achieve the national ethanol blending targets of 20% by 2017, private sugar mills and the public sector research institutes are collaborating with ICRISAT to identify and test sweet sorghum varieties suitable for ethanol production. A total
by O.C. Cluss (Daily Trust) The Federal Government is to focus more on the development of jatropha production as part of efforts to diversify the nation’s economy, the Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, has
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jags Pandhal is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, at the University of Sheffield, in the UK. His research involves biological resource recovery utilizing algae from landfill leachate at 300L scale. This project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In March, EcoStrat CEO Jordan Solomon announced the US Standards for Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) this year. This has been an ongoing 3 year USDOE/BETO project which we are leading with Idaho National Labs for
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) A digitized sourcebook that offers a wide range of knowledge and expertise on the concept of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is among a series of products put out by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in
(Purdue University) Hoosier farmers will have to adapt management practices and the types of crops they plant over the next several decades as they deal with the repercussions of climate change. That’s according to a new report from the Indiana Climate
(The Soil Health Institute/Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire) Soil health policies are growing in number and importance across the United States but are widely dispersed across a variety of academic institutions, state agencies and legislative bodies. This catalog brings these policy efforts together to
by Andy Stiny (Santa Fe New Mexican) ... And those lawn clippings? They could be used to convert algae into a mass-produced, economical biofuel to be used in cars, trucks and airplanes. Molecular biologist Amanda Barry and a team at Los
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements -- ... U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. ... Sorghum is a grass grown in many places and regions around
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
by Bethany Jensen (Ignite Utah State University) With the increase of global climate change effects, many local bodies of fresh water are experiencing dangerous toxic algae blooms. These are detrimental to water recreation, to agriculture, and to the natural ecosystem. They
by Madelyn Beck (Harvest Public Media/KUNC) ... That’s because for the last few years, the EPA and the Department of Energy have been at odds, with taxpayer money creating a new biofuel industry that may not have the room to grow
(U.S. Department of Energy) The idea of bacteria as diverse, complex perceptive entities that can hunt prey in packs, remember past experiences and interact with the moods and perceptions of their human hosts sounds like the plot of some low-budget science
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Established in 2013, AltAir Fuels was created to produce low carbon fuels and chemicals derived from sustainable feedstock. For its first commercial project, AltAir partnered with Alon Energy USA to use its existing refinery in Paramount,
by Phathu Luvhengo (Destiny Man) Social entrepreneur and biofuel producer Thabang Mabapa has stepped up to provide a viable solution to South Africa’s energy crisis Public relations and communication graduate Mabapa has stepped up to help solve the energy crisis by providing
(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production strain of microalgae, Auxenochlorella protothecoides,
(European Technology and Innovation Platform-Bioenergy) On 13 June 2018 the SET-Plan Steering Group approved the Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport. The plan was prepared by a working group, co chaired by industrial experts from
(Benson Hill Biosystems/PR Newswire) New Company Will Provide R&D Infrastructure to Harness the Genetic Potential of Canola for More Healthy and Sustainable Food and Feed Ingredients -- Benson Hill Biosystems, a crop improvement company unlocking the natural genetic potential of plants, today
(CIRAD/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sugarcane was the last major cultivated plant to have its genome sequenced. This was because of its huge complexity: the genome comprises between 10 and 12 copies of each chromosome, when the human genome has just two. It
(Colorado School of Mines) Nanette Boyle, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Colorado School of Mines, has been awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program. Boyle will receive $750,000 over five years to develop predictive metabolic
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cellana uses the most productive plants on earth—marine microalgae—to photosynthetically produce its ReNew line of Omega-3 EPA and DHA oils, animal feed, and biofuel feedstocks. Cellana’s patented ALDUO system, a series of photobioreactors coupled with open
(Algae Industry Magazine) Have some of the final engineering limitations of microalgae been overcome? Can microalgae be hosts for genetic engineering as powerful as bacteria and yeast? A promising new technique for gene design seems to overcome expression limitations of
by Glenneis Kriel (Farmer's Weekly) Christo Smit, a former researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, is working on developing a sustainable biofuel industry from the diesel tree. -- The South African government lost interest in biofuels when oil prices fell from about
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Lignin has developed into a sustainable and very satisfactory alternative to fossil fuels. But applications have been needed. Firstly, applications that work, then applications that pay, then applications at scale. Let’s see how that work has
(CNH Industrial/NGV Journal) In Cestas, southwest France, the CNH Industrial brands, including IVECO, New Holland and FPT Industrial, are partners in an initiative promoted by Pot au Pin Energie (a local energy company), Air Liquide and Carrefour to create the first
(University of Michigan) University of Michigan scientists grew various combinations of freshwater algal species in 80 artificial ponds at U-M’s E.S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan in the first large-scale, controlled experiment to test the widely held idea that biodiversity can
(International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis/Phys.Org) A new report from researchers from IIASA, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden has shown that more biorefineries, which produce biobased fuels and chemicals, will have only a small effect
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using neutrons to understand why certain hydrocarbons produced by blue-green algae are important to their biology, so new strains can be engineered to sustainably produce biofuels. Neutron scattering makes
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Arizona, Arizona State University researcher Kevin Redding is working on biological, light-driven energy extraction. Redding, a biochemist who leads the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at ASU, is producing hydrogen biofuel from water instead of
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Syngas, or synthesis gas, is on fire lately, with new technologies making the most of waste products like CO2 or low-grade biomass and converting them into useful hot stuff like syngas that can then be
by Tom Rickey (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Last month a rocket thundered off a NASA launch pad in Virginia, destined for the International Space Station. Nestled among the 7,400 lbs. of supplies was a handful of seeds designed to open new
by Lisa Weismann (Live5News) ... The South Carolina Department of Agriculture will select 40 farmers to receive industrial hemp permits. These permits will allow farmers to grow up to 40 acres of hemp. ... Hemp can be used to make products including rope, clothes, food,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary deconstruction. In response, researchers have joined
by Dave Songer (Bio-Based World News) “The milestones and professional growth I've achieved in this role are above and beyond what I could have accomplished in academia within the same time frame.” Fiberight is a UK- and US-based small and medium-sized enterprise
by Jessica Holdman (Bismark Tribune) ... The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved an $83,810 Renewable Energy Program grant to Midwest AgEnergy Group to research using North Dakota barley for biofuel and a high value protein concentrate byproduct to sell to
(Algae Industry Magazine/Vice News Tonight/HBO) The Department of Energy is trying to turn the Salton Sea, a lake in the California desert, into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea
(SEKAB/MyNewsDesk) Representatives from eleven European companies and universities gathered yesterday in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, to kick-start the EU-funded project Rewofuel. The long-term aim is to lay the groundwork for many new biorefineries across Europe, using wood residues from the
(MIghty Earth) A new investigation, “Burned: Deception, Deforestation, and America’s Biodiesel Policy” by the organizations Mighty Earth and ActionAid USA has found that biodiesel is not the environmentally friendly, “green” fuel claimed by industry producers. On-the-ground investigators documented bulldozing, burning and
(U.S. Department of Energy) Cattle waste and wastewater. Sludgy grease ensconced in restaurant and cafeteria grease traps. Food waste—uneaten leftovers or culinary mistakes. Contrary to the lyrics in The Sound of Music, these aren’t a few of our favorite things. But when paired with
(GreenAir Online) A new EU-backed project has been launched to demonstrate the first industrial-scale production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Europe. The four-year BIO4A initiative will also investigate the potential of reclaiming dry marginal land at risk of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Evogene develops novel products for life science markets through the use of a unique computational predictive biology platform. Currently, the Company focuses on three key target markets: Seeds – addressing essential seed traits such as: yield,
(Algae Industry Magazine) Hayley Dunning writes from the Imperial College of London that a new discovery has changed our understanding of the basic mechanism of photosynthesis and should rewrite the textbooks. It will also tailor the way we hunt for
(Science Daily/Queensland University of Technology) Waste oil from orange, tea tree and eucalyptus essential oil production mixed with diesel provides a sweet-smelling biofuel blend with comparable performance to diesel-only fuel. QUT PhD researcher Ashrafur Rahman tested each of the waste oils for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Calyxt is pioneering a paradigm shift to deliver both healthier specialty food ingredients, such as healthier oils and high fiber wheat for consumers as well as agriculturally advantageous traits, such as herbicide tolerance to farmers. The technology
(Phys.Org/University of Michigan) ... Overall, the researchers found that diverse mixes of algal species, known as polycultures, performed more key functions at higher levels than any single species—they were better at multitasking. But surprisingly, the researchers also found that polycultures did
by Philip T. Pienkos (R&D Magazine) ... This time, the leading force was not the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy), but the investment community acting in the belief that the power of modern biotechnology could be brought to bear against the
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... First, let’s start with the latest from the Maine Technology Institute, which just announced a request for information regarding emerging forest industry technologies, with the goal of accelerating matchmaking to connect the most viable,
by Sara Shoemaker (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Phys.org) For decades, biologists have believed a key enzyme in plants had one function—produce amino acids, which are vital to plant survival and also essential to human diets. But for Wellington Muchero, Meng Xie and their
by Anmar Frangoul (CNBC) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado is a hotbed of research and innovation. One field its researchers are looking at is that of biofuels, which can be produced from biomass. Breaking things down, biomass can include anything
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But it shows also what smaller companies can do when they partner effectively – whether that means industrial giants like ArcelorMittal or BASF, technology accelerator schemes like Unreasonable Impact, or with the US ethanol industry. And
(Algae Industry Magazine) Global EcoPower (GEP), of Aix-en-Provence, France, has signed a 5-year partnership contract with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). This partnership, launched with the CEA’s technological research department, provides for a research and development
(University of Idaho/Ethanol Producer Magazine) University of Idaho College of Natural Resources Assistant Professor Tara Hudiburg was awarded $750,000 to study the sustainability of biofuels. The grant, award by the Department of Energy, is part of a $104 million project to create a new
(California Air Resources Board | California Environmental Protection Agency California Department of Food and Agriculture | California Natural Resources Agency) This Concept Paper provides a proposed outline for the California Natural and Working Lands Climate Change Implementation Plan with the aim of
(U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture/Federal Register) ... U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nomination for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee). ... Deadline for Technical Advisory Committee member nominations is
(Outlook India) In a first-of-its-kind venture in the world, Indian Oil Corporation is planning to utilise off-gases (waste gas) from various processing units of its refineries for production of ethanol. The move will reduce the carbon footprint of the state-run company’s refineries, while helping
(University of Florida) University of Florida scientists wondered how cheaply fuel ethanol can be made from inedible plant material – called biomass – using currently available technology. Their goal is to make this form of ethanol less expensively than gasoline and help
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for
(Algae Biomass Organization) ABO’s ongoing work in Washington, DC, to educate Congress and federal agencies on the importance of robust algae research, development and demonstration has resulted in the release of an unprecedented series of funding opportunities for algae. Deadlines for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. With that,
(Tribune News Service) The Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST), Panjab University (PU), has got a grant of Rs 2.57 crore for projects in food and agriculture processing.“The government wants us to suggest ways of converting biomass into high-value product.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10’s Brave New World of Metabolic Engineering, Benson Hill’s cloud biology and CRISPR/Cas9 from Purdue and the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Crop yield may never be the same. And developers using crops for bioindustrials or nutrition stand
by Igor Houwat, Eric Poliner (MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory) Eric Poliner and a team of MSU scientists in the Farre and Benning labs have released a new genetic engineering toolkit for the alga Nannochloropsis. The alga is of interest for the
(SEKAB) European financing package amounting to €13.9 million, of which €4.2 million for SEKAB E-Technology AB. Industry consortium led by Global Bioenergies and bringing together SEKAB E-Technology, Graanul Invest, Neste Engineering Solutions, Repsol, PEAB, SkyNRG, Ajinomoto Eurolysine, IPSB, TechnipFMC and Linz
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jonathan Trent, of the OMEGA Global Initiative, explains to a CNBC reporter at the recent Myriad Conference, in Brisbane, Australia, how his efforts to study the possibility of living on Mars paved the way for potential applications
by James Temple (MIT Technology Review) In the closing weeks of 2008, the US Department of Energy invited politicians and press to a dedication ceremony for the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville, California. The state-of-the-art lab, backed by $125 million in
by Sarah Tan (WCAI) Kelp farming is on the rise around the Cape and Islands, as more growers are finding reasons to love this ocean crop. From researchers like Scott Lindell at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute who want to farm the crop
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis owns and operates 110 million gallons per year of ethanol and biodiesel facilities in the US and India, and is upgrading the plants using patented technology to produce lower carbon, higher value advanced biofuels and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to:
(Solutions from the Land) U.S. agricultural producers have long understood that healthy soil is a critical requirement for the production of our nation's food supply. They also know that as the world's population grows by more than 25 percent over the
(Pennsylvania State University) A $1 million investment by HERO BX, an Erie-based biodiesel company, will create research opportunities for students and faculty members in the School of Science at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Much of the work will be
by Rebecca Gasper and Tim Searchinger (World Resources Institute) The production of renewable natural gas (RNG, also known as biomethane or upgraded biogas) is an emerging strategy to turn organic waste into a low carbon fuel for use in vehicles. This working paper explores RNG’s
(Chempolis) The biorefining technology company Chempolis, the Finnish energy company Fortum, and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), a state-owned Indian oil company, have formed a joint venture to construct a biorefinery in the state of Assam in Northeast India. The joint venture will
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office establishes partnerships with key public and private stakeholders to develop technologies for producing cost-competitive advanced biofuels from non-food biomass resources, including cellulosic biomass, algae, and wet waste (e.g.,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Greenbelt Resources Corporation and Duckweed DAYS commenced their inaugural Duckweed Project to commercialize the duckweed model developed by the Andrew J. Young Foundation. Tests conducted during a pilot program indicated that protein extracted from duckweed was
(Bioenergy Insight) New research is suggesting that advanced anaerobic digestion and reverse osmosis filtration in agriculture could be leaving behind ‘concerning levels’ of antibiotic residues. ... When farmers repurpose animal manure as fertiliser or bedding, traces of antibiotics can leach into the environment
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In an article published last summer in Science, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) reported on ten years of work assessing the potential climate benefit of producing dedicated bioenergy crops such as
by Agnes Walton (Vice News) The Department of Energy is trying to turn a lake in the California desert called the Salton Sea into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in the process. The Salton Sea
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