(NewEnergyBlue/PR Newswire) NewEnergyBlue, the clean-technology designer of biomass refineries that turn agricultural waste into highly decarbonized biofuels and biochemicals, and MetGen, the Finnish pioneer in advanced enzymes and lignin fractionization, today began integrating their renewable technologies and business units to vigorously
cellulase enzymes
Back TO HOMEScientists Gain New Molecular-Level Insights into Breaking Down Plant Material for Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy/NewsWise) Compared to biofuel crops like corn, breaking down cellulose from nonedible plant parts or grasses grown on marginal lands is slow and inefficient. Cellulose is the building block of plant cell walls. However, using these non-food plants could help
July 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Why Is Breaking Down Plant Material for Biofuels So Slow?
by Gail McCormick (Pennsylvania State University) Penn State researchers have revealed how molecular roadblocks slow the breakdown of cellulose, an abundant renewable resource in plants -- Cellulose, which helps give plant cell walls their rigid structure, holds promise as a renewable raw
May 09, 2024 Read Full Article
CSIR-NIIST Transfers Process to Make Key Enzyme for Biofuel for Commercial Use
(Hans India) The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has transferred, for commercial use, the process for production of beta glucosidase enzyme, used to manufacture biofuels, a statement said. READ MORE Related articles CSIR-NIIST transfers process to make key enzyme for biofuel
February 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels Hold Promise as Alternative to Fossil Fuels
by Pitambara and Bishwa Bhaskar Choudhary (The Tribune) The govt should consider making a budgetary allocation to implement measures to promote wasteland for the cultivation of energy crops and impart technical know-how to farmers. Increasing the allocation and extending the term
October 16, 2023 Read Full Article
Novozymes & Fibenol Have Entered a Commercial Partnership to Demonstrate Lignocellulosic Biorefining on an Industrial Scale
(Fibenol) Due to their abundance worldwide, lignocellulosic residues have an enormous potential to substitute petrochemicals with bio-based alternatives. However, efficient cellulose degradation into sugars has long been an obstacle to the wider spread of lignocellulosic biorefineries. Now, the tide seems to
April 26, 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. The enzymes industry has not only kept pace with this
January 03, 2023 Read Full Article
IIT-G Succeeds in Breaking down Woody Biomass for Conversion to Bioethanol Fuel
(The Meghalayan Bureau) The IIT Guwahati scientists have shown the efficacy of a new type of endoglucanase called RfGH5_4 in breaking down lignocellulosic and hemicellulosic biomass for the eventual conversion to bioethanol fuel. Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
January 02, 2023 Read Full Article
Measuring Up Corn Fiber Ethanol
by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol made from corn fiber has a low carbon intensity and the potential to generate D3 RINs, but navigating the regulatory landscape to capture its fullest value can be complex. -- Producing corn fiber
September 19, 2022 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 breaking down biomass. Fungi of the genus Trichoderma are present
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 in processing the crops to extract fuel efficiently. Four new studies
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Biodiesel from Stillage Fiber: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Xylome
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At the recent BETO peer review, Xylome shared this illuminating slide guide on making biodiesel precursors from dissolved organics and corn fiber present in grain ethanol stillage by engineering hyper-lipogenic strains of L. starkeyi to
June 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Biomass to Sugar Conversion Mechanisms: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Pretreatment and Enzymes for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Get the latest on thermochemical pretreatment and enzymatic reactions for biofuels and biochemicals production from Rajesh Gupta from Lee Enterprises Consulting in this illuminating slide guide. From lignocellulosic and algal biomass, comparison of popular pretreatment
April 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Kemin Launches Dry Cellulase ZyloCell™ to Support Biofuels Industries' Low-carbon Initiatives
(Kemin Biofuels/Markets Insider) Kemin Biofuels, part of Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, has expanded its enzyme portfolio with
March 26, 2021 Read Full Article
'Fiber Is the New Starch'
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Novozymes has released a platform to convert more fiber to ethanol, giving producers an attractive 'D3 lift.' The company is also helping its customers navigate the low-carbon fuels marketplace, streamlining certification and assisting where
December 30, 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
US Patent Granted for Enzymes Developed by ICGEB-DBT Bioenergy Group
(International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology) A new cellulase preparation discovered by scientists at ICGEB, New Delhi has received a US patent award. This discovery is likely to provide a better alternative to the available option on the market for
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Alcohol School: Yancey Delivers D3Max Project Update
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Minimizing feedstock cost is one rule for a successful cellulosic ethanol project, according to Mark Yancey, chief technology officer for D3Max. “That can be a very large component of your project costs.” Yancey spoke Sept. 13
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
ADM, DuPont Sign Agreement to Develop, Produce and Market Cellulase Enzymes
(Archer Daniels Midland) Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) and DuPont Industrial Biosciences today announced a collaboration to develop, produce and market cellulase enzymes for operators of grain-based ethanol plants. Cellulase enzymes assist in hydrolyzing the corn kernel fiber, which consists mostly
June 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Industrial Enzyme Frontiers: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to MetGen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MetGen’s MetZyme enzymatic solutions cover the entire bio-based value chain from feedstock to high-value chemicals and enable the use of cellulosic feedstocks as well as the creation of entirely new bio-based materials. Alex Michine and the MetGen
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Saccharification Treatments Using Cellulase and Laminarinase Results in Higher Ethanol
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In the Philippines, researchers from University of the Philippines and Hiroshima University in Japan conducted a study that focused on ethanol production from macroalgae using only enzymatic treatment for saccharification of algal biomass. This involved the isolation
May 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Genetically Engineered Fungus Now Squeezes out More Biofuel from Farm Waste
T V Jayannew (The Hindu Business Line) India’s efforts to enhance biofuel production may get a boost from a work being done at a research laboratory in New Delhi. Researchers at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) have altered
February 05, 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 uncover the secrets behind one of nature’s most powerful tools—cellulose-degrading enzymes. Researchers at NREL are seeking to unlock the bioenergy stored
December 31, 2017 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 uncover the secrets behind one of nature’s most powerful tools—cellulose-degrading enzymes. -- Researchers at NREL are seeking to unlock the
December 12, 2017 Read Full Article
To Find New Biofuel Enzymes, It Can Take a Microbial Village
(Newswise) Berkeley Lab-led study unveils new source of robust cellulases in compost -- A new study led by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), demonstrates the importance of microbial communities
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
VTT to Develop Enzymes Found in Wildfire-Prone Areas
( VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Micro-organisms found in the wildfire-prone dry tropical forests of India are an exciting prospect for biochemical production, as they are accustomed to the challenging conditions following a forest fire. The enzymes they
November 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Enzyme’s Worth to Biofuels Shown in Latest NREL Research
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) An enzyme discovered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) proves adept at breaking down cellulose fibers regardless of whether their crystalline structure is simple or highly complex. No other enzyme
September 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Getting to the Point (Mutations) in Re-Engineering Biofuel-Producing Bacterial Enzymes
(Newswise/U.S. Department of Energy) Researchers from Spain, Poland and Ireland have developed a new computational method to rapidly screen the effects of point mutations in bacteria to make biofuel production more efficient -- Converting fibrous plant waste, like corn stalks
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Plug-and-Play: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Enzyme Engineering and Optimization
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting a project led by Michael Himmell at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop technology to meet or exceed the target of 10 mg/g cellulose on pretreated feedstocks and
September 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Targeted Microbial Development: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Biomass Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting projects to investigate and recommend promising pathways for advanced biological upgrading of biomass sugars and lignin to hydrocarbons (HC) and co-products to support the DOE BETO 2022 goal
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Processing Pathways
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Interest in cellulosic ethanol from corn fiber is piqued, as technology providers improve on their processes, increasing revenue stream possibilities for producers. -- Some producers and technology developers in the ethanol industry say cellulosic ethanol
August 04, 2017 Read Full Article
ICGEB Scientists Identify Key Enzyme for Biofuel Production in Fungal Gene
(Biospectrum) The new fungal source Penicillium funiculosum could be a strong alternative in the industrial enzyme repertoire for biofuel production -- Scientists at New Delhi-based International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) have peered into a fungal gene to
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
How Do You Generate $2B in Cellulosic Ethanol, with No Upfront Investment?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Siouxland Energy Cooperative has licensed the Edeniq’s Cellunator and Pathway technologies for its 60 million gallon per year ethanol plant located in Sioux Center. Production will start by Q4 2016. Meaning that Edeniq is shifting
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Aemetis Licenses Edeniq’s Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Edeniq and Aemetis have entered into a License Agreement under which Aemetis will deploy Edeniq’s Pathway technology at its 60 million gallon per year ethanol production facility located in Keyes, California. Edeniq’s Pathway Technology integrates Edeniq’s Cellunator equipment with cellulase
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Flint Hills Resources Licenses Edeniq’s Pathway Technology
(Edeniq) Edeniq’s Pathway Technology produces cellulosic ethanol, enhances yield, and increases oil recovery -- Edeniq, Inc., a biorefining and cellulosic technology company, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Flint Hills Resources, a leading U.S. ethanol producer, to
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Team Explains the Higher Cellulolytic Activity of a Vital Microorganism
(Phys.org/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Researchers at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) say better understanding of a bacterium could lead to cheaper production of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels. Their discovery was
February 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Project Aims to Lower Cellulase Cost through Enzyme Recycling
(Autodisplay Biotech GmbH) In November, an international consortium led by Autodisplay Biotech GmbH started Pathway EFB, a €1.6 million ($1.75 million) collaborative research and development project to significantly lower cellulase cost in the production of biofuels and biobased chemicals. The
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Latvian Scientists Make Bioethanol and Furfural from Straw
by Olga Pavuk (The Baltic Course) Production of bioethanol is an alternative energy source of utmost importance in replacing ordinary fuel made from hydrocarbons. Latvian scientists have succeeded in producing bioethanol and furfural from plant waste – wheat straw. Co-generation
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Enzyme Could Create Biofuels 14 Times Faster than Current Methods
by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed an enzyme that could change the economics of biofuel conversion by converting biomass to sugars up to 14 times
January 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Going Deep With Enzyme Technology: No Part of the Corn Kernel Goes Unexplored.
Jack Rogers (Novozymes/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Novozyme’s R&D group has been successful extracting and converting more starch from corn, so we decided to investigate opportunities to increase corn oil yields as well. Our research started with the insight that a significant amount
July 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Who’s Ahead Now in Enzymes? Codexis Launches Next-Gen CodeXyme4
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Compared to prior generations, CodeXyme 4 and CodeXyme 4X significantly reduce the cost of cellulosic sugar production for biofuels and bio‐based chemicals. ...Codexis’ latest generation of advanced cellulase enzymes, CodeXyme 4 for dilute acid pretreatments and
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Chlamydomonas Shown to Break Down Cellulose
(Algae Industry Magazine) Douglas Main reports on OurAmazingPlanet that researchers at Germany’s University of Bielefeld have discovered that when the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtiiis deprived of carbon dioxide, it can cannibalize other plants’ materials. According to the scientists,this is the first time
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Going for the Fiber
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Quad County Corn Processors is working toward production of both grain-based and cellulosic ethanol from the same feedstock. Travis Brotherson, plant engineer at the 30 MMgy ethanol plant in Galva, Iowa, wasn’t even thinking about
October 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) Develops Advanced Biofuels without Food Use
(Melodika.net) ...Biofuels of the 2nd generation are made of agricultural waste - from wood chips, straw or specially cultivated "energy crops". The Austrian competence centre acib (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology) has found ways to make these renewable sugar resources
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Codexis, Shell Redraw the Advanced Biofuels Map with Global Enzyme Rights Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, Codexis announced that Shell has granted Codexis a royalty-bearing, non-exclusive license to develop, manufacture, use and sell cellulase enzymes developed under the companies’ Amended and Restated Collaborative Research Agreement. The scope of the
September 05, 2012 Read Full Article
The Enzyme Wars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Novozymes releases a new, high-performance enzyme for advanced cellulosic biofuels: Cellic CTec3. Will Novozymes win the enzyme wars? Will enzymes defeat gasification? When will renewables defeat fossil fuels on cost? In Denmark, Novozymes announced their latest enzyme
February 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Biotech Firms Go after Smart Enzymes to Fuel Energy Sector
by Vishal Dutta (The Times of India/Economic Times) Biotech companies producing industrial enzymes are gradually moving to cellulosic enzymes that help in bio-fuel generation. Enzymes are biological catalysts and when added to agriculture residue speed up the process of producing bio-fuel. The
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis, Mascoma Show that Low-Cost Sugar is the Key, as Biofuels Moves from R&D into Industrial Era
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“The government rushed into investments, with no diligence,” says Codexis chief Alan Shaw. “They are just not industrialists, in my opinion.” Two major announcements this week drive the point home in advanced biofuels. In California, Codexis introduced its
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Turn Up the Heat: Researchers Explore Heat-Resistant Enzymes
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...“Thermophilic fungi can be found worldwide, most commonly in habitats where self-heating of plant material results in high temperatures, such as compost heaps, municipal waste, plant straw, and animal dung,” he (Randy Berka, a
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis Introduces CodeXyme™ Cellulase Enzyme Product Line for Biobased Chemicals
(Codexis) Codexis, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDXS) today introduced the CodeXyme™ Cellulase enzyme product line to convert biomass to sugar, enabling cost effective production of sustainable products. "The launch of the CodeXyme™ Cellulase product line introduces Codexis as a player in the global cellulase enzyme market," said Alan
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Henan Tianguan Expands the Capacity of Cellulosic Ethanol
(SB Wire) Henan Tianguan Fuel Ethanol Co., Ltd. (Henan Tianguan) plans to launch cellulosic ethanol plants to expand its capacity gradually in next three years, which is expected to reach 120,000t/a in 2014, according to CCM’s October Issue of Industrial
October 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Advancing Next-gen Biofuels by Turning Up the Heat on Biomass Pretreatment Processes
by Marie Louise Ballon (U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute/Renewable Energy World) ...Published online October 2 in Nature Biotechnology, an international team of scientists including DOE JGI researchers compared the finished genomes of Thielavia terrestris and Muceliophthora thermophila, fungi
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Opening Plenary – "Industry Perspectives on Bioenergy": The Future Biobased Economy
by Matt Carr (Biotechnology Industry Organization). Matt Carr, Managing Director or BIO notes that in 2011, biofuels comprise about 10% of the US transportation fuel market; in 2025, biofuels will consist of around 25% of that market. Renewable chemicals and
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Salt-loving Microbe Provides New Enzymes for the Production of Next Gen Biofuels
(Joint Genome Institute) Calif.—In order to realize the full potential of advanced biofuels that are derived from non-food sources of lignocellulosic biomass—e.g., agricultural, forestry, and municipal waste, and crops such as poplar, switchgrass and miscanthus—new technologies that can efficiently and
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Hot Springs Microbe May Hold Key to Biofuel Production
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Researchers from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a microbe in a Nevada hot spring that enjoys eating cellulose (aka plant material) at temperatures above the boiling
July 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Ending the Enzyme Enigma
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Figuring out how to produce enzymes at a feasible cost is just part of the puzzle A decade ago, the cost of enzymes was at the top of the list of concerns for most
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Taking the American Biofuel Industry to the Next Level; From Talk to Action
(Novozymes) The United States has a lot riding on the success of its biofuel industry – energy independence, job creation, and environmental stewardship. But really, how far is the country in achieving its goals? There is no definitive answer to
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis Expanding Beyond Biofuels to Carbon Capture, Plastics
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTechMedia) Enzymes will take off once the cellulosic economy gets moving, says Alan Shaw. ...Codexis meanwhile, has seen its stock go to $10.56, or $2.50 below the IPO price. CEO Alan Shaw, however, says that one has to
March 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Novozymes and Nedalco to Improve Biofuel Production
(Novozymes) Novozymes, the world leader in biofuel enzymes, and Royal Nedalco, a leading yeast developer and ethanol producer, collaborate to develop a new fermentation process that can efficiently ferment C5 and C6 sugars. Fermentation of both types of sugars is essential
May 11, 2010 Read Full Article
South Dakota State University Studies Corn Stover Pretreatment
(Biomass Magazine) Using a high shear bioreactor (extrusion) pretreatment process can help prepare corn stover as a feedstock for making cellulosic ethanol, a South Dakota State University study finds. The SDSU study explored different temperatures, screw speeds, and enzymes to learn
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
The Power of Nature; The Speed of Technology
by Mark Emalfarb (Dyadic International) In addition to explaining Dyadic's C1 enzyme, its history and uses, this presentation includes clear diagrams of how enzymes are used in breaking down cellulose and hemicellulose and charts of the published effectiveness of a
March 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Accelerating Production of Advanced Biofuels with Industrial Biotech Breakthroughs
From the open plenary session of the Biomass 2008 Conference. Download PDF.