(Algae Industry Magazine) National Algae Association Executive Director Barry Cohen has announced the completion of additional commercial-scale pilot closed-loop photobioreactors (PBR’s) at the Biotech Institute at Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas. “Thanks to contributions of equipment from Solar Components Corporation,
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Fifteen years ago, the United States gave up on algae-based biofuels. But since 2000, more than $2 billion in private funds have flooded into the field. In May, Solazyme, an algae biofuels company, raised
by Hoyt Thomas (OpenAlgae/Biofuels Digest) ...Dealing with the separation issue is perhaps the biggest obstacle we face. But that’s not what you’ll read on most algae companies’ websites. ...Compared to the well-developed soy and palm crops that provide oils for biodiesel,
by Fadhil M. Salih (ClearValue Companies/Biofuels Digest) ... (A) number of photobioreactor designs have been put into work under different environmental conditions. So far none of the existing designs has fulfilled the dream of the interested parties due to inherent problems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Three companies, operating in Outback Australia, personify promise and hardiness in the microalgae corner of industrial biotech ...But out of all literature, it is the qualities that Margaret Mitchell essayed in Gone With the Wind that most
(OriginOil/Enhanced Online News) Algae World Australia delegates tour university test site, view next-generation algae harvest technologies OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today announced
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a Purdue University study. Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Youngmi Kim,
(University of Illinois/Science Daily) University of Illinois scientists have engineered a new strain of yeast that converts seaweed into biofuel in half the time it took just months ago. ..."The key is the strain's ability to ferment cellobiose and galactose simultaneously,
by Steve Olson (California Agricultural Technology Institute/Western Farm Press/Fresno State University) A study indicates possibilities for new farming methods on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley, which is challenged by selenium-laden irrigation effluent. One method of using excess selenium in
by Liz Ahlberg (University of Illinois) Many energy researchers and environmental advocates are excited about the prospect of gaining more efficient large-scale biofuel production by using large grasses like miscanthus or switchgrass rather than corn. They have investigated yields,
(HDS International/PR NewsWire) HDS International Corp., a provider of industrial ocean-based biomass production and other high-value eco-sustainability solutions, today provided additional details regarding the project scope for its targeted production site in Back Bay, New Brunswick, Canada. "To date, most commercial initiatives
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new life cycle analysis by a team from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, at the University of Oxford, states that algae-derived biodiesel could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver a high financial return,
by Florentino Lopez (United Sorghum Checkoff Program/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Just like our dedication in promoting grain sorghum for biofuels production, the Sorghum Checkoff is now looking to the future to find the most profitable possibilities for all sectors of the
by John Maday (Drovers CattleNetwork) This probably doesn’t surprise you, but growth in ethanol production since the year 2000 contributed to dramatic shifts in U.S. agricultural production, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service. The report, titled “The ethanol
(elEconomista.es) Scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), associated with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have managed to make biodiesel from the cultivation of three species of marine algae. ...Additionally, the three species that have proved viable,
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Although veteran research scientist at Montana State University, Dr. Keith Cooksey, describes himself modestly as a biochemist that works with microorganisms, his algal biofuel-driven discoveries from the ’80s and ’90s are still considered state
by Ismira Lutfia (Jakarta Globe) The millions of tons of fibrous residue produced by palm oil plantations across the country could soon become a major source of raw material for renewable fuel. Over the past year, scientists from the Indonesian
by Benjamin Burroughs (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol has some distinct advantages as a fuel, and sweet sorghum promises even better input/output ratios ...In addition to having a higher ratio, the cost of production for sweet sorghum is lower than for corn. For
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not content to let Brazil hog all the glory, three development-stage companies eye sugar-based ethanol feedstocks ...If successful, California Ethanol & Power LLC will be the first ethanol production company bankrolled partially by Brazilian money,
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have shown alligator fat to be an effective feedstock for biodiesel production. The team, led by Rakesh Bajpai, has published its findings in the American Chemical Society
by Gouri Shankar Mishra and Sonia Yeh (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Study recalculates water consumption with expanded system boundaries and coproduct credit Recent studies have estimated the “consumptive water use,” “water embodied,” and “water footprint” of corn-based ethanol in the U.S, with
by Mario Osava (Aljazeera) Biofuels are an alternative energy source that can drive local development by generating jobs, know-how and technology. But they can also cause social damage, as locals fear in the case of industrial-scale exploitation of babassu palm
by Matthew Lynley (GreenBeat) Aurora Algae, a developer of biofuels and biochemicals produced from processed algae, announced today that it has raised $22 million in its most recent round of funding. The company is part of a small set of funded
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Poet LLC is venturing into the realm of energy grasses with a newly launched collaborative effort to establish native grasses on degraded lands in areas surrounding its 100 MMgy ethanol plant at Chancellor, S.D.
(Algae Industry Magazine) NASA scientist – the inventor, heart, and soul of the OMEGA system (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae) – Dr. Jonathan Trent received his PhD in biological oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He went on to
(Biofuels Journal) Five undergraduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign received a $5,000 grant from British Petroleum to research the engineering properties of biomass. The students wrote the grant to develop a virtual database that will tell end users the properties
by Don Comis (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery's loading dock. That future has been made possible by
by Bv Mahalakshmi (The Financial Express) Nandan Biomatrix Ltd, an integrated R&D company for neutraceuticals and medicinal plants, has signed agreements with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Shapoorji and Pallonji Ltd to form a JV company for producing biodiesel
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) With new research on environmental and biomedical benefits of Jatropha is appearing regularly, it’s no wonder that the race for patents is heating up, and fast. Last year Mission New Energy began a joint venture
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Inbicon conducted an extensive crop study and biomass research project to show just how much biomass is available in the Midwest. “Our findings confirm that North America’s great abundance of corn stover and wheat
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...Dr. Salehi-Ashtiani plans to expand the sequencing to other algae from labs to be built in Abu Dhabi. Working with researchers, he would study strains of the genus in 20 or 30 locations around the world
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Richard Sayre keeps his plate full as both the Director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and as the CTO of the high
by Susan Okie (The Washington Post) ...Gigantic, (Craig) Venter says. “We’re thinking a facility extending over multiple square miles.” Venter and the scientists at his six-year-old company, Synthetic Genomics, are seeking strains of algae that are exceptionally good at
(US Department of Energy) ...More than 600 speakers, moderators, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees were able to listen to discussions about the ongoing challenges and achievements in the bioenergy industry. Biomass 2011 addressed key issues in important areas, such as feedstock supply, conversion pathways,
(The Oak Ridger) A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center, which is led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have reportedly pinpointed the exact, single gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism. This discovery
(Science Daily/Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum) Under normal conditions, cyanobacteria, also termed blue-green algae, build up energy reserves that allow them to survive under stress such as long periods of darkness. They do this by means of a molecular switch in an enzyme. By
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA and DOE have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy crops. The USDA and DOE
by Zak Richards (University of Virginia) Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New University of Virginia research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use,
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Power and Thermal) A follow-up report to the U.S. DOE’s 2005 “Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply,” commonly referred to as the Billion-Ton Study, has
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Over the past 30 years, and in particular in the past decade, ethanol production has quietly become increasingly efficient. From improvements in corn production to greater efficiencies at ethanol biorefineries, America’s leading renewable fuel
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) Computational studies aim to increase use of plant oils as renewable resource Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a computational model for analyzing the metabolic processes in rapeseed plants — particularly
(OriginOil) Sensor array will manage hundreds of interactions critical to large production operations. OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technologyto extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today announced it has developed a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In India, SG Biofuels and Bharat Renewable Energy, a unit of India’s second largest oil company, Bharat Petroleum, signed a landmark commercial agreement to develop and deploy elite hybrids of Jatropha across a total 86,000
by Brian Westenhaus (OilPrice.com) According to Promode Kant from the Institute of Green Economy in India and Shuirong Wu of the Chinese Academy of Forestry some 12.8 million ha (49,421 square miles) are expected to be planted with jatropha by
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a new generation of technologies is coming along fast, primarily in advanced biofuels, which is gasifying biomass at the front end along its path towards making fuels, chemicals or other biomaterials – or in
by Roger L Chang, Lila Ghamsari, Ani Manichaikul, Erik F Y Hom, Santhanam Balaji, Weiqi Fu, Yun Shen, Tong Hao, Bernhard Ø Palsson, Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani & Jason A Papin (Molecular Systems Biology) Metabolic network reconstruction encompasses existing knowledge about an organism's
by Hari Pulakkat (Hispanic Business/The Economic Times India ) ...Macroalgae is a technical term for seaweed. It seemed an extremely attractive proposition as an oil source even at first look. Seaweed grows in the shallow ocean waters and doesn't
by Ben Edwards (Bloomberg) ...The Plymouth, Michigan-based company is raising $500,000 to complete demonstration plants and will seek the remaining funds in the next six to nine months, Chief Science Officer Geoff Horst said in a telephone interview. The plants
(Algae Industry Magazine) Kim Chapman reports that Rosetta Green, of Rehovot, Israel, will take part in an EU-funded consortium, led by the Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University, and will identify MicroRNA genes to develop algae with improved traits, and
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Algae may be garnering the most attention as a viable third-generation feedstock for biodiesel production. As Gary Breitenbeck, professor in the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Science at Louisiana State University’s Agricultural Center, and
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Agrisoma may be the least known 10-year-old renewable energy company, as Steven Fabijanski told Biodiesel Magazine, but that hasn’t stopped a Canadian development fund from granting the Ottawa-based firm with roughly $425,000 in research funding. Agrisoma
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ecently, Australia’s largest ethanol producer, Manildra, diversified its biofuel portfolio by entering into algae production. In cooperation with Atlanta-based Algae Tec, Manildra will build a demonstration facility near Manildra’s ethanol production plant in Nowra,
(Agriculture and Land Use Forum) Biomass & Bioenergy just published a review of biomass availability for ethanol production as that industry looks beyond corn for the biomass needed to meet the U.S.’s ambitious ethanol mandate. They estimate that agricultural and forestry
by Peter Key (Philadelphia Business Journal) ...At least that’s the case for some professors and students in the College of Engineering at Glassboro, N.J.-based Rowan University, which recently won a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate making biodiesel
by Jeff Latzke (Forbes) Oklahoma State University is nearing completion of a new $15 million biosciences research center in Ardmore that will serve as a hub for scientists studying alternative fuels. Vice President for Agricultural Programs Bob Whitson said Friday that
by John Farrell (Forbes) ...A prime example: biofuels from the by-products of tequila production. In particular, the tough, fibrous leaves of the blue agave plant. A recent paper Valenzuela published in the February issue of the journal Bioenergy, A New Agenda for Blue
by Erica Gies (Forbes) At first blush, algae seemed an ideal biofuel replacement for gasoline. Unlike ethanol, for example, it wouldn’t take food from the poor, utilize key agriculture lands, or require lots of pesticides. But the economics have thus far
by Von Philip Bethge (Der Spiegel Online) Genetically modified blue and green algae could be the answer to the world's fuel problems. Bioengineers have already developed algae that produce ethanol, oil and even diesel -- and the only things the
by Adam Halliday (Indian Express) ...As plantations for bio-fuel increasingly nudge out plantations for food, a joint project by nine Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories may be heading towards a solution that could check carbon emissions while
(Algae Industry Magazine) Marilyn Tenn in the Borneo Post talks about biotechnologists and researchers from Swinburne University of Technology, in Sarawak, Malaysia pooling their expertise to meet the challenge of developing viable alternative fuels. The university has been involved in research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the creation of four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) project areas in six states to expand the availability of non-food crops to be used in the manufacturing of
by Colin M. Beal, Robert E. Hebner, Michael E. Webber, Rodney S. Ruoff and A. Frank Seibert (Bioenergy Research) This study is an experimental determination of the energy return on investment (EROI) for algal biocrude production at a research facility at the University of
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) Researchers at the University of Florida are looking at ways to grow algae in landfill leachate, or the coffee colored liquid sludge that pools at the bottom of landfills as the waste decomposes. Landfill
(PRNewsWire/Viaspace) - VIASPACE Inc., a clean energy company growing Giant King™ Grass as a low-carbon, renewable biomass crop and its subsidiary VIASPACE Green Energy Inc., provided results of testing of Giant King Grass energy pellets by the Korea Forest Research Institute
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) In Catawba County, N.C., a partnership between the county and Appalachian State University is planning to commemorate the completion of the Catawba County-Appalachian State University Biodiesel Research, Development and Production Facility on Aug. 15. The
by Perrin H. Beatty and Allen G. Good (Science Magazine) Nitrogen availability is limiting to plant growth and has long been overcome through applications of synthetic nitrogen-rich fertilizer. This has revolutionized crop yield and food production worldwide, but at substantial economic and environmental
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Martin Sabarsky was promoted to President and CEO of Kona, Hawaii-based Cellana in April of 2011. He now has the challenging and, if all goes well, rewarding job of escorting Cellana into
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) Brian Goodall, the Vice President of Business Development at SRS Energy, spoke at the 1st International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels, and Bioproducts on how their company is moving towards commercialization of their AlgaFrac™ System. Unlike
(Neste Oil) Neste Oil's research into the potential for using algae oil as a feedstock for producing renewable diesel is continuing to progress. The company will be taking part in two research projects starting this summer to test various methods
(The Denki Shimbun) Three Japanese companies of IHI Corporation, a biotechnology venture Gene and Gene Technology (G>) based in Osaka Prefecture, and the Neo-Morgan Laboratory Incorporated (NML) based in Kawasaki City announced July 7 that they would establish a joint
by Virendra Pandit (ETCGreen.com) The global giant recently joined a tripartite agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, in a $950,000 project in Gujarat for five years. CSMCRI on
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A team of students at New Mexico-based Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute has been awarded first place in the 2011 Renewable Energy Challenge Competition with its algae biofuel project. The competition is sponsored by the Bureau
(PetroAlgae) Important New Animal Feed Ingredient for Dairy Cattle Diets According to University of Minnesota Study PetroAlgae Inc., a leading renewable energy company that licenses its commercial micro-crop technology globally, announced today the completion of a major third party study showing that
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) In December 2009, Seambiotic announced that they would be building an algae production plant that will use flue gas in China. Though originally scheduled to be operational in 2010, the plant will open in September
(25 x '25) The National 25x'25 Alliance released this morning a new National Wood-To-Energy Roadmap - A Guide for Developing Sustainable Woody Biomass Solutions. The report that shows how focused use of woody biomass can help meet America's energy needs
by Rod Santa Ana (AgriLifeToday) Just as corn and peanuts stunned the world decades ago with their then-newly discovered multi-beneficial uses and applications, Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Corpus Christi think microalgae holds even more promise. “It’s a huge, untapped source
(EurekAlert!/University of California San Diego) Farmers and other astute observers of nature have long known that crops like corn and sorghum grow taller at night. But the biochemical mechanisms that control this nightly stem elongation, common to most plants, have
(University of West Indies Cave Hill) UWI-Cave Hill and BioJet International Initiate Research and Commercial Biofuels Partnership. The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, and BioJet International, Ltd. jointly announce a biosciences research and commercial partnership. The University
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) Botryococcus braunii, an ancient strain of algae more than 500 million years old that researchers say is responsible for creating oil and coal shale deposits, may not grow fast enough for advanced biofuels consideration,
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report
by Chris de Morsella (Green Economy Post) A detailed review of 12 U.S. based synthetic biology, biofuel & biochemical companies that are developing third and fourth generation biofuels, bioindustrial & household chemical, and food additive products; using synthetic biology to produce engineered microorganisms
(Algae Industry Magazine) O ne Barrel for Baja (1BFB) is a project made possible by the San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology (SD-CAB) in support of research aimed towards understanding and developing eco-friendly energy solutions. The goal of 1BFB is
(BBC News) ...The research team, which also includes the university's department of chemistry and scientists at the University of the West of England, is growing each of the algae from the Roman Baths over a range of temperatures and comparing
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) Since its inception in 2009, the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (DARPA-E) has been actively working to help expedite the development of innovative, game-changing energy technologies. ...On June 29, ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar hosted a
(AllAfrica.com) President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Masaka district and Uganda at large to work with the Pegasus Investments Limited in the cultivation of jatropha (ekiroowa) plant as one of the means to boost household incomes. The seeds of the
(Virgin Australia) Virgin Australia today announced that it has partnered with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (DYMTF) and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming
(IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) Geopolitical tensions in some oil producing regions and the uncertainties surrounding the future availability of fossil fuels, as well as the urgent necessity to mitigate negative impacts on climate through reduced CO2 emissions, have created
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Evodos BV, an algae technology developer based in Netherlands, believes the company’s spiral plate centrifuge created for the harvesting of algae will give algae harvesting a positive energy balance. ...The core of the technology is based
by Tyler Hamilton (Toronto Star) ...Wankei Wan, a professor of biochemical engineering at the University of Western Ontario, thinks he's found a potentially significant way to stimulate algae growth. Wan and a team of research students built a small raceway pond
(Borneo Post) Mitsubishi Corp Energy Business Group (Mitsubishi Energy), which is involved in the oil and gas industry in Bintulu, will collaborate with the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to explore the algal biodiversity in Sarawak for biofuels as a source
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Southeast is ripe for energy crop development, according to several panelists who spoke during a session devoted to next-generation feedstock strategies June 28 at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in
by Emma Onyango (East African Business Week) ...Pegasus Investments and now African Power Initiative have both shown interest in making this diesel. Mr. Sudhir Kumar, the Business Development Manager African Power Initiative said that the company is a renewable
(University of Edinburgh/Labspaces) ...Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that the tiny organism has developed coping mechanisms for when its main food source is in short supply. Understanding these processes will help scientists develop crops that can survive when
FACT has published a comprehensive report on the opportunities and feasibility of aquatic biofuels, their limitations and associated problems and threats. Aquatic biomass is attracting a lot of interest as a valuable feedstock for second and third generation biofuels. Algae are
by Christopher Mims (Grist) Production of biofuel from palm oil has been an unmitigated disaster for the rainforest, leading to clear-cutting throughout Indonesia and propelling that country to the top ranks of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters. That's
By Carole Shifrin (Air Transport World) Detroit Metro operator Wayne County Airport Authority said it has agreed to partner with Michigan State University Extension to grow, harvest and process bioenergy crops on the property of DTW and another of the authority's
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Algae.Tec Limited in collaboration with Manildra Group have announced the construction of an algae demonstration facility in Shoalhaven One, in Nowra south of Sydney, Australia. Manildra Group is the country’s largest ethanol producer. Algae.Tec Executive Roger Stroud
(AlphaGalileo) On 17 June, with the opening of AlgaePARC and the launch of the BioSolar Cells research project, a new research facility at Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) starts exploring on a semi-industrial scale the potential of micro-algae as
(PR Newswire) Today (June 21, 2011) Inbicon, inventor of the biomass conversion technology driving the Inbicon Biomass Refinery, announced a summary of its private crop studies and confidential biomass research. "Our findings confirm that North America's great abundance of corn
(CBC News) A PhD student at the University of Sherbrooke is turning to the waters of the St. Lawrence River to develop a new kind of biodiesel made from algae. The micro-algae he is studying grows naturally in the St. Lawrence
(IBN Live/The New Indian Express) Governor H R Bhardwaj inaugurated a biofuel plant established by Rural Bio-Fuel Growers Association and promoted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) at the Rural Bio-Resource Complex Project (RBRC) at Hadonahalli on Saturday (June
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mendel CEO Neal Gutterson talks about miscanthus, and the role of the power sector as the driver of a global supply chain for biomass. ...The company’s IP lies in its understanding of a large class of
(Iowa State University) Laura Jarboe pointed to a collection of test tubes in her Iowa State University laboratory. Some of the tubes looked like they were holding very weak coffee. That meant microorganisms - in this case, Shewanella bacteria - were
by Daryl Huff (KITV 4) Military, Local Company Testing Plants To Replace Petroleum ... Pacific Bioldiesel, which has succeeding in recycling used cooking oil into vehicle fuel on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, is managing the Hawaii Military Biofuels Crop Demonstration
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Research from ORNL reveals new details of bioenergy’s most daunting technical barrier ...Lignin, for those newer to the biofuels world, is a complex chemical compound that makes veggies, plants and wood firm, confers resistance to pests,
by Tim Wheeler (Baltimore Sun) An experiment in making "bio-fuel" is slated to get under way this summer at Baltimore's Back River wastewater treatment plant. The city's Board of Estimates approved Wednesday a $255,000 contract with a small Maryland company to grow
(University of Massachusetts Amherst) Detecting the genetic mechanism for how certain strains of the energy crop model systemBrachypodium can produce more ethanol than others is the aim of a new five-year, $750,000 Early Career Research grant from the U.S. Department
(R&D Magazine) Scientists recently conducted the first pilot-scale test of algae growth using water from an oil-production well in Jal, New Mexico. This impure water, called "produced water," is pumped to the surface concurrently with the extraction
by Thomas Saidak (Biofuels Digest) ...AMG plans to use a portion of the proceeds to pay China Zhejiang Biodiesel as a part of a previously announced agreement to purchase a 133 hectare jatropha plantation and a 201
(Green Car Congress) Petrobras has earmarked some US$400 million for biofuels development research projects in the 2010-2014 Business Plan, according to Petrobras Biocombustível’s head of Technology Management, João Norberto Noschang Neto. Neto was speaking as a member of the panel on
(VG Energy/PRWeb) VG Energy, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Viral Genetics, Inc., has received independent confirmation from BioProcess Algae, LLC of early laboratory studies that verify an increase in yields of algae oils following treatment with VG Energy’s Metabolic Disruption
(Environmental-Expert.com) Perennial grasses that thrive in saline areas can not only help reclaim vast stretches of unproductive land but can also produce biofuels without compromising food production, according to a study in Pakistan. A team of scientists led by Ajmal Khan,
(PRWeb/Independence Bio-Products) Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, Ohio has received a patent from U.S. Patent Office covering the company’s low-cost open-pond system for producing algae for biofuels and animal feeds system year-round, regardless of climate or season. IBP’s system uses
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A pilot-scale project in Olgergen, Holland, is investigating the use of algae cultivation as a method to remove nutrients from wastewater. The project, under development by Ingrepro Renewables, is housed at Waterstromen bv, a water
(Daily India.com) In a bid to help cut down the price of fuel in the market by using waste material, some biotech students in Surat, Gujarat, are using water hyacinth to produce ethanol, which can be used as an alternate
(Algal Biomass Organization) ...Aurora Algae is focused on cultivating marine algae in open pond systems for omega-3 oils, protein, feed and fuel. Our main revenue drivers are higher value products, and as we scale the business, the fuel component will
by Glenn Meyers (CleanTechnica) There is now more good news on producing hydrogen, the clean-burning fuel that leaves behind water as an emission. An international scientific team has announced creating hydrogen using ambient temperatures and pressure through a combination of sunlight
(Algae Industry Magazine) Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria are capable of using energy from sunlight to split water molecules and release hydrogen. One reason this approach hasn’t yet been harnessed for fuel production is that under ordinary circumstances, hydrogen
by Amy Phillips (ABC Rural) Australian PhytoFuel aims to establish hundreds of thousands of hectares of 'kulpa' plantations across northern Australia in the next five to seven years. Spokesman Marshall Mackay says trees will be grown at the Hughenden racecourse to
(Jagran Post) The project of deriving ethanol, a bio-fuel for blending with petrol, from a seaweed is all set to get a major boost, with the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) deciding to ramp up off-shore production
by Ivan Gale (The National) Middle Eastern airlines are being urged to invest in biofuels programmes to help their industry achieve ambitious targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Aviation produces about 2 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but growth
by Tyler Hamilton (Clean Break) I had the opportunity this week to visit a St. Marys Cement plant in the small and scenic town of St. Marys, Ontario. A subsidiary of Brazilian cement giant Votorantim Cimentos, the company is working with Toronto-based Pond
(Physorg.com) A Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University research team has developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing low-cost, renewable biofuels from bacteria. The team has reprogrammed photosynthetic microbes to secrete high-energy fats, making byproduct recovery and
(SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) Researchers work to make biobutanol from sustainable resource: wood ...(S)cientists at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are researching ways to turn wood into sustainable biobutanol. Researchers in the college's Department of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In California, energy crop breeder Ceres has filed for a $100 million IPO on Nasdaq, with Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital as underwriters. ...From the S-1: “We are an agricultural biotechnology company selling seeds to produce renewable
(GreenAirOnline) Global industrial crops technology company Quinvita is the latest to join a new biofuel alliance that has come together to produce sustainable jet biofuel from Brazilian-grown jatropha. The Brazilian Bio-Jetfuel Platform is a collaboration led by Curcas Diesel Brasil
(PR-Inside) Nine partners from seven countries have joined in an innovative project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts can be produced from algae on a large scale. The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...Dr. Leslie Bebout (who goes by “Lee”) heads the team of microbial ecologists at NASA’s Moffett Field, CA-based research facility, though much of their work is done in far away places like salt marshes,
by Martin LaMonica (CNET) ... Agrivida is using genetic engineering and other techniques from the biotech industry to create proteins with specific traits designed for rapid, and cheaper, biofuel production from sorghum, switchgrass, and corn stover, the residual material from corn harvesting. Company
(EurekAlert!) Key to new possibilities for renewable bioproducts The key to the survival of forestry in South Africa as well as many new possibilities for renewable bioproducts like biofuels and biopolymers may now be available with the click of a mouse. This
(Algae Industry Magazine) Joyce Yang, Technology Development Manager for the Department of Energy’s Biomass Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, has revealed recent progress made in algal harvesting technology by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in
by Cole Gustafson (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University) ...Why beets? The Northern Plains is the nation’s lowest-cost producer of sugar due to a favorable growing climate and cold winters that extend feedstock storage and processing. The energy beet industry
(Arirang News) Marine plants are being cultivated in waters off the southwestern coast of Korea. This is seaweed named gracilaria, which was used generations ago to treat fevers. However, nowadays, this plant is primarily used as a raw material in cosmetic goods
by Lindsay Curtis (KZTV10) ... The algae is harvested at the plant and spun down into a concentrated gel. Dr. Tzachi Samocha, Director of Research says, "The micro-algae concentrated in this bag that basically will provide people that will start extracting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...AER Sustainable Energy – enzymatic hydrolysis This Ireland-based group, set up in 2006, applied for license to supply ethanol into the Irish market, and by 2010 was supplying up to 25 percent. The company reinvested a
(US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute) Fungi play significant ecological and economic roles. They can break down organic matter, cause devastating agricultural blights, enter into symbiotic relationships to protect and nourish plants, or offer a tasty repast. For industrial
by Donna Goodison (Boston Herald) Greater Boston doesn’t usually rate as a Hub of agriculture but yesterday U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Medford to praise start-up Agrivida Inc. as an example of how renewable energy research could help
by Luke Timmerman (Xconomy Seattle) ...McCormick, one of the featured speakers at next week’s Xconomy event on alternative fuels, has led this quiet effort for the past three years inside Seattle-based Targeted Growth. While Targeted Growth grabbed headlines with hybrid camelina
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jamie Hestekin and his team of undergraduate engineering students at the University of Arkansas have won Planet Forward’s Innovator of the Year contest. As one of two Innovators of the Year, Hestekin and his team will be
(University of Hawaii) A two-pronged University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa project to advance the use of biofuels in the Islands has won a $1 million sustainability research competition. The two-year project, led by Michael J. Cooney from UH Mānoa’s Hawai‘i Natural
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A start-up company, Tyton BioSciences, is looking for a new outlet for tobacco – biodiesel and ethanol. The company is developing genetically modified tobacco that will, according to their website, “produce both ethanol and biodiesel at yields
(SG Biofuels/PRNewsWire) SG Biofuels, a bioenergy crop company using breeding and biotechnology to develop elite hybrid seeds of Jatropha, today announced it has signed customers for the deployment of 250,000 acres of Jatropha using its JMax™ hybrid seeds. Jatropha is
(OriginOil) OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technologyto extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, yesterday announced that Ennesys, its joint venture partner in France, is working with large institutions to develop two
(Grain Farmers of Ontario) Canadian biofuel is better for the environment than biofuel produced further south- in part due to our different agricultural practices - according to a new study released by the Grain Farmers ofOntario. The report, produced by Dr.
by Harry Cline (Western Farm Press) Camelina, a weed in the mustard and distant relative to canola, may be emerging as the front runner in California agriculture’s continuing search for a biofuel crop. It captured the most attention at a field
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) An interview with James Garton, president of Mission Biofuels USA subsidiary. We look at the jatropha 1.0 catastrophe, actual biodiesel capacity in the US, palm biodiesel, the RFS, and more. ...The company broke into the US
by Kerry Reals (FlightGlobal) An Argentinian company claims to be at the forefront of producing affordable jet fuel from microalgae, and is confident that its product will be widely available to the aviation industry "very soon". Biocombustibles del Chubut(BC) has developed
(PR NewsWire) The technology group, The Linde Group, and Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world's leaders in algae-based crude oil, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to co-develop a low-cost system to deliver carbon dioxide
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) At the International Biomass Conference and Expo last week, Dr. Janice Ryan-Bohac attracted a lot of attention carrying around a sweet potato the size of a newborn baby. Ryan-Bohac is president of CAREnergy, Carolina Advanced Renewable Energy, located
by Sarah Shew Wilson (Star News) Although Southport officials balked at using city property for the purpose, the Oak Island Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to work with algae farm owner and scientist Kim Jones to create a sustainable energy
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