by Diana Yates (Univeristy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign News Bureau) Scientists have spent decades genetically modifying the bacterium Escherichia coli and other microbes to convert carbon dioxide into useful biological products. Most methods require additional carbon sources, however, adding to the cost. A new
bacteria
Back TO HOMETerragia Secures $6M to Develop Cost-Competitive, Low-Carbon Biofuel Technology
(Terragia/Business Wire) The startup expanded its leadership team with climate tech veteran Kristin Brief joining as CEO, Lee Lynd transitions to CTO. -- Terragia Biofuel, a technology startup aiming to drive the next generation of biofuels, today (March 28, 2025) announced
March 29, 2025 Read Full Article
UW–Madison Receives $5.5 Million DOE Grant to Cut Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizer Usage in Bioenergy Crops
(University of Wisconsin-Madison/CALS News) A multi-institution research team led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison received $5.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a novel approach to cut synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use in
February 04, 2025 Read Full Article
$7.8M Award Aims to Revolutionize Renewable Energy for Ocean Monitoring Devices
by Kimbra Cutlip (Maryland Today) UMD Researcher Leads Development of Advanced Fuel Cells Powered by Marine Microbes -- A University of Maryland researcher has received a $7.8 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and test a biologically
January 09, 2025 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agency Announce $6M to Support Development of Advanced Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, Jan. 8, the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $6 million in funding for three projects that will advance biofuel development and support U.S. leadership in energy and emissions innovation. Funded through the Inflation Reduction
January 08, 2025 Read Full Article
The Path to Zero
by Raakhee Mirchandani (Wall Street Journal/BookTV/C-Span) Author and Propane Education and Research Council CEO Tucker Perkins joined a panel discussion on climate change and reducing carbon emissions. The Wall Street Journal hosted this event. People in this video Bobby Cherian Senior Vice President Hyliion Jennifer Holmgren Chief Executive Officer
December 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Not All Bacteria Are Bad in Biofuel Production
by Shelby Bradford (The Scientist) ... In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of microbiologists demonstrated that while some bacterial species reduced bioethanol conversion, others improved its production.1 “That gives us more notes to play in terms of optimizing the process, because
December 17, 2024 Read Full Article
E. coli Dons Polymer 'Superman Cape' for Sustainable Chemical Production
(University of Southern Denmark/Science X/Phys.Org) rillions of bacteria work in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, helping produce everything from beer and facial creams to biodiesel and fertilizer. The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, relies heavily on bacteria for producing substances like insulin
December 12, 2024 Read Full Article
IIT Guwahati Develops Technology to Convert Methane and Carbon Dioxide into Eco-friendly Biofuel
(Hindustan Times/MSN) Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) developed an advanced biological method to convert methane and carbon dioxide into cleaner biofuels using methanotrophic bacteria. The research, co-authored by Prof Debasish Das and Dr Krishna Kalyani Sahoo,
December 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Unceasing Innovation: Yeast Suppliers to the Ethanol Sector
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Yeast suppliers to the ethanol sector have steadily released new and improved products to better match the needs and wants of the industry. Using third-party yeast developers capable of selecting, testing or altering strains with
December 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Microbiologists Join the Battle against Climate Change
((University of Groningen/EurekAlert!) Micro-organisms, such as bacteria or algae, offer numerous potential solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. They can capture and store carbon, for example in soils and oceans, or break down the potent greenhouse gas methane. Additionally,
December 01, 2024 Read Full Article
Finding Could Help Turn Trees Into Affordable, Greener Industrial Chemicals
(North Carolina State University News) ... Lignin, a polymer that makes trees rigid and resistant to degradation, has proven problematic. Now those NC State researchers know why: They’ve identified the specific molecular property of lignin — its methoxy content — that
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Aequor
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck is an overview for Aequor, a company specializing in innovative solutions to address challenges in the burgeoning field of algae biofuels. Aequor’s core product is a natural, non-toxic chemical that overcomes several key
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
New Plant Engineering Method Promises to Dramatically Improve Biofuel and Bioproduct Development
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) The ability to genetically engineer plants is largely thanks to a microscopic helper: a bacterium called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Agrobacterium in the wild causes damaging tumors in flowering plants, including some economically important crops, but its ability to insert
November 13, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to CO2 Valorization via Rewiring Carbon Metabolic Network
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Developing Carbon Negative Biorefinery with Gas-fermenting Bacteria is the focus of this project, focusing on Acetogens as model gas-fermenting anaerobes, with high energy efficiency and fast electron/carbon consumption making them potentially a new chassis for the
October 02, 2024 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK --- Mark Niederschulte
... we have people that have dedicated their life’s work life to seeing this technology be successful. It’s more than a job, it’s kind of a calling. ... here are the parameters we like to operate in. And if you go
September 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Researchers Work to Fight Bad Bacteria in Ethanol Plants
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a way to use genetically modified baker’s yeast to prevent contamination by unwelcome bacteria in ethanol plants, one of the leading causes of plant shut downs. “These bacteria are found everywhere
August 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Eating Feces: Capybara Behavior Helps Discover Organism for 2G Ethanol
by Marina Favaro (Tudo EP (Google Translation)) Protozoan present in animal feces produces enzymes capable of degrading biomass -- ... Research has found that protozoa of the species Muniziella cunha found in the digestive system of capybaras produce enzymes capable of degrading biomass. Recently published in
August 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Decarbonizing the Aviation Sector: Global Bioenergies Extends Its Technological Process to the Production of e-SAF
(Global Bioenergies) a unique e-SAF with a record selectivity rate of 95% compared to existing technologies; a complementary approach to ASTM-certified SAF technology, substituting a plant-based resource for a synthetic resource -- Global Bioenergies announced today that it has adapted its process for
July 11, 2024 Read Full Article
New Discovery Boosts Bioethanol Production Efficiency and Profits
(Technical University of Denmark/Phys.Org) A new technique to monitor contamination in bioethanol production could increase revenue by more than $1.6 billion USD and reduce CO2 emissions by 2 million tons. For the first time ever, researchers at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for
July 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Co-Fermentation Process Making Significant Strides in Biofuel Research
(Oklahoma State University) Researchers in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University continue to refine a co-fermentation process resulting in the production of butanol, a biofuel made from renewable resources that can be converted into jet fuel.
July 02, 2024 Read Full Article
The Most Sustainable Feedstocks for Precision Fermentation
(World Bio Market Insights) Over the last several years, precision fermentation has attracted attention as a manufacturing methods that could drastically lower the environmental impacts of everyday products, from edible proteins to animal feed and cosmetics ingredients. Precision fermentation is a biomanufacturing
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
The ABCDE Chain: Acetogens, the Baltic forests, Clean fuels, Dorpat, the Enlightenment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... If you have gleaned from earlier editions of The Digest that acetogens can make the useful chemical acetate from waste carbon and green hydrogen, you’ve remembered it well. If recall is sketchy, may I recommend All
June 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Mastering Fundamentals: First Step for Promising New Sustainable Vehicle Fuels
by Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Two NREL Reports Detail Findings on Fundamental Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) Fuels Research in Partnership With ExxonMobil and Genomatica -- While the demand for climate-warming fuels like petroleum and diesel is expected to peak before
May 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Terragia Secures $6M to Develop Cost-Competitive, Low-Carbon Biofuel Technology
(Trucking News/Terragia/Business Wire) The startup expanded its leadership team with climate tech veteran Kristin Brief joining as CEO, Lee Lynd transitions to CTO. -- Terragia Biofuel, a technology startup aiming to drive the next generation of biofuels, today announced it has raised
March 29, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Windfall Bio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 2023, Windfall Bio is developing the first-ever solution for capturing and transforming climate-harming methane emissions into living organic soil nutrients. CEO Josh Silverman gave this presentation at ABLC Next 2023 on the targets, the team, the
February 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Understanding Nutrient Cycling between Algae and Bacteria Could Lead to Increased Biofuel Production
(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) The interactions between algae and bacteria are essential to the primary productivity of Earth's oceans and surface waters. Bacteria can increase the productivity of algae by producing key factors, such as vitamins, iron-chelating molecules, and growth hormones.
January 31, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial Microbes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) iMicrobes designs and builds microorganisms, including industrial strains of bacteria and yeast to produce chemicals from natural gas and carbon dioxide. Their green, bio-based methods are “more cost effective than sugar or oil, helping to make
December 11, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Aequor and Anti Biofilm, Anti-Fouling Technologes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aequor’s natural chemicals uniquely kill a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal pathogens at all stages of growth – including biofilm (the first and often only resistance response of microorganisms). This is significant because every antimicrobial-resistant
November 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Chemicals from Thin Air: Gas Fermentation and the Future of Bio-manufacturing
(World Bio Market Insights) Bacteria can metabolise sugars in milk or wheat into wondrous forms like sourdough bread, sauerkraut, beer and cheese. Modern industrial fermentation uses similar techniques: it cultivates biochemicals in the bodies of microorganisms for drugs, proteins, nutraceuticals, and
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Researchers Track Yeast Population Dynamics in Fuel Bioethanol Production
by Julia Moióli (FAPESP/Phys.Org) Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil, in collaboration with colleagues at Harvard University in the United States, conducted an innovative study of the DNA and population dynamics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast used
August 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation Select Three Projects to Accelerate Biomanufacturing Innovation and Advance the U.S. Bioeconomy
(U.S. Department of Energy) Biotechnology and biomanufacturing continue to offer vast opportunities to advance science and engineering, support a growing U.S. bioeconomy, and provide solutions to our nation’s climate change challenges. To help accelerate innovation and develop new biomanufacturing approaches, three
August 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Sustainable Science: BYU Professors Use Special Bacteria to Turn Waste into Renewable Energy
by Shelby Clark (Brigham Young University) For years, farming facilities across the country have utilized anaerobic digesters to convert cow manure into renewable energy. However, these digesters have been limited to a modest 30–40% efficiency. Now, groundbreaking research led by a
August 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuel and Specialty Chemical Production from Waste By-products Using Genetically-Engineered Bacteria
(Columbia University) This technology is a genetically modified sulfur oxidizing and iron-reducing bacterial strain that can produce biofuels and specialty chemicals from waste by-products. Unmet Need: Method for managing waste while producing biofuels and chemicals Natural gas, a finite resource, must be replaced
August 01, 2023 Read Full Article
The Race to Invent a Greener Jet Fuel
by Ted Anton (Wall Street Journal) With airlines striving to reduce emissions, companies are working to turn beef fat, vegetable oil and carbon waste into sustainable fuels -- Sustainable aviation fuels are approaching a breakthrough moment. Made mostly from agricultural, food and industrial
July 24, 2023 Read Full Article
CEFC Backs New Green Hydrogen Technology Turning Waste into Super Energy
(CEFC) The CEFC is backing HydGene Renewables, a new Australian company that has developed an alternative green hydrogen solution that turns biomass into hydrogen in a process that is both renewable and carbon negative. The HydGene technique uses novel biocatalysts to convert
June 30, 2023 Read Full Article
Renewable Natural Gas From Corn Stover
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Failed Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Became North America's Largest RNG Producer -- When DuPont shut down its cellulosic ethanol plant in 2017 after years of effort and $225 million in investment, it looked like the process
June 20, 2023 Read Full Article
First Experimental Confirmation that Some Microbes Are Powered by Electricity
(Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie - Hans-Knöll-Institut (Leibniz-HKI)/Phys.Org) In microbial electrosynthesis, microorganisms use CO2 and electricity to produce alcohol, for example. How this process works biologically, however, has only been speculated about, until now. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural
June 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Cow RUMEN – A 5-Letter Word for EARTH MONTH
[caption id="attachment_172736" align="alignleft" width="300"] Graphic: Science Learning Hub and Dairy NZ https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/image_maps/104-ruminant-digestion[/caption] Rumination allows humans to manufacture more than just innovative ideas… Some species of mammals called ruminants actually grow colonies of beneficial bacteria in THEIR gut that allow the host
April 13, 2023 Read Full Article
Against the Odds: Continuing down the Path Where Many Have Floundered, LanzaTech’s Momentum Is Undeniable.
by Katie Schroeder (SAF Magazine) When LanzaTech was founded in New Zealand in 2005, the company was born out of a desire to find solutions. At its inception, the founders were looking for a waste feedstock that was abundant and
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
B-Harmony: Creating Happy Bacterial Colonies and Ridding the World of Its Methane Malaise, the Windfall Bio Way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... So, let us introduce Windfall Bio, just now emerging from many moons of stealth. News has arrived from Windfall’s Menlo Park Hq that the company has closed a $9 million seed round led by
April 10, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuels as Petroleum Alternatives: Closing the Carbon Cycle with Bacteria
(Open Access Government) ..... Bacteria-generated bioplastics and biofuels are interesting potential alternatives while offering an additional benefit: a closed carbon loop. Compared to traditional petroleum processes that result in large quantities of greenhouse gas production without subsequent carbon capture, some
March 20, 2023 Read Full Article
How Waste-Eating Bacteria Digest Complex Carbons
by Amanda Morris (Northwestern Now) New information could lead to bacteria-based platforms that recycle plastic and plant waste -- Although other researchers have worked to engineer bacteria that can breakdown plastic waste, Ludmilla Aristilde believes bacteria with natural abilities to
February 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Adding a Surfactant to Sewage Boosts Biofuel Production
by Benjamin Plackett (Chemical & Engineering News) Rhamnolipids help turn human wastewater into both hydrogen and biodiesel -- The waste people flush down the drain is rich in energy, and its contents can be used to develop renewable fuels. But
February 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Treatments Reduce Waste by Maximizing Biogas Efficiency
(Bionetix International/Canadian Biomass Magazine) ... Overcoming Biogas Inhibitors with BCP12 An extremely limiting factor for biogas production is the fact that plant-based biomass, a common biogas feedstock, can inhibit the hydrolysis and acidogenesis phases of biogas production. Poor performance at these stages
January 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Symbiotic CO2 Sequestration -- Bioengineered Microbial Community Working Together to Store Carbon
(Angewandte Chemie International Edition) Photosynthesis is a valuable natural system for sequestering carbon dioxide. However, simply forming biomass does not fully exploit this system. A Chinese team of researchers, whose study is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, has now genetically engineered
January 03, 2023 Read Full Article
Air Pollution Converted into Fuel, Plastic and Dresses
(AFP/RTE) At LanzaTech's lab in the Chicago suburbs, a beige liquid bubbles away in dozens of glass vats. The concoction includes billions of hungry bacteria, specialized to feed on polluted air - the first step in a recycling system that converts greenhouse
January 01, 2023 Read Full Article
To Battle Climate Change, Scientists Tap into Carbon-Hungry Microorganisms for Clues
by Theresa Duque (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels -- Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a nature-inspired technique for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated
December 30, 2022 Read Full Article
From Bacteria to Biofuels - Virtual Field Trip
(Wisconsin Science Festival) Jack Williams is a microbiologist from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center who investigates the ways bacteria change and react when producing biofuels. Take a virtual tour of a microbiology lab, to learn how scientists transform bacteria found in soil
November 25, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to the BioMade Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioMADE’s mission is to enable domestic bioindustrial manufacturing at all scales, develop technologies to enhance U.S. bioindustrial competitiveness, de-risk investment in relevant infrastructure, and expand the biomanufacturing workforce to realize the economic promise of industrial
November 17, 2022 Read Full Article
UChicago Researchers Take Inspiration from Soil to Create New Material with Promise for Medical, Biofuel Technology
(University of Chicago News) ... Their latest experiment mimics the structure of soil to create materials that can interact with their environment, with promise for electronics, medicine, and biofuel technology. It has multiple potential applications; preliminary tests have shown the material
October 28, 2022 Read Full Article
MicroBioGen Opens State-of-the-Art Laboratory Facilities in Sydney, further Establishing NSW as a World-leading Industrial Biotechnology Hub
(MicroBioGen) This week MicroBioGen officially opened our state-of-the-art laboratories in Macquarie Park in Northern Sydney. Three years in the making, these labs will produce our world-leading micro-organisms that are essential to industries worth over US$2 trillion per year, including biofuels,
October 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Sex Pistols, Jugs, Bottles and Speed: NREL Breaks through on a Fast, Cheap Route to Recycling Plastic in One Pot, at One Time
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News arrives from Colorado that BOTTLE consortia researchers led by NREL have developed a process that can convert mixed plastics to a single chemical product, working toward a solution that would allow recyclers to skip sorting plastic by type.
October 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Agile BioFoundry Selects New Collaborations
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the
October 13, 2022 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Produces Ethylene from CO2, Changing the Way We Make Products Today
(LanzaTech/Globe Newswire) Breakthrough Discovery to Replace the Barrel with Synthetic Biology, Addressing One of the Largest Carbon Emitters in the Chemical Industry -- LanzaTech NZ, Inc. (“LanzaTech”), an innovative Carbon Capture and Transformation (“CCT”) company that transforms waste carbon into materials such
October 12, 2022 Read Full Article
With a €43M EU Grant and €1.2M from a VC, This Startup Plans to Turn CO2 Emissions into Gold
by Mike Butcher (Tech Crunch) Now Copenhagen-based biotech company SecondCircle thinks it also has a novel approach. It claims to be able to capture CO2 from industrial emitters at the point of emission using “synthetic biology” to develop biocatalysts (bacteria). These then convert the
August 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel Industry Innovating in Production, Finding New Uses
by Aaron Viner (Iowa Farmer Today) ... To keep sustained demand, refineries are always looking for more ways to create more product and find more places to use it. In February, Oklahoma State University researcher Hasan Atiyeh received a patent for
August 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Not Just Bread and Beer—Microbes Can Ferment Carbon Dioxide to Make Fuel, Too
by Erik F. Ringle (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Scientists Mapped Out a "Bicyclic Carbon Fixation" Pathway for Speeding Up Gas Fermentation in Specialized Bacteria -- ... Certain species of bacteria ferment carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to make their own nutrients
August 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Virtuous Cycles: Breakthroughs in the Use of Bacteria Are Helping Us to Build a New Green Economy.
by Peter Forbes (New Humanist) ... Humans are finally learning from the original carbon cycle, which has governed Earth for 4 billion years. This natural cycle is regulated largely by bacteria and other microbes. Today, using what we know about the
July 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt Develop New Biobattery for Hydrogen Storage
(Goethe University) A team of microbiologists from Goethe University Frankfurt has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate
July 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Badass POP Missile Fuel Arrives from Berkeley’s Labs: Will America Keep a Hold of Them?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Simulation data from Sandia suggests “that POP fuel candidates are safe and stable at room temperature and will have energy density values of more than 50 megajoules per liter after chemical processing. That’s 56 percent more
July 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Bacteria for Blastoff: Using Microbes to Make Supercharged New Rocket Fuel
by Aliyah Kovner (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) ... Well aware of the advantages biology has to offer, a group of biofuel experts led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) took inspiration from an extraordinary antifungal molecule made by Streptomyces bacteria to
July 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel Revolution: Could Common Bacteria Found in Soil Fuel Jet Planes
by Trenton Doyle (NZ Herald) New research has found a way to make explosive compounds using bacteria commonly found soil - which could pave the way for cleaner alternatives to jet fuel. And with fuel prices at record highs, some scientists
July 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Researchers Develop ‘Bionic Bacteria’ that Create Better Fuels, Chemicals
by Judy Siegel-Itzkovich (Jerusalem Post) ... Now, researchers at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have developed “bionic bacteria” that have many potential applications in industry. Among those applications are the targeted release of
June 01, 2022 Read Full Article
LanzaTech, with the Support of Danone, Discovers Method to Produce Sustainable PET Bottles from Captured Carbon
(LanzaTech/Globe Newswire) Proof of concept for direct production of monoethylene glycol (MEG), a key building block in sustainable PET production, completed at lab scale -- A consortium, including LanzaTech and Danone, led to the discovery of a new route to monoethylene
May 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Bioluminescent Bacteria, Rockin’ Packaging, McDonald’s Biobased Cups, and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of May 5th
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In France, the next City of Lights might just be illuminated by bioluminescent bacteria for an eco-friendly solution. And a new packaging alternative made from calcium carbonate, a naturally occurring material found in rocks, eggshells,
May 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Artificial Photosynthesis: The Ultimate Renewable Tech
(Bio Market Insights) Around 3.5 billion years ago, plants became able to turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy. Researchers in the field of artificial photosynthesis are figuring out how humans could do the same. Plant photosynthesis consists of three steps. First,
March 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Six Carbon Capture and Utilisation Technologies for a Sustainable Chemical and Fuel Production Nominated for the Innovation Award “Best CO2 Utilisation 2022”
(nova-Institute) Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) Innovations of the Year 2022: A lot of technologies are in place and in development to face the challenges of a sustainable chemicals and fuels production based on the utilisation of captured CO2 from industrial off-gases
March 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Three Partners, Two Problems, One Bioenergy Research Article Published
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) ... The journal Nature Biotechnology recently published a paper featuring cutting-edge work funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The article details a carbon-negative platform that uses microorganisms to convert carbon captured
March 24, 2022 Read Full Article
Now on Broadway: LanzaTech’s $2.2B SPAC Merger Takes the Advanced Bioeconomy’s Biggest Hit to an Even Bigger Stage
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, news arrived that LanzaTech will go public in a merger with the NASDAQ-traded blank check firm AMCI Acquisition Corp II. The deal is reported to value the company at $2.2 billion. The transaction is expected
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Gigacorn Microbial Cement, Hemp Rebar, Date Waste for Filtration Membranes, and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of March 4th
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Rebuilding in a more sustainable way is top of mind for this week’s Top 8 Innovations. From a composite reinforcing material made of hemp stalk and bioplastic to create a rebar as strong as steel
March 04, 2022 Read Full Article
OSU Receives Patent for New Fermentation Process
(Oklahoma State University/Biomass Magazine) Oklahoma State University was recently issued a patent that could significantly increase biofuel and chemical yields while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. -- Hasan Atiyeh, professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering, created a new co-fermentation method that turns sugars
March 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Sorghum: A Sweet Proposition for Sustainable Biofuel
(U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service) Sweet sorghum is best known for the amber-colored syrup that's made from its juices. Now, this hardy member of the grass family could also be tapped as a "home-grown" resource for making a renewable
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
America Has a Manure Problem, and the Miracle Solution Being Touted Isn’t All that It Seems
(The Guardian) ... Manure from animal agriculture is a primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in US waterways, making water undrinkable and causing algae blooms that kill wildlife. Manure is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions on livestock farms
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Scientists Build Bioreactors and Engineer Bacteria to Advance Biofuel Research
by Gary Hughes (University of Kent) Researchers from the School of Biosciences have designed and built equipment that can be used to investigate bacterial biofuel production at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. Using this technology they also demonstrated that bacterial genetic engineering
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Microbial Production of Fourth-Generation Biofuels
(University of Exeter) Bacteria modified to produce fuel on demand have been produced by University of Exeter researchers in collaboration with energy and petrochemicals group Shell. Academics led by Professor John Love have found a way to get the organisms to produce fuel nearly identical
January 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Feeding Sugar to Bacteria May Lead to Less Harmful Fuel for Cars, Trucks
by Sommer Brokaw (UPI) Sugar can be transformed into hydrocarbons found in gasoline by feeding glucose to strains of E. coli that don't harm human health, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Chemistry. "Making biofuels from renewable resources like glucose
November 24, 2021 Read Full Article
Microbes, Fermentation: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to C1Pro
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Using native methanotrophic bacteria and microbial cell factories, C1Pro is converting methanol into amino acid derivatives for biomaterials. The details behind the microbes, the proteins, the fermentation, methane utilization rates, how it all works, here
November 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Clostridia for Synthesis of Fuels and Chemicals: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biosynthetic Pathways
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech, Northwestern, University of South Florida and Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are working on the engineered reveral of the β-oxidation cycle in clostridia for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals. The objective? To develop clostridia
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
On Announces CleanCloud™ - Turning Carbon Emissions into Running Shoes in Cooperation with LanzaTech and Borealis
(On, Inc./CISION) Swiss sports brand On leads supply chain coalition to reshape carbon waste into running shoes -- Main Facts: - On announces CleanCloud™ - a sustainability initiative using carbon emissions to create foam for running shoes. - On is moving away from petroleum-based
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Making Martian Rocket Biofuel on Mars
(Georgia Institute of Technology/Phys.Org) Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a concept that would make Martian rocket fuel, on Mars, that could be used to launch future astronauts back to Earth. The bioproduction process would use three resources native
October 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Georgia Is Becoming a Biofuel Leader
by Mary Ann DeMuth (Georgia Trend) ... In less than a year, the new LanzaTech Freedom Pines Biorefinery in Soperton will begin to produce billions of gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually. Illinois-based LanzaTech has developed a process that creates energy sources by
September 27, 2021 Read Full Article
SynBio: The Science behind LanzaTech’s Success
by Erik Kobayashi-Solomon (Forbes) As I explained in my first overview article in this series, LanzaTech is an industrial chemicals business. But to describe it as merely another commodity chemicals producer misses the point entirely. At its heart, LanzaTech is a cutting-edge synthetic biology or
September 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Dartmouth Next-Generation Biofuels Research Wins Federal Grant
(NH Business Review) Department of Energy awards $1.2 million to study cellulosic biofuel production -- A newly awarded $1.2 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will help fund the research of Dartmouth engineering professor Daniel Olson, who is
September 23, 2021 Read Full Article
The Problem with Moisture Analysis in Biofuels – a New Solution?
by Stephany McClements (Lantha Sensors/Biofuels Digest) ... One in particular is that biofuels have a higher affinity towards moisture and they have a higher water capacity. As such, biodiesel can absorb up to 6.5 times more moisture from the air than fossil fuel-based
September 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Green Fuels Wins Funding for Brewery and Dairy Waste Project
(Biofuels International) Waste from milk factories and breweries could be put to good use in fighting climate change, according to scientists at Green Fuels Research. The Gloucestershire-based company in the UK has won funding under the Department for Business, Energy
September 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Auburn-Led Research Team Develops Biochemical Breakthrough for Renewable Fatty Acid Ester Production
by Jeremy Henderson (Auburn University) On-going, Auburn-led research into biofuel and biochemical production just got a lot more eyes on it. Supported by a $2 million U.S. Department of Energy award issued in 2018, as well as funding from the
September 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Jet Fuel from Smokestacks
by Keith Button (Aerospace America) The air transport industry lacks enough suppliers of sustainable aviation fuel to meet the anticipated demand as airlines become more aggressive about reining in their carbon footprints and more travelers take to the air. Keith Button
September 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Propane from Marine Sediment Bacteria: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to SHV Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Propane is usually made from oil refining, but it doesn’t have to be! SHV Energy found bacterial species from a marine sediment that are capable of producing propane. Find out how through gene sequencing they
August 31, 2021 Read Full Article
Replacing Antibiotics to Slash Yield Loss: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to MelioPeptide Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Melio Peptide Systems’ Dara Djafarian shared the latest on their anti-microbial technology to replace antibiotics in industrial fermentation in this short and sweet slide guide. How Melio’s technology is designed to integrate directly into proprietary
July 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Transforming CO2 and Sugars Into Biofuel With a $2.7 million grant, UD researchers using microbes to make valuable chemicals
(University of Delaware) In the quest to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and curb climate change, University of Delaware researchers are turning to an interesting ally: bacteria that consume biomass sugars and CO2. With a $2.7 million grant from the U.S.
June 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Are Bacterial Probiotics a Game-Changer for the Biofuels Industry?
(Biofuels International) In a study recently published in Nature Communications, scientists from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability (DTU) and Yale University carried out research into how bacteria commonly found in sugarcane ethanol fermentation affects the industrial process. By closely
June 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Designing an Irreversible Metabolic Switch for Scalable Induction of Microbial Chemical Production
Ahmad A. Mannan and Declan G. Bates (Nature Communications) Bacteria can be harnessed to synthesise high-value chemicals. A promising strategy for increasing productivity uses inducible control systems to switch metabolism from growth to chemical synthesis once a large population of
June 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Engineered Bacteria Show Promise for Sustainable Biofuel Industry, Researchers Say
(Hiroshima University/Phys.Org) Acetone, a volatile solvent used for everything from removing nail polish and cleaning textiles to manufacturing plastics, could get a sustainability boost from a new strain of bacteria engineered by a research team based in Japan. They published the details
May 14, 2021 Read Full Article
LanzaTech and BASF Achieve First Milestone in Utilizing Industrial Off-Gases for Chemical Production
(LanzaTech) Industrial exhaust gas used to produce sustainable alcohol; White biotechnology enables carbon recycling -- Transforming the carbon contained in industrial off-gases into valuable chemicals is the aim of a partnership between LanzaTech and BASF. Now the partners have achieved a key first
May 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Can Bacteria, Biocement, Biomason Save the Concrete Industry?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Portland cement is a core ingredient in traditional concrete and the cement industry accounts for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. So making biocement – a cement that captures carbon instead of releasing
April 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Are ’Bacterial Probiotics’ a Game-Changer for the Biofuels Industry?
(DTU Biosustain) New research suggests that the diversity of the microbial community involved in sugarcane ethanol fermentation processes plays a significant role in its performance. Selecting the right bacteria could increase ethanol production by more than a billion liters per
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
5 Key Tech Takeaways: Highlights from Tech Presented at ABLC 2020
by Iacovos Vasalos (Center for Research and Technology-Hellas/Biofuels Digest) This report summarizes highlights from the ABLC 2020 Biofuels Digest Virtual Conference, which took place in July 7-10, 2020. (And if you haven’t already registered for this year’s ABLC Digital on May 3-7,
March 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Truly Renewable Energy: The Importance of Organics Recycling in a Decarbonized Future
by Shawn Kreloff (Bioenergy Devco/Biofuels Digest) ... But what if we could replace a significant amount of these fossil fuels with renewable natural gas (RNG) or Green Hydrogen created solely from advanced processing of organic residuals – byproducts that would
January 19, 2021 Read Full Article
IISc Researchers Turn Stubble into Ethanol
by Chiranjeevi Kulkarni (Deccan Herald) At a time when pollution from stubble burning has become a concern, researchers from IISc have devised a way to extract ethanol from it which is a valuable fuel. Professor T V Ramachandra and his doctoral
December 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Understanding Bacteria's Metabolism Could Improve Biofuel Production
by Jules Bernstein (University of California - Riverside/Phys.Org) A new study reveals how bacteria control the chemicals produced from consuming 'food.' The insight could lead to organisms that are more efficient at converting plants into biofuels. The study, authored by scientists at
December 03, 2020 Read Full Article
ORNL Joins Effort to Make Plastic More Recyclable
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) From soda bottles to car bumpers to piping, electronics, and packaging, plastics have become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Advancements in materials have made plastics low cost, flexible, hygienic, lightweight, durable and readily available. While some
November 27, 2020 Read Full Article
New Lignin-Splitting Method Inspired by Nature
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) ... “Bacteria and fungi break down plants through a number of different ways. When you see mushrooms growing on dead logs in a forest, they are breaking down the plant cell
October 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Bacterial Cellulose Degradation System Could Give Boost to Biofuels Production
(National Institutes of Natural Sciences/Phys.Org) ... When plants are processed into biofuels or other biomass applications, cellulose has to be degraded into simpler sugar molecules first, and this step can represent up to a quarter of the operating and capital costs
October 08, 2020 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Eyes Two More Spin-off Companies
by Kirstin Korosec (TechCrunch) LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren said Tuesday on the Disrupt 2020 virtual stage that the carbon capture technology company is planning to use its core technology to create two other businesses. LanzaTech captures waste gas emissions and uses bacteria
September 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Microbes Pave Way for Green Flight
by Irini Angelidaki (Technical University of Denmark) ... “Soon bacteria, yeast, and fungi will become the factories that produce not only fuel, but also a wide range of chemicals, plastics, and even proteins,” says Professor Irini Angelidaki, DTU Environment. An important realization
July 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Lignin Research Yields Additional Answers into Bacteria's Role
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Phys.Org) A collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and three other national laboratories has yielded new insight into the ability of bacteria to break down the hardy part of a plant known as lignin. The additional
April 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Plastic-Eating Bacteria Could Be Small Step toward Tackling World's Pollution Crisis
by Scottie Andrew (CNN) ... Now scientists discovered a strain of bacteria, the first of its kind, that can degrade the harmful compounds in polyurethane products -- a positive step toward reducing the amount of plastic pollution in the environment. The findings were published
March 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Bits of the Batch: Researchers Use New Molecular Biology Tools to Identify Inhabitants of Ethanol Plant Bacterial Communities.
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Lactic acid bacteria cells grow and reproduce much more quickly than yeast cells do, consuming the nutrients meant for the yeast in fermentation and producing organic acids instead of ethanol at a molecule ratio of
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Could Bacteria Help Recycle Greenhouse Gases in the Future?
by Florence Schulz, translated by Daniel Eck (EURACTIV.de) Could bacteria assist in the recycling of greenhouse gases in the future instead of releasing them into the atmosphere? European researchers are working to reverse the metabolism of intestinal bacteria that feed
February 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Cracking the Code of Bacteria: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to MicroByre’s Engineered Bacteria
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “Working with only E.coli is like feeding dogs grass to make milk,” said Dr. Sarah Richardson during this presentation given at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco. With a background in genomes, she shared insight into
January 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Man-Made Bacteria that EATS Carbon Dioxide and turns it into eco-friendly biofuels could help tackle climate change, scientists claim
by Milly Vincent (Daily Mail) Escherichia coli bacteria have been engineered by scientists to consume CO2; Scientists removed some genes added one for an enzyme that converts CO2; The bacteria feed off carbon dioxide instead of sugar to produce biofuels
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Pathway to Fuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Bio-Syngas and Fatty Alcohols
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did you know that Dow and LanzaTechpreviously validated syngas conversion to fatty alcohols via the +1 pathway (LeuABCD) in Clostridium? There is a project underway now to develop a new bio-syngas fermentation process using engineered bacteria
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels That Could Be Made from Seawater
(University of Manchester/Phys.org) Researchers from the University of Manchester are using synthetic biology to explore a more efficient way to produce the next generation of biobased jet fuels—partly made from seawater. -- The Manchester research group, led by Professor Nigel Scrutton,
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Undergraduates Participate in Bioenergy Research at GLBRC
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Each year, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) hosts a group of undergraduate students to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, designed to immerse students in research. This summer, 11 undergraduate
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Algae and Bacteria Team up to Increase Hydrogen Production
(University of Cordoba/EurekAlert!) In line with the fight against climate change and the search for a sustainable future, the idea appears of a future society based on hydrogen used as a fuel. This biofuel of the future could be what cars
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Spain’s First Industrial-Scale Biogas Biological Purification Plant Opens
(Edar Bens/NGV Journal) The facilities of Edar Bens SA (Wastewater Treatment Plant of A Coruña) now feature a pilot biogas purification module, the only one in Spain and one of the few that exists in the world. The new plant is
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Tulane Researcher Working to Turn Waste to Fuel Wins NSF Career Award
by Barri Bronston (Tulane University) Nicholas Sandoval's lab at Tulane works on the development and application of advanced synthetic biology tools for microbes and other model cell lines for the purpose of therapeutics and sustainable fuel and chemical production. -- Nicholas
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Sayings and Images from 12 Years Traveling on the Bioeconomy Road
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, the Digest turns 12. Since the Digest was launched in July 2007, we’ve had the privilege of telling the amazing success story of the bioeconomy— new applications, companies, and platform technologies have been pouring out of
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Efficiently Producing Fatty Acids and Biofuels from Glucose
(The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)/Phys.Org) Researchers have presented a new strategy for efficiently producing fatty acids and biofuels that can transform glucose and oleaginous microorganisms into microbial diesel fuel, with one-step direct fermentative production. The newly developed strain,
June 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Scientists Explore Using Bacteria as Building Blocks fior Alternative Fuels
by Valerie Nikolas (Medill Reports) Researchers at Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab use E. coli and other strains to innovate new renewable compounds -- At Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab in the Center for Synthetic Biology, researchers aim to create sustainable chemicals
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Bright Skies for Plant-Based Jet Fuels
by Aliyah Kovner (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers demonstrate that jet fuels made from plants could be cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels -- ... However, a new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Novel Potent Antimicrobial from Thermophilic Bacterium
(University of Groningen/EurekAlert!) University of Groningen microbiologists and their colleagues from Lithuania have discovered a new glycocin, a small antimicrobial peptide with a sugar group attached, which is produced by a thermophilic bacterium and is stable at relatively high temperatures. They
March 14, 2019 Read Full Article
CEC Grants Wishes to Some for Biofuels Projects
by Helena Taveras-Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Wishes are coming true for some California bioenergy projects. Aemetis, Oberon Fuels and others will receive millions from the California Energy Commission for their bioenergy projects, from DME to advanced ethanol. ... Back in August 2018, the California
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
E. coli Takes On Biofuels
by Jessica Velez, Angel Fernando Cisneros Caballero and Narjes Alfuraiji (Science Trends) ... In the genetic engineering world, E. coli is a valuable user-friendly host with a well-known growth metabolism and the largest set of genetic engineering tools available. Many people may
January 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Purple Bacteria Can Turn Human Waste into Clean Hydrogen Energy
(ResearchGate) The new method reduces carbon emissions and turns wastewater treatment plants into green generators. A significant downside to wastewater treatment plants is their carbon footprint. Now, researchers have found a way to reduce carbon emissions from sewage and produce hydrogen energy at the
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Presentations Available from the Workshop on Opportunities and Challenges in Anaerobic Digestion Maryland and the Northeast US Experience
(University of Maryland) Workshop on Opportunities and Challenges in Anaerobic Digestion Maryland and the Northeast US Experience Topics •Anaerobic Digestion: Where We Are Today •Digester Systems in the Northeast–Successful Case Studies •Federal Biogas Policy •MD State Biogas Policy •Use of Biogas: Scrubbing, RNG, GenSets, and Use
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
How Some Algae May Survive Climate Change
(Rutgers Today) Green algae stole genes from bacteria to survive in harsh environments, Rutgers-led study suggests -- Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
"LabPats" "Lose Yourself" Video, Especially for Biologists, the iGEM Edition
LabPats (Carroll High School) Just some Syn. Bio nerds dropping some sick beats to the tune of Lose Yourself. WATCH VIDEO Editor's note: Insights gathered when working in a bio lab on a bacterial way to fight biofilm in biofuel storage tanks
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Eliminating Biofilms in Biofuels: A Bacterial Approach
by Anna Bete, Yazmin Camacho, Jonah Carter, Jason Dong, Christopher Guptil, Max Herrmann, Hayley Jesse, Peter Menart, Travis O’Leary, and Laura Polanka* (Carroll High School and the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Air Force Research Laboratory) With growing environmental concerns on the
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Could Bacteria Fuel the Future? With $1.5 Million Grant, UD Engineers Study Microbes for Biofuel Production
by Julie Stewart (University of Delaware) A group of bacteria best known for causing stomach trouble could also be a source of sustainable energy. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Eleftherios (Terry) Papoutsakis a three-year, $1.5 million grant to study the
September 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Bacteria Could Be Used as 'Cell Factories' to Produce Biofuels
(Biofuels International) Scientists at the University of Kent, UK, have developed a new technique for manipulating small cell structures for use in a range of applications, including the production of biofuels and vaccines. Key to the breakthrough are tiny bacterial cellular structures
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
100% Carbon to Products: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to White Dog Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) US-based White Dog Labs have developed a new process that eliminates the production of CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, during fermentation and instead shifts the carbon to added ethanol production, boosting fermentation yields by around 50
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Montana’s (bio) Materials Maestros: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Blue Marble Biomaterials
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When it comes to Blue Marble’s coordinates in the bioeconomy star-field, think advanced flavorings made from seemingly impossible materials. Most recently we reported that Missoula’s Masters of Metamorphosis this past summer released a highly sought after U.S.
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Scientists Find New Methods to Control Bacterial Factories for Biotech Aims
by Igor Houwat and Andrew Hagen (Michigan State University) The lab of Cheryl Kerfeld has announced a breakthrough in manipulating miniature factories, found in bacteria, that hold much promise in the biotech field. The factories, called expand iconbacterial microcompartments, are widespread in nature
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Algal Biotechnology Research at Sheffield
(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
August 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Putting Bacteria to Work
(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
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 18th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In today’s Digest, wool without the sheep, fuels from water and C)2, bacteria-powered solar cells, spectral imagery in the sky, artificial intelligence in the crop field, sugar-based straws and more, ready for you now at The
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
NREL: Novel Genetic Method Improves Efficiency of Enzyme
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Georgia developed a new genetic engineering technique to dramatically improve an enzyme’s ability to break down biomass. The new method, Evolution by
July 11, 2018 Read Full Article
New Algae Biofuel Production Method Could Someday Compete with Petroleum
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
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
World’s First Commercial Waste Gas to Ethanol Plant Now in Operation
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... In Illinois, carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, and its joint venture partner, Shougang Group, a leading Chinese iron and steel producer, announced the successful start-up of the world’s first commercial facility converting industrial emissions to sustainable ethanol.
June 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Riding Bacterium to the Bank: Sandia Researchers Tailor E. coli to Convert Plants into Renewable Chemicals
(Sandia National Laboriatories/EurekAlert!) What does jet fuel have in common with pantyhose and plastic soda bottles? They're all products currently derived from petroleum. Sandia National Laboratories scientists have demonstrated a new technology based on bioengineered bacteria that could make it economically
May 18, 2018 Read Full Article
‘Augmented Biology’: Exploring New Avenues in Biofuel Production
(University of Bristol) Researchers in the Schools of Biochemistry and Chemistry are working to boost cellular productivity of biofuels at a fundamentally scientific level in order to create innovative, sustainable solutions to our global energy needs. ... Collaborating with scientists from the University
May 01, 2018 Read Full Article
TerAvest Applies Persistence to Stubborn Bacteria
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Zymomonas mobilis is a creature of habit, a bacterial species that loves to eat simple sugars and produce ethanol, but shows little interest in anything else. ... But TerAvest (Michaela TerAvest, an assistant professor of biochemistry
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Tapping Biogas for the Renewable Hydrogen That We Really, Really Need
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... For those newer to the field, one of the problems of using biomass to make a fuel is that a carbohydrate contains around 53% oxygen by weight and needs about 16% more hydrogen that it
April 24, 2018 Read Full Article
NUS Team Discovers Bacterium that Produces Only Biobutanol Directly from Cellulose
(Green Car Congress) A team of engineers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently discovered that a naturally occurring bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum TG57, isolated from waste generated after harvesting mushrooms, is capable of directly converting cellulose to biobutanol. In an open-access paper in the journal Science
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Enzyme Discovery Enables First-Time Microbial Production of an Aromatic Biofuel
(Phys.Org/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered a new enzyme that will enable microbial production of a renewable alternative to petroleum-based toluene, a widely
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Young Female Scientist Hopes to Create Energy Efficient Biofuel from Bacteria
by Emma Nobel (ABC Central Victoria News) Environmental microbiologist and science champion Marianne Haines hopes her work converting bacteria into biofuel will lead to more sustainable outcomes, and more women studying science at the postgraduate level. Growing up in regional Victoria, the former
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysts, Cleaning and Cook
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s not every day that scientists stumble upon novel ways to make biofuel, but that’s exactly what Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have done by discovering that a simple catalyst based on carbon, nitrogen and
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Hotties: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Engineering Thermophiles for Syngas-to-Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a Kiverdi-led project to develop microbial biocatalysts to convert syngas into monoterpenes. Syngas feedstocks are relatively inexpensive and diverse, and thermophiles have several unique advantages; Meanwhile, end products have value
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
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