biomass recalcitrance – Advanced BioFuels USA

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Hemp Biofuels: High Energy, Low Environmental Impact

(Global Hemp Association) … “Biofuel” is an umbrella term for a number of different types of energy produced from biomass. The main fuels are biodiesel, bioethanol, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation

January 31, 2023 Read Full Article

Lifting Up Production

by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In recent years, many ethanol producers have started migrating toward a more diversified biorefining model as they adapt to changing markets and changing times.

January 3, 2023 Read Full Article

Lignin: A Way towards the Sustainable Biorefinery

Siddhartha Pal (Praj Industries/Biofuels Digest) Various sources of lignocellulosic biomass, such as forestry waste and agricultural feedstocks, are available all over the world. The Lignocellulosic biomass consists of three major components:

January 2, 2023 Read Full Article

Catalytic Process with Lignin Could Enable 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Biobased Diesel Daily) An underutilized natural resource could be just what the airline industry needs to curb carbon emissions. Researchers at three institutions—the U.S. DOE’s National Renewable Energy

September 28, 2022 Read Full Article

PNNL: New Artificial Enzyme Breaks Down Tough, Woody Lignin

(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through lignin, the tough polymer that helps woody plants hold their shape. Lignin also stores tremendous

July 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Overcoming the Toughest Catalyst Challenges in the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to LEC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Terry Mazanec from Lee Enterprises Consulting takes us on a journey through the toughest catalyst challenges in the bioeconomy and, most importantly, how to overcome

June 30, 2022 Read Full Article

New Artificial Enzyme Breaks Down Tough, Woody Lignin

(Science Daily/DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Study shows promise for developing a new renewable energy source — An innovative artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through woody lignin, an abundant

June 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Enzymes Discovered in Capybara Gut Can Accelerate Utilization of Agroindustrial Waste

by Karina Ninni (Agência FAPESP)– Converting agroindustrial waste into molecules of interest to society, such as biofuels and biochemicals, is one of the ways to mitigate dependence on oil and

May 3, 2022 Read Full Article

New Perspective Highlights Promise of Hybrid Approach for Cellulosic Biofuel Production

by S. Heather Duncan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists with the Center for Bioenergy Innovation at ORNL highlighted a hybrid approach that uses microbes and catalysis to convert cellulosic biomass

March 31, 2022 Read Full Article

New Bioprocesses for Lignin Valorization: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biological Lignin Work

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NREL is focusing on commodity productswith sufficient market sizes to aid biofuels production (e.g., adipic acid), working with Lignin Util. & SepConfor lignin substrates, and

March 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Waste Not, Want Not: New Process Turns Manure into Fatty Acids

by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin–Madison) University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have demonstrated a new process for transforming a plentiful Wisconsin waste into fatty acids, energy-rich molecules that can be

December 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Closing the Gap in Renewable Energy – the Next 80%?

by Sergey Nuzhdin, Kristen Davis, Meredith Brooks, Ann Carpenter, Pierre Wensel, and Cindy Wilcox, (Cluster for Sustainable Seaweed Solutions (CS3)/Biofuels Digest) .. (A) similar marine “Blue Revolution” is the potential key

November 10, 2021 Read Full Article

Disrupting Tropical Seaweed Farming with Offshore Submersible Cages

by Steven Hermans (Phyconomy) Former CEO of Catalina Sea Ranch Phil Cruver is developing a submersible cage system to take tropical seaweed farming offshore and into a new era. In

October 10, 2021 Read Full Article

Effect of Lignin-Blocking Agent on Enzyme Hydrolysis of Acid Pretreated Hemp Waste

by Daehwan Kim, Chang Geun Yoo, Jurgen Schwarz, Sadanand Dhekney, Robert Kozak, Craig Laufer, Drew Ferrier, Skylar Mackay, Madyson Ashcraft, Richard Williams and Sinyeon Kime (RSC Advances) Hemp wastes (stems

September 20, 2021 Read Full Article

Recent Innovations in Turning Agricultural Waste into Biofuels

by Raj Shah and Amanda Loo (altenergymag.com/Koehler Instrument Company) Wastes from fields and wastes from processing are the two kinds of agricultural wastes. Field wastes are present after harvesting crops

August 19, 2021 Read Full Article

New Solvents to Break Down Plant Cellulose for Bioethanol

(Science Daily/Kanazawa University) Researchers experimented with different combinations of zwitterionic molecules to produce a solvent that is liquid below 100°C and very effective at breaking down cellulose. This research may

August 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Enzyme from Amazon Fungus Could Enhance Efficiency of Second-Generation Ethanol Production

by Maria Fernanda Ziegler (Agência FAPESP) Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil have found an enzyme from the Amazon fungus Trichoderma harzianum to be capable of

August 11, 2021 Read Full Article

Energycane Produces More Biodiesel than Soybean at a Lower Cost

(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Bioenergy from crops is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. New crops such as energycane can produce several times more fuel per acre than soybeans. Yet, challenges remain

July 8, 2021 Read Full Article

Bioconversion Improvements: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Biorefinery Waste for Bioplastics

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Being in a big state, Texas A&M University has some big goals like overcoming the key challenges for biorefinery cost-effectiveness and sustainability in the BETO

June 23, 2021 Read Full Article

“Dominating” Fungus Could Provide Solution to Producing More Biofuels and Valuable Chemicals

(University of York) he discovery of a novel enzyme that releases a valuable chemical from agricultural waste could provide an important breakthrough in the upscaling of renewable fuels and chemicals, a

May 6, 2021 Read Full Article

The Green Secrets of Goat Poop – Smarter Materials, Better Medicines, and Sustainable Biofuels

(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/SciTechDaily) Microbes found in the goat gut microbiome could help humans convert plant material into valuable, eco-friendly commodities. Converting the tough fibers and complex sugars in plants into

March 16, 2021 Read Full Article

News Release: Groundbreaking Research into White-Rot Fungi Proves Its Value in Carbon Sequestration from Lignin

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A foundational study conducted by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows for the first time that white-rot fungi are able to use carbon captured

March 1, 2021 Read Full Article

Termite Gut Microbes Could Aid Biofuel Production

(American Chemical Society/EurekAlert!) Wheat straw, the dried stalks left over from grain production, is a potential source of biofuels and commodity chemicals. But before straw can be converted to useful products

February 18, 2021 Read Full Article

Biochemical, Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining Process: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biomass Deconstruction

What does an ideal biomass deconstruction process need? Find out in this illuminating slide guide from Xiaowen Chen, Senior Chemical Engineer in the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-up Center at

February 5, 2021 Read Full Article

From Biofuels and Other Chemicals to Methane Production: Study Peers into the Mysteries of a Goat’s Gut

by Sonia Fernandez (University of California – Santa Barbara/Phys.Org) … “This has been the longest single effort in my lab,” said (Michelle) O’Malley, who with her research team way back in

February 2, 2021 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

December 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Novel Cellulose Finding May Lead to New Chemicals, Biofuels

by Jamie Oberdick (Pennsylvania State University/Phys.Org) A multi-institutional research group led by two Penn State faculty members has identified, for the first time, how cellulose crystals orient themselves relative to the

November 20, 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

October 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Positive Results Achieved from NREL’s Use of Industry-Relevant Ozone Treatment to Deconstruct Biomass

by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Achieves high sugar yields with low enzyme loadings; Deconstructing Biomass with a Common Pulp and Paper Industry Method — Ozone treatment (aka

May 26, 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

April 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Why Ethanol Endures as Important Market for Midwestern Farmers

by Jim Spencer and Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) The biofuel’s intended uses for energy independence and greenhouse gas reduction have become matters of debate. But no one questions its political

January 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Forest Service Grants License for Biomass Conversion Technology

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Forest Service announced in November its intent to grant a license for technology that can efficiently fractionate lignocellulosic biomass to a Canadian company,

January 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Conversion Technologies: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to BETO’s Carbon-Based Fuels and Co-Products

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why is working with biomass so challenging? Jonathan Male, Director at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) set out to answer that question

December 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Water-Based Tech Converts Biomass into Food Ingredients – Renmatix and Cargill Sign Joint Development Agreement

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Functional food ingredients from unused plant materials is just what Renmatix and Cargill are aiming to explore with their new joint development agreement, but what

December 16, 2019 Read Full Article

UCSB Chemical Engineer Looks at Microbes Found in Herbivores’ Guts to Turn Plant Waste into Fuel

by Soe Han Tha (Santa Barbara News Press) Households and businesses typically regard as waste the parts of plants that cannot be consumed, whether that be stems, roots, inedible leaves. What if

November 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Scientists Develop Efficient Methods to Turn Woody Biomass into Fuels

by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) … Lignin, a complex compound in cell walls, blocks access to plant carbohydrates that could be cleaved into sugars and then fermented into biofuels. The

October 25, 2019 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Breakthroughs at the Bioenergy Research Centers

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Over 10 years (2007–2017), three Bioenergy Research Centers produced multiple breakthroughs in the form of deepened understanding of sustainable biomass production practices, targeted re-engineering of

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,

October 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Betting on Waste

(EurekAlert!/University of California – Santa Barbara) Most of the materials that maintain our modern lives — fuels, pharmaceuticals and other commodity chemicals — come from non-renewable sources. Over time the acquisition

September 12, 2019 Read Full Article

US-India Consortium for Development of Sustainable Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuel Systems

by Vermerris, Wilfred; Ingram, Lonnie O.; O’Connor, George; Pullammanappallil, P.; Shanmugam, K. T.; Tong, Zhaohui; Wilkie, Anne; Jose, Shibu; Bardhan, Sougata; Kitchen, Newell; Fritschi, Felix; Alavalapati, Janaki; Quesada-Pineda, Henry J.;

August 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Supercomputing Improves Biomass Fuel Conversion

by Holly Ober (Univesity of California Riverside News) Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down plant biomass and transform it into transportation fuels — … In

August 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Bacteria Turn Agri Waste to Biofuel, First-of-Its-Kind Research

by Himanshu Nitnaware (Pune Mirror) … The researchers worked to find an alternative to fossil fuels through biodegradation of agricultural waste such as wheat straw, and sugarcane bagasse as substrates. The biodegradation was brought

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

ICGEB’s Novel Yeast Strain Increases Ethanol Production

by R. Prasad (The Hindu) The strain produces ethanol by fermenting rice and wheat straw — Compared with currently available strains, a robust yeast strain (Saccharomyces cerevisiae NGY10) that can produce up to

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

From Bioenergy to Bioproducts: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to JBEI

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Joint BioEnergy Institute is a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center dedicated to developing advanced biofuels—liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in plant

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

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

(North Carolina State University/Phys.org) Researchers have discovered that a bacterium found in camel crickets is capable of breaking down lignin—the stuff that makes wood tough—opening new research pathways for the

March 22, 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

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Breakdown: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sweetwater Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sweetwater Energy has developed a unique and patented technology for producing low-cost sugars and clean lignin fiber from multiple non-food plant materials to help meet the

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

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

(Berkeley News) The passalid beetle’s unique gut architecture helps it transform decaying wood into energy-rich materials. — Decaying wood doesn’t make the most nutritious food, but the long-horned passalid beetle has

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Research Uncovers Potential Sustainable Refining Method for Lignin

(Phys.Org/Texas A&M University) Lignin, used as a renewable resource to produce high-value products, has presented both production and economical challenges for biorefinery operations. However, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Separation Technology: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Attis Industries

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Attis Industriesis a diversified company focused on innovation and technology including renewable fuels, bio-based plastics, healthcare and communications infrastructure. At a recent investor meeting, Attis offered this

February 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Rebecca Smith Brings Enthusiasm, Ingenuity to Bear on Tough Lignin

by Max Witynski (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Rebecca Smith has loved plants for a long time. In fact, her interest stems from an AP biology class in high school. “Something about the

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

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

by Jonathan Hines (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Humans have found uses for woody plants since time immemorial—tools, shelter, firewood. Today, scientists are working to add more major uses to the

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Why a Curious Crustacean Could Hold Secret to Making Renewable Energy from Wood

(University of York/EurekAlert!) Scientists studying the digestive system of a curious wood-eating crustacean have discovered it may hold the key to sustainably converting wood into biofuel. Gribble are small marine invertebrates

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Lee Lynd issued a call to action in a recent Nature Biotechnology commentary: Three key measures should be part of any effort to revitalize cellulosic biofuels. First, pursue commercial deployment in

November 7, 2018 Read Full Article

The Grand Challenge of Cellulosic Biofuels

by Lee R. Lynd (Energy Today/Nature Biotechnology/Dartmouth College) Why cellulosic biofuels have fallen short of expectations and what we can do about it. — A robust second-generation biofuels industry based on inedible

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break down Biomass

(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants such as moose help break down recalcitrant plant biomass into carbon nutrients, but how do they do this over the

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Researchers Find Value in Unusual Type of Plant Material

by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) An ideal biorefinery would turn renewable crops into a variety of fuels and products with little waste. A significant challenge in realizing this vision is

October 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Engineering Plants for a Sustainable Future

by Staffan Persson (University of Melbourne/Phys.org) … Our new discovery, published in Nature Plants, shows how plant walls could be manipulated in the future to change the way we produce biofuels, bioplastics

October 8, 2018 Read Full Article

New Method More than Doubles Sugar Production from Plants

(SwissInfo.ch) Chemists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a method that can significantly increase the yield of sugars from plants, improving the production of renewable fuels,

September 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Enzyme Discovery Could Boost Biofuel Production

(European Commission) EU-funded researchers have discovered a new family of enzymes able to break down wood into its chemical components. The findings may lead to more efficient production of biofuels and

August 28, 2018 Read Full Article

Complex Networks Identify Genes for Biofuel Crops

(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) To improve biofuel production, scientists must understand the fundamental interactions that lead to the expression of

August 15, 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

July 11, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of July 11th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or

July 11, 2018 Read Full Article

New ‘Promiscuous’ Enzyme Helps Turn Plant Waste into Sustainable Products

(University of Portsmouth) A new family of enzymes has been discovered which paves the way to convert plant waste into sustainable

July 3, 2018 Read Full Article

WSU Professor Lands $500,000 Grant to Pursue Lignin to Biofuel Conversion

by Maegan Murray (Washington State University Tri-Cities) WSU Tri-Cities associate professor Xiao Zhang is targeting the use of lignin — a

June 22, 2018 Read Full Article

NREL Finds Easier Ways to Deconstruct Biomass

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) If there’s an easier, more efficient method, science will find a way. That’s certainly the

June 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Research Shows How Genetics Can Contribute for Advances in 2G Ethanol Production

(FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO/EurekAlert!) The study focused three fungi species which produce enzymes with application

April 17, 2018 Read Full Article

A New Tailor-Made Approach to Biofuels

(Phys.Org/CORDIS) … Some microbes have natural structures called cellulosomes that contain cellulases, enzymes that break down cellulose efficiently into sugars. The

April 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Lumber’s Lure: Thanks to Physics, Viable Biofuel May Grow in the Woods

by Chris Lee (Ars Technica) Future biofuel production requires new catalysts—or better training for stubborn enzymes. … I thought New Zealand would offer some

April 6, 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

April 6, 2018 Read Full Article

New Insights into How Cellulose Is Built Could Indicate How to Break It Apart for biofuels

(Phys.Org/Pennsylvania State University) A comprehensive look at how plants build cellulose, the primary building block of the walls of most plant

April 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Team Discovers Enzyme Domains that Dramatically Improve Performance

(Phys.Org/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory) It was more than 10 years in the making, but when it came to uncovering the

March 30, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Protein Studies Inform Biofuels Research

(University of Wisconsin – Madison/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advances in biofuels research tend to involve reduced costs, greater reagent stability, more diverse

March 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Fungal Enzymes Could Hold Secret to Making Renewable Energy from Wood

(Phys.Org/University of York) An international team of researchers, including scientists from the University of York, has discovered a set of enzymes

February 20, 2018 Read Full Article

USDA Awards Attis $3 Million Grant for Lignin Technology

(Meridian Waste Solutions Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) Meridian Waste Solutions Inc., an integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services and innovative technology company, recently

January 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Less Chewing the Cud, More Greening the Fuel

(Phys.Org/Rothamsted Research) … But now a multinational team of researchers, from the UK, Brazil and the US, has pinpointed a gene

January 12, 2018 Read Full Article

NREL Research Finds a “Sweet Spot” for Engineering Better Biofuel Enzymes

(U.S. Department of Energy) Added sugar takes on a whole new meaning in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) work to

December 31, 2017 Read Full Article

Nature Demonstrates How Bacteria Degrade Lignin and Provides Better Understanding to Make Biofuels

(Phys.Org/Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory) The production of biofuels from plant biomass is a highly promising source of energy, but researchers are

December 22, 2017 Read Full Article

New Solvent Contributes to Next-Generation Biofuel Production from Biomass

(Phys.Org/Kanazawa University) Compared to first-generation biofuels produced from food crops, production of second-generation biofuels for daily use is an urgent issue.

December 5, 2017 Read Full Article

Rot Is Hot to Trot: Brown Rot Fungi Cries “Tora! Tora! Tora!” to Biomass

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … When it comes to fungi, their ability to break even the most recalcitrant of hardwoods

December 5, 2017 Read Full Article

Research Is Making Plant Waste a Viable Option in Ethanol Production

by J.D. Warren (UCR Today) Relatively cheap “biomass” has been a poor option due to its production cost — UC Riverside researchers

November 15, 2017 Read Full Article

Study Speeds Transformation of Biofuel Waste into Useful Chemicals

by Jules Bernstein (Phys.Org/Sandia National Laboratories) A Sandia National Laboratories-led team has demonstrated faster, more efficient ways to turn discarded plant

November 10, 2017 Read Full Article

Iconic Species May Hold Clues on Low Quality Forage Digestion

by Robert Arnason (Western Producer) … But the beaver also has a lesser known skill: it can survive on a diet

October 25, 2017 Read Full Article

POET “Breakthrough” in Cellulosic Ethanol Production

by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) The nation’s largest ethanol producer says it’s made a breakthrough in cellulosic ethanol production. Matt

October 24, 2017 Read Full Article

Enzymes at Work: Breaking Down Stubborn Cellulose for Biofuels

(Science Daily/Graz University of Technology) Researchers have observed enzymes breaking down cellulose to aid the production of biofuels. … Typically, biorefineries

October 13, 2017 Read Full Article