(Genetic Literacy Project/ISAAA) Hiroshima University researchers developed a highly efficient genome editing system for microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica, which is a potential source of biodiesel. Algae gather high concentrations of lipids through photosynthesis and these lipids can be used as feedstocks for sustainable new energies called biodiesels. Nannochloropsis species are
genetically modified organism (GMO)
Back TO HOMEYield10 Bioscience Announces Completion of Harvesting for 2020 Field Test Program to Evaluate Novel Yield and Compositional Traits in Camelina and Canola
(Yield10 Bioscience) Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced it has completed the harvest for its 2020 Field Test Program for Camelina and canola trials conducted in the United States and Canada. Yield10’s 2020 Field Test Program is designed to evaluate several novel traits
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Powerful Pennycress: Dr. Sedbrook’s Research Team Is Transforming a Weed into a Crop
(Illinois State University) Though farmers consider pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) nothing more than a weed, Illinois State Professor of Genetics Dr. John Sedbrook is working to change their perspective—and the plant itself. Sedbrook and his student researchers in the School of
September 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Researchers Create New Tool for Controlling Genes in Methanogens
(University of Arkansas) University of Arkansas researchers have developed an efficient tool for controlling genes in methanogens, a finding that could advance research in fields as diverse as climate change and biofuel production. The tool, a variation of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, was
September 23, 2020 Read Full Article
12 Emerging Technologies: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to WBCSD’s Innovations to Transform 2020-2030
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The World Business Council for Sustainable Development just published an issue brief as part of a series of interim outputs linked to WBCSD’s current refresh of its Vision 2050. Here are highlights from the report, highlighting 5
September 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Disruptive Plant Tech and Gene-editing: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Calyxt
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Using science to deliver disruptive plant-based innovations, Calyxt launched their soybean go-to-market strategy this year and have plans for selling seed to processors who contract with growers and partnering with processors on future product launches and
September 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Innovations that Could Shape and Transform 2020-2030
(World Business Council for Sustainable Development) The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has released an issue brief outlining the business model shifts, emerging technologies and social innovations that could shape the next decade. This issue brief is part of
September 07, 2020 Read Full Article
ePURE: EU Ethanol Production Helps Achieve Green Deal Goals
(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) European renewable ethanol association (ePURE) members produced 5.6 billion liters (1.48 billion gallons) of ethanol and 5.33 million metric tons of co-products in 2019, according to new audited data released on Sept. 1 by the industry group. The
September 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Cash Cover Crop: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to CoverCress
The Digest recently reported on CoverCress and why the U.S. Department of Energy’s $13 million grant for new high-value feedstock, pennycress, is so key. For an in-depth visual guide on how CoverCress is delivering new farm income and low carbon intensity
August 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Corn, Camelina, Canola: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We reported breaking news from Yield10 Bioscience’s latest development with their genome-edited canola plant lines here and today we have their latest investor presentation highlighting how this agricultural bioscience company is developing innovations to improve crop
August 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Till, Baby, Till – $13M DOE Grant Advances New High-Value Feedstock, Pennycress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a five-year, $13 million grant to a nationwide research project to genetically strengthen Thlaspi arvense, commonly known as pennycress, for use in sustainable energy efforts. CoverCress is an
August 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Follow the Money: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial Bioeconomy Revolution
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Will Canada transform? Or stand on the sidelines?That’s the question asked by Jeff Passmore, CEO of Passmore Group who shared this illuminating “Follow the Money” slide guide that asks how tenable is fossil fuel’s future?
August 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Captain Canola – Yield10 Biosciences One Step Closer to Canola Feedstock Superhero
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) News just in from Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., a Massachusetts-based agricultural bioscience company, that they have obtained a positive response from USDA-APHIS’s Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) for its CRISPR genome-edited trait C3007 in canola plant lines
August 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Enzyme Cocktail Developed in Brazil Powers Production of Second-Generation Ethanol
by Maria Fernanda Ziegler (Agência FAPESP/EurekAlert!) Brazilian researchers used genetic engineering to develop a low-cost platform for the production of enzymes that break down sugarcane trash and bagasse for conversion into biofuel. The novel molecules have many potential industrial applications. Researchers
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Sime Darby Plantation Publishes Its Oil Palm Genome to Support the Company’s Ambition for a Deforestation-Free Industry
(Sime Darby) Publication of the research is to enable other researchers to accelerate their ability to increase oil palm yield. Over 10 years of research and RM150 million of investment in R&D has resulted in a much more detailed genome
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
New Candidate for Raw Material Synthesis through Gene Transfer
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/Phys.Org) Cyanobacteria hardly need any nutrients and use the energy of sunlight. Bathers are familiar with these microorganisms—often incorrectly called "blue-green algae"—as they often occur in waters. A group of researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
July 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Scouting Report: We look at 4 Microbial Phenoms, Who’s Headed for the Major Leagues?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 1. Advanced Yeast for sugarfree gum ... 2. Merging light, enzymes ... 3. BioLumic snags phenom CEO ... Rooted in more than a decade of research into UV light treatments in plants and spun out from
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Weed Wizard: Professor Alters Plant Genes to Create Wonder Crop
by Rachel Hatch (Illinois State University News) ... An ISU professor of genetics, (John) Sedbrook is devoted to integrated plant biology and bioenergy, meaning his research focuses on bringing out positive genetic traits in plants. “We’re making mutations that are
June 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Safflower Oil Hailed by Scientists as Possible Recyclable, Biodegradable Replacement for Petroleum
by Tim Lee (ABC News) ...Victorian grain grower David Jochinke, who participated in the trials, said the prospect of pioneering a biofuel was exciting. "To have a product that needs very little refining, is biodegradable, is a bio-energy, is a bio-fuel,
June 11, 2020 Read Full Article
More Dope, Rope, Soap: an Upward Slope in Camelina, Hemp, Cannabis, Soybeans for Food, Fuels, Feed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Benson Hill, Yield10 and Marrone Bio are in the news this week with advances in their crop technologies aimed at yield improvement and nutritional composition. Yield continues to be the motherlode when it comes to agricultural
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
EU Commission’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy: UFOP Misses Economically Sustainable Perspective
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) “This is not what perspective and collaboration look like.” This is how UFOP (Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) summarises its criticism of the “Farm-to-Fork Strategy” presented today by the European Commission. Strategies
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Rapid Screening Method Targets Fatty Acids in Yeast; Key to Sustainable Bioproducts
(Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation) Scientists engineering valuable microbes for renewable fuels and bioproducts have developed a fast, efficient way to identify the most promising varieties. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a novel mass spectrometry-based
May 21, 2020 Read Full Article
USTR Report Discusses Barriers to US Exports of Ethanol, DDGS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently issued its 2020 National Trade Estimate, an annual report detailing foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. exporters of goods and services and USTR’s efforts to reduce those
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Research Brief: Engineering Natural Selection in Microbes Has Implications for Biofuel Production, Addressing Antibiotic Resistance
(University of Minnesota) ... “So many other things change around a gene at the same time, you can’t focus on how a single gene changes,” said Michael Travisano, a professor in the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences’ Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior and
May 08, 2020 Read Full Article
MAGE – Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering Generates Billions of Variants: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to enEvolv’s Genome Engineering
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) enEvolv produces biobased chemicals for the energy, specialty chemicals, nutrition and therapeutics industries, develops novel strains and improves existing ones focusing on their ultra-rapid genome engineering platform. Marco Farsheed, enEvolv’s Co-Founder and CEO shared this illuminating presentation
April 13, 2020 Read Full Article
The Pongamia Prospect: Tree from India May Breathe New Life into Florida’s Ghost Groves”
by Anthony Westbury (Treasure Coast Business) ... Pongamia is a tree crop with several key advantages over citrus. It grows wild in India, where its pods have traditionally been crushed to yield lamp oil. The left-over meal is often used
April 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Improving Algal Strains with Genomics: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Genetic and Synthetic Biology Tools for Algae Productivity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wild type algal strains don’t have the productivity and robust growth characteristics needed to push algae forward as a biofuel feedstock, but researchers are working on changing that. Stephen Mayfield from the University of California
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Engineered Bacteria for Acetone and Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech’s Acetone Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sean Simpson and Michael Köpke from LanzaTech and researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on developing and scaling up a novel technology platform for direct conversion of biomass syngas to acetone, which can be
February 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Improving Algae Line with Faster Production: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellular Metabolism
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Scott Twary from Los Alamos National Laboratory is working on how to design an integrated strain improvement platform for algae with faster production and to meet BETO’s mission goals of developing technologies for algae strain improvement
February 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Biofuels from Cultivated Biomass Need to Be a Part of the European “Green Deal”
Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)) European agriculture urgently needs reliable sales alternatives to stabilise its agricultural revenue. This is one of the central concerns of farmers in the European Union currently taking to the streets. The “Green Deal”
February 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag-Chemicals, Ag-biologicals, Ag-seeds: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Multi-Slide Guide to Evogene’s Artificial Intelligence and Biological Big Data
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Revolutionizing the product development process in life-science based markets through the use of Computational Predictive Biology platform – sounds like a big mission, but for Evogene, it’s just what they do. They utilize artificial intelligence
February 10, 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
Researchers Completely Re-engineer Yeast to Make More Biofuel
by John Timmer (Ars Technica) Systems-level engineering of a living thing is remarkably complicated. A little while ago, we covered the idea of using photovoltaic materials to drive enzymatic reactions in order to produce specific chemicals. The concept is being considered mostly
February 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Smile! It’s PhotoSeed! Traited Genetics that Improve Photosynthesis and Seeds: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Maximizing Anaerobic Digester Output
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Imagine technology that is applicable across several crops that can enhance yield and improve seed composition including soybean and canola. No need to imagine as ZeaKal shared at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco with this
January 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Genetic Modification of Poplar Trees Saves Air Quality
(National Science Foundation) Some trees, such as poplars, emit gases that worsen air pollution and alter climate. Poplar trees are sources of biofuels and other products, including paper and plywood. -- Poplar trees are widely used in commercial products, but, like
January 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Could GMOs Help Create Sustainable Food Systems?
by Katherine Baker (Planet Forward/Cornell University) ... Surprisingly, there is no true precise or universal scientific definition of the phrase “GMO,” nor is there any regulation around its use for labeling in the United States, which may contribute to the
January 10, 2020 Read Full Article
MAGIC System Allows Researchers to Modulate the Activity of Genes Acting in Concert
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/EurekAlert!) Genomic research has unlocked the capability to edit the genomes of living cells; yet so far, the effects of such changes must be examined in isolation. In contrast, the complex traits that are of interest in
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Show Me The Money!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to 1st Cash Cover Crop for the Midwest
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cover crops are not all the same – just ask Dr. Tim Ulmasov, CTO of CoverCress who shared this presentation at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco to introduce the first cash cover crop for the Midwest. It’s similar
December 17, 2019 Read Full Article
We Three Kings of the Bioeconomy Are: Novozymes & Green Plains, Arzeda & BP, and Inscripta & What Appears to Be the Entire Investing Universe Announce Massive Deals to Anchor a Big Bioeconomy Christmas
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Novozymes & Green Plains, Arzeda & BP, and Inscripta & a bunch of investors new and returning — three transformative market shifts this week of epic proportion. Grabbing the dollar headlines has to be Inscripta’s eye-watering $125
December 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Simplifying Biology for Biochemicals: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to DMC’s Metabolic Engineering Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Digital biology, synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are not all the same – just ask Matt Lipscomb, CEO and Founder of DMC who shared this presentation at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco. Check out
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Automated Microfluidic System Saves the Day for Microbes, Enzymes, Proteins: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Efficient Robotics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Domo arigato Mr. Roboto – How would you like an automated microfluidic system to help create an ultra-high throughput workstation for the screening and optimization of microbial strains, cell lines, enzymes, proteins and peptides? Efficient Robotics has
December 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Production and Consumption in Denmark: Status, Advances and Challenges
by Sune Tjalfe Thomsen and Henning Jørgensen (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) 1. Status of transportation biofuel industry in Denmark -- In Denmark, a considerable part of the total energy demand is derived from renewable sources. In 2017, 26% of
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Wanted – Stronger Microbial Strains: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biological Sugar Upgrades
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Microbial strains convert lignocellulosic sugars to fuel precursors, but Jeff Linger from National Renewable Energy Laboratory gave this illuminating presentation at the DOE’s BETO 2019 Project Peer Review that details how they are looking to
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
How to Make Better Biofuels? Convince Yeast It’s Not Starving
by Adam Hadhazy (Princeton University) Yeast already helps make bread and beer and cranks out the biofuel ethanol, but scientists believe it can be used to create an even more efficient fuel called isobutanol. Normally, yeast only creates a tiny amount
November 15, 2019 Read Full Article
The End of Florida Orange Juice? A Lethal Disease Is Devastating the State’s Citrus Industry.
by Darryl Fears (Washington Post) As the seasonal harvest approaches, ‘ghost groves’ abandoned by growers are scattered across the state. ‘We’re in a race right now to save the Florida citrus industry,’ a researcher said. -- Through a tiny office
November 11, 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 this waste could be used as fuel or other commodity
November 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Researchers Double Sorghum Grain Yield to Improve Food Supply
by Charlotte Hu (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory/Phys.org) Plant scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in their search for solutions to global food production challenges, have doubled the amount of grains that a sorghum
November 07, 2019 Read Full Article
SOFAST It’s Scary!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Arthrospira/Spirulina Algae Strains
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Streamlined Optimization of Filamentous Arthrospira/SpirulinaTraits (SOFAST) is looking at algae in a whole new way. Lumen Bioscience in particular has been working on a unique, patented technology to genetically enhance Arthrospira for improved growth and biomass composition
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
ABLCNext Top 10 Takeaways – What Was the Industry Buzzing about in San Francisco?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Next last week, there was lots of buzz and tons of discussion about all sorts of things, but what were the key takeaways? Let's start with Sustainable Aviation Fuels, CRISPR, new food, the
November 05, 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 compounds that hold plant cells together, as well as their
October 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Phase Genomics Lands DOE Grant as Pest-Detecting Tech for Algae Wins Support
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington state, Phase Genomics will receive $325,000 as part of the $73 million Department of Energy (DOE) Office Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding. Phase Genomics’ proximity-ligation metagenomic technology will be leveraged to sequence the genomes of
October 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Cyanobacteria-Based Biofuel: an Innovative Platform for Clean Energy Production
by Viji Sitther, Behnam Tabatabai, Somayeh Gharaie Fathabad (Union of Concerned Scientists/Morgan State University) ... We are excited to announce that the Sitther Biofuel Research Group at Morgan State University has developed a technology to generate a cost-effective biofuel using a
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Clemson Researcher Developing Perennial Grasses that Could Reduce Water Use and Be Fuel Source
by Laura Schmitt (The NewsStand) Clemson University College of Science professor Hong Luo has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop genetically improved and more robust turfgrass and switchgrass. These perennial plants
October 18, 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 biomass feedstocks, development of new methods for deconstructing feedstocks, and
October 18, 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
The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to the Agile BioFoundry and the Transformation of Markets through Genetic Innovation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agile BioFoundry brings together a specialist team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff from eight of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories, with the aim that their collective skills, expertise, and experience lead
October 17, 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
Catch & Kill: The Velocys, Oxy, Cemvita, Carbon Engineering, BHP, Ginkgo Chase to Catch Waste, Kill Emissions, Armed with New Organisms to Liberate Value
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Mississippi, Velocys’ Bayou Fuels project has signed with Oxy Low Carbon Ventures to capture carbon dioxide from Velocys’ planned Bayou Fuels biomass-to-fuels project in Natchez, Mississippi, and securely store it underground in a geologic
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Tolerating Even More: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Improving Yeast Tolerance to Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wouldn’t it be great if we could boost fermentation of high-toxicity biomass hydrolysates? Well, folks are working on this via enhanced biocatalytic tolerance. At the recent DOE BETO 2019 Project Peer Review, Felix Lam and
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Students Recognized with 2019 Young Algae Researcher Awards
(Algae Biomass Organization) Four student scientists were recognized with the Algae Biomass Organization’s Young Algae Researcher Awards for their contributions to fields of algae biology and engineering at the 2019 Algae Biomass Summit, held in Orlando, Florida, September 16-19. The awards are
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineering Thermophiles to Produce Drop-in Fuels from Syngas: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Syngas Bioprocess
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Drop-in fuels from syngas are in. Syngas feedstocks are relatively inexpensive and diverse, thermophiles have several unique advantages, and end products have value as fuel and solvent applications among others. Sounds like win, win, win, right?
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Magnificent Microbes: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Targeted Microbial Development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The industry is always on the look for microbial pathways that are capable of producing high carbon efficiency intermediates that are amenable to economic bioconversion, separation, and catalytic upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. At
October 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Making Enzymes More Effective: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Enzyme Engineering
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Enzyme technology enables advanced biofuels. But can we do better? Can enzymes improve conversion? Can understanding enzyme structure, function, activity technology enable industrial enzyme improvement while reducing company R&D cost? Michael Himmel, Senior Research Fellow from NREL’s Biomolecular
September 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Increase Value, Reduce Costs: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Algal Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)Advanced Algal Systems. Maybe you’ve heard of it but did you know that technologies are being developed as part of a DOE program to enable production of sustainable algal feedstocks that perform reliably in conversion processes
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
DOE Taps Danforth Plant Science Center for Research to Improve Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), has launched a major initiative to develop bioenergy crops through genomics-based research. Danforth Center Principal Investigator, Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., will lead a multi-institutional project
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Mazda Working on Carbon-Neutral Biofuel
(New Zealand AutoCar) As Mazda prepares to launch its first electric vehicle onto the market, another division of the Japanese manufacturer is working on extending the life of the internal combustion engine. The latest idea? A carbon-neutral biofuel. Mazda is providing
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Friday Fun with Fungus: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Fungal Biotech for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Noone knows fungus like these guys. A PNNL team has been developing fungal genetic engineering tools for industrially relevant fungi (filamentous and yeasts) and applying them to development of biofuel and bioproduct bioprocesses in stirred tank
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Come on, Camelina: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Camelina’s Potential Yield
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Camelina is one of those fascinating feedstocks but often the yields aren’t high enough to be profitable for farmers. That’s a problem Kristi Snell from Yield10 Bioscience is tackling by developing a camelina feedstock with
September 11, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algal Biomass Yield Improvements
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations is working on a trifecta of goals: 1) to develop improved strains and cultivation methods to increase the algal biofuel intermediate yield by at least 70% AND 2) to develop new drying and
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
How Synthetic Biology Can Help Build Sustainable Cities
by John Cumbers (Green Biz/SynBioBeta) Sustainability is in vogue, with businesses and cities jostling to improve their public image and produce goods and services using renewable sources. Yet cities exponentially swell and carbon emissions continue to increase. Global CO2 emissions rise
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
New Catalysts, Improved Genetic Tools Bring New Opportunities: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ORNL’s Biomass to Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Organisms are interesting creatures and genetic tools and biochemical pathway knowledge is changing the way we look at them. Brian Davison, Chief Scientist for Biotechnology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, gave this knowledge-filled presentation on how
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
European Scientists Call for EU Rethink of “Retrograde” Gene-Editing Legislation
by Katherine Durrell (Food Ingredients First) Scientists across Europe are calling for a rethink on the restriction of genome editing technology by the newly-elected European Parliament and European Commission. The open statement is signed by 126 research institutes and comes exactly
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Benson Hill Biosystems, Brownseed Genetics Offer New Corn Hybrids
(Benson Hill Biosystems/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Benson Hill Biosystems, a crop improvement company unlocking the natural diversity of plants, has entered into a partnership with Brownseed Genetics, a Wisconsin-based seed breeder of new corn hybrids that are higher in both oil content and essential amino
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
MARINER’s Magnificent Macroalgae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ARPA-E
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oceans are the largest untapped growth opportunity for biomass and that macroalgae is the quintessential ocean crop, according to ARPA-E. But, it says that with the current state of technology, it will never scale to meet
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Carinata Cover Cropping: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Agrisoma
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agrisoma Biosciences, Inc. has the world’s largest collection of Carinata and an extensive modern crop improvement program that allows them to select high yielding varieties ideally suited for production across a broad range of geographies. Agrisoma
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Oh My! Dan’s Back: AgCertain Industries Acquires KemX Global
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For some time, many have been uncertain as to what direction former REG CEO Dan Oh would take in developing a new entry into the fast-growing bioeconomy, but now we can be certain, or rather, AgCertain. News
July 02, 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
Convergence, the Enabler: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hot Tech in Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Spruce Capital Partners understands that when technologies converge, magic can happen. Combining robotics and AI with biology is creating huge strides in the bioeconomy that were never thought possible. Converging genomics with crops and food production
June 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomanufacturing 2.0 Cell-Free: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Invizyne Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Invizyne Technologies is making chemicals the cell-free way using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. By inputting sugar and using engineered microbes, they can result in useful compounds and commodity chemicals, biofuels, fuel additives, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals. James
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Algal Genomics: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Joint Genome Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Joint Genome Institute’s mission is to advance genomics in support of the U.S. Department of Energy missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. Supported by the DOE Office of Science, the JGI
June 04, 2019 Read Full Article
MicroNiche Engineering: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Microvi
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Microvi has a vision of safe water, sustainable chemicals and a clean environment for all. How they do this is through their exclusive MicroNiche Engineering platform which combines material science and microbiology to provide novel, fit-for-process biocatalyst
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineered Bacteria Could Be Missing Link in Energy Storage
by Krishna Ramanujan (Cornell Chronicle) One of the big issues with sustainable energy systems is how to store electricity that’s generated from wind, solar and waves. At present, no existing technology provides large-scale storage and energy retrieval for sustainable energy at
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Pro-GMO Ethos Chocolate Is again Available to the Public
(AgDaily) In its debut in February, the debut of Ethos Chocolate made a big, wonderful, delicious splash — the initial batch of 10,000 bars was gone in just nine days. What makes them special is that Ethos is a line of handcrafted bars that are made with
May 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Power of Biology for Algae Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Synthetic Genomics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synthetic Genomics is a San Diego biotechnology company harnessing the power of living cells — nature’s most efficient machines — to create transformative medicines and bio-based products. Their teams of data and biological engineers have developed the
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
The Advanced Bioeconomy: New Fortunes 2019
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Let’s turn to New Fortunes 2019 – our overview of what we believe will be the 24 hottest market segments in the near term – places to focus your innovations and to unlock value. From cannabis and
April 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Helps Develop a Novel Extraction Process that May Provide a More Economical Way to Make a Promising Biofuel
(Worcester Polytechnic Institute/PR Web) Isobutanol has been hailed as a possible green replacement for fossil fuels like gasoline, but producing it has proven difficult and costly. In a paper in Nature Communications, a research team that includes a WPI chemical engineer
April 19, 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 biomass that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. Inside
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
No Compromise: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Amyris
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amyris has a proprietary process of engineering organisms (yeast) using renewably-sourced carbon from plants (sugarcane) to make sustainable, custom molecules. They use their technology to create products that support biopharmaceutical drug discovery and production, from cosmetic emollients
March 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Scientists Develop High-CO2-Tolerant Microalgae
(Algae Industry Magazine/Chinese Academy of Sciences) ... However, the high concentration of carbon dioxide in flue gases generally inhibits the growth of industrial microalgae. Therefore, reducing the so-called “CO2 poisoning effect,” i.e., improving tolerance to high levels of CO2, has become a
March 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Bolivia Allows Planting of GM Soy to Make Biodiesel
(Los Angeles Times) Soy producers in eastern Bolivia's Santa Cruz region welcome the government's decision to allow cultivation of genetically modified soy, albeit only for the purpose of producing biodiesel. President Evo Morales ' administration, which has been skeptical about GM
March 22, 2019 Read Full Article
As German Imports Spike, UFOP Fears Add’l Pressure from Indonesia
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/Biodiesel Magazine) Imports of biodiesel to Germany increased sharply in 2018. The rise was triggered by overabundant supply of state-subsidized and consequently low-priced biodiesel from Argentina. The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen
March 20, 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
Europe Glycerine Players Brace for Possible Tightness in Summer Months
by Samantha Wright (ICIS) European glycerine players are anticipating a possible hit to stocks of non-genetically modified (non-GMO) material in the summer months, with increased biodiesel imports expected. -- Players are turning their attention to the possible upstream biodiesel imports from Argentina
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Sugar Set for 'Energycane' Reinvention
(University of Queensland/Phys.Org) Gene-editing sugarcane for use in renewable energy and bio-plastics could help secure the industry's future. The University of Queensland's Professor Robert Henry said sugarcane's reinvention as an "energycane" crop could sustain the industry in the face of falling global
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
BioTork and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits Enter Joint Development Collaboration
(BioTork/PR.com) BioTork, LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) a business unit of Lallemand Inc. are pleased to jointly announce the formalization of a collaboration for the development of improved yeast strains for the ethanol industry. “BioTork has been working with
March 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Engineered Microbe May Be Key to Producing Plastic from Plants
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable — but frustratingly untapped — bounty into a replacement for
March 11, 2019 Read Full Article
‘The Right Effect’: Yeast Can Be Genetically Modified through Multiple Techniques
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Yeast can be genetically modified through multiple techniques, all offering advancements for the ethanol industry. -- Genetically modified (GM) yeasts have found their place in the ethanol industry with more than half of producers routinely using
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Montana State University Algae Research Could Make Biofuel Production More Economical
by Anne James and Marshall Swearingen (KSEN) In an effort to improve the feasibility of a renewable energy source, Montana State University researchers are exploring a potential breakthrough in producing biofuel from algae. Backed by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department
February 18, 2019 Read Full Article
UFOP: EU Oilseed Producers Lose in Argentina Imports Settlement
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP)/Biodiesel Magazine) According to Germany’s Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP), European oilseed producers are the losers in the Jan. 30 decision of the representatives of the EU
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
UFOP Report on Global Market Supply 2018/2019: Combining Economically Viable Agriculture with Appropriate Agricultural Market and Climate Protection Policies
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP)) The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP) has formulated its policy expectations on the occasion of the presentation of the third edition of the Global Market Supply
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
No Carbon Left Behind: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTechhas over 20 years experience sourcing and supplying over 5 million tons of wood fiber and organic feedstock in markets across North America. They offer biomass feedstock supply and analytics to understand and minimize supply chain
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
U OF Illinois Researchers Develop Biofuel Crop Miscanthus with Improved Winter-Hardiness
(AgriMarketing/University of Illinois) For farmers, Miscanthus represents a big up-front investment. The large perennial grass must be established from vegetative pieces at great cost to farmers, but it promises a decade or more of massive biomass yields, starting in year two
February 03, 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
Pushing Microbes to Deliver Preferred Products
by Tom Ziemer (University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) If environmental engineer Daniel Noguera had his way, he would orchestrate a microbiome to pump out higher-value chemical products. In that vein, Noguera, the Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along
January 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Algae: As Different from Each Other as They Are from You and Me
by Amanda Barry (U.S. Department of Energy) ... In a recent project funded by the Advanced Algal Systems (AAS) Program, researchers from LANL and the New Mexico Consortium are exploring the biofuel candidate Chlorella sorokiniana, developing genetic engineering tools in order to introduce novel traits
January 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol and DDGS: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to D3MAX
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) D3MAX is a corn fiber-to-ethanol technology provider. Mark Yancey, D3MAX’s CTO, gave this illuminating overview of the technology and process behind the cellulosic ethanol and high protein DDGS from corn kernel fiber with D3MAX at ABLC Global
January 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy Markets and Predictions for 2019
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2019? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2018 gives way
January 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Farmers Fear Another Hit as Trump Shutdown Threatens Ethanol Vow
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Year-round 15% ethanol-gas blend by summer now seen at risk; Shutdown could join trade war in limiting farmer income -- ... The government shutdown that Trump says could last "a long time" without funding for
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
African Centre for Crop Improvement Sweet Sorghum Varieties Poised to Boost Biofuel Industry
(African Centre for Crop Improvement) A breakthrough by the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breeding of sorghum could have far-reaching implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Grants Fund Research on Biofuel Production, Reduced Fertilizer Use
(University of Arkansas News) A University of Arkansas biologist working on research that could decrease the need for agricultural fertilizers and boost the production of biofuels recently received grants totaling more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation and the
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
A Kill Switch For Genetically Modified Algae
(Hiroshima University/Asian Scientist Magazine) By preventing bioengineered microalgae from growing outside the lab, researchers have reduced the risk of the genetically modified organisms escaping into the wild. Researchers at Hiroshima University, Japan, have developed a biocontainment strategy for genetically modified microalgae. They
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
To Fulfill Biofuels’ Promise, Scientists Boost Plant Oils with Gene Editing
by Cici Zhang (Chemical and Engineering News) Increasing the fatty acids in crops’ seeds, leaves, and stems could make biofuels more economically viable -- ... Plant scientist Heike Sederoff of North Carolina State University, however, is very familiar with the oils
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
New Biocontainment Strategy Controls Spread of Escaped GMOs -- Engineers Safely Control Genetically Engineered Microalgae
(Science Daily) Researchers successfully developed a biocontainment strategy for GMOs. Their new method prevents genetically modified microalgae from surviving outside of their test environment, enabling ways to more safely research the effects of GMOs. Hiroshima University (HU) researchers successfully developed a biocontainment
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Significantly Less GM-Free Rapeseed Meal without Biodiesel Production
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) (UFOP)) The feed market is one of the main beneficiaries of biodiesel production, because rapeseed meal is generated as a by-product of rapeseed oil production. Throughout Europe, rapeseed meal is the primary domestic
November 26, 2018 Read Full Article
One Molecule at a Time: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Amyris
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For many people, a key question in the advanced bioeconomy continues to be: “what is Amyris becoming, and when, and where and how?” Becoming a global leader in the health and beauty market, and self-funding operations in
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Just in from ABLC: The Digest's 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Hot Technologies and Their Examples
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Each year at ABLC, we have had the great fortune to have in our opening panel a tremendous sector overview from Roger Wyse, the Co-CEO of Spruce Capital and one of the foremost venture capitalists in
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
The 40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 State of the Industry: ABLC Global Kickoff Presentation and Remarks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where is the industry right now?What are the 25 Key trends, how the industry is organizing, what’s up, what’s hot, what’s down, and what 6 Future Technologies should we keep a sharp eye on? Let’s take
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Seed Yield, Oil Content: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought ... and the Salt and the Heat
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Poplar saplings being grown at the University of California Davis are not expected to survive the rigorous conditions simulating prolonged droughts and heat waves that are being imposed on them. But they are helping a
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Designing a More Productive Corn Able to Cope with Future Climates
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) An international research team has found they can increase corn productivity by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In a report published in the journal Nature Plants, researchers note that corn
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Enzyme Ancestors Resurrected to Boost Thermal Stability
by Emma Stoye (Chemistry World) Scientists constructing enzyme library make serendipitous discovery -- Researchers have made more active, heat tolerant versions of two potentially useful enzymes by reconstructing the forms thought to exist in the ancestor to all modern vertebrates 450 million
October 29, 2018 Read Full Article
Growing Algae More Sustainably for Biofuel Production
by Jessica Cox (Colorado State University/Phys.Org) ... Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used
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 what to do with lignin, a fibrous and difficult-to-break-down material
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought ... and the Salt and the Heat
by Laura Shields (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Improving poplar biomass production under stress conditions -- ... Stresses, such as high temperatures and a lack of freshwater, can cause reduced crop growth or even complete loss. The rising frequency of these
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Minnesota Congressman Tours Syngenta R&D Site
(Syngenta/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., recently toured the Syngenta Seeds Stanton, Minnesota, R&D facility and North America Seedcare Institute and participated in a discussion on the future of biofuels, including home-grown American ethanol. ... “Recently I toured Syngenta’s Seedcare Institute and
October 01, 2018 Read Full Article
New Synthetic Biology Initiative to Boost Bio-Economy
(University of Queensland) A $4.5 million initiative to boost Australia’s synthetic biology capabilities will be built by The University of Queensland and CSIRO, helping drive advances in areas such as manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, environmental remediation, biosecurity, agriculture and healthcare research. UQ
September 07, 2018 Read Full Article
High End Crop Traits: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Calyxt
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Calyxt is pioneering a paradigm shift to deliver both healthier specialty food ingredients, such as healthier oils and high fiber wheat for consumers as well as agriculturally advantageous traits, such as herbicide tolerance to farmers. The technology
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Brief Thoughts on the 2018 Bio World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology (July 16-19, 2018, Philadelphia, PA)
by Craig Laufer* (Advanced Biofuels USA) After hearing from many speakers at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, one recurring theme from the sessions I attended was the application of digital biology, synthetic biology in silico modeling, machine learning
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
When Markets Misbehave, Send the Marines! (World Governments Get a Case of Bioeconomy Interventionitis)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The European Court of Justice has ruled that organisms altered via genome editing are GMOs and subject to GMO regulation in Europe, including warning labels for foods. And in the US, President Trump announced $12 billion in
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
“There’s No Place Like Home” Grown Sorghum
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements -- ... U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. ... Sorghum is a grass grown in many places and regions around
July 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Benson Hill Biosystems Launches Saturn Agrosciences Subsidiary to Drive Canola Improvement
(Benson Hill Biosystems/PR Newswire) New Company Will Provide R&D Infrastructure to Harness the Genetic Potential of Canola for More Healthy and Sustainable Food and Feed Ingredients -- Benson Hill Biosystems, a crop improvement company unlocking the natural genetic potential of plants, today
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The Highly Complex Sugarcane Genome Has Finally Been Sequenced
(CIRAD/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sugarcane was the last major cultivated plant to have its genome sequenced. This was because of its huge complexity: the genome comprises between 10 and 12 copies of each chromosome, when the human genome has just two. It
July 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Driving Sustainability into the Mainstream: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Genomatica
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Genomatica is a widely-recognized technology leader for the chemical industry, delivering new manufacturing processes that enable its partners to produce the world’s most widely-used chemicals from alternative feedstocks, with better economics and greater sustainability than petroleum-based processes. CEO
July 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Overcoming Limitations of Engineering Eukaryotic Algae
(Algae Industry Magazine) Have some of the final engineering limitations of microalgae been overcome? Can microalgae be hosts for genetic engineering as powerful as bacteria and yeast? A promising new technique for gene design seems to overcome expression limitations of
July 16, 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
Closing the Applications Gap: Checkerspot Closes $5M Seed Financing in Pursuit of High-Performance Biomaterials
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (C)onsider this venture about Making the Right Stuff — that is, how you translate an entire generation of innovation in digital biology, biobased chemical engineering and advanced fabrication into actual stuff. Or, how you
June 26, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of June 21st, 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, we’re going to be tracking
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Agriculturally Advantaged Traits: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Calyxt
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Calyxt is pioneering a paradigm shift to deliver both healthier specialty food ingredients, such as healthier oils and high fiber wheat for consumers as well as agriculturally advantageous traits, such as herbicide tolerance to farmers. The technology
June 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Critical Plant Gene Takes Unexpected Detour That Could Boost Biofuel Yields
by Sara Shoemaker (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Phys.org) For decades, biologists have believed a key enzyme in plants had one function—produce amino acids, which are vital to plant survival and also essential to human diets. But for Wellington Muchero, Meng Xie and their
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Engineered Proteins Could Improve Biomanufacturing Production of Medicines, Fuels
(Purdue University Research Foundation News) Purdue University researchers have developed a series of engineered proteins that could improve biomanufacturing processes for the production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. The buildup of toxic materials during the production process can damage cell health and
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
The Battle for Yeast Supremacy: DSM, DuPont, Novozymes and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let’s review the big gambits from the likes of DSM, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Novozymes as they duke it out over market share in an era where corn ethanol gallons are, perhaps for the first
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
BASF and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits to Collaborate and Leverage Synergies Bringing Increased Value to Ethanol Producers
(Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits/BASF) BASF Enzymes LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have formally entered into a marketing and sales collaboration agreement to leverage synergies between the two companies’ products that maximize value to customers in the ethanol market in the
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Higher Yields, Faster Fermentation, Reduced Energy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ XCELIS Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Building off the recent launch of its fuel ethanol platform DuPont XCELIS, DuPont Industrial Biosciences unveiled the first three products from the innovation hub – designed to increase yields, speed fermentation and reduce energy and chemical
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
New Machine Learning Approach Could Accelerate Bioengineering
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to use machine learning to dramatically accelerate the design of microbes that produce biofuel. Their computer algorithm starts with abundant data about the
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Maximizing Crop Yield: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Yield10 Bioscience
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10 Bioscience is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of disruptive technologies to produce step-change improvements in crop yield for food and feed crops to enhance global food security. Experts forecast that food production must be increased
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Back to the Future All Over Again: ExxonMobil Targets Algae Fuels at Scale by 2025, as Oil Prices Rise
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. With that,
May 25, 2018 Read Full Article
A Yield Revolution in Row Crops Cometh
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yield10’s Brave New World of Metabolic Engineering, Benson Hill’s cloud biology and CRISPR/Cas9 from Purdue and the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Crop yield may never be the same. And developers using crops for bioindustrials or nutrition stand
May 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Blue Ridge Biofuels Brings Its Closed-Loop Cooking Oil Initiative Closer to Home
by Gina Smith (Mountain Express) In late 2013, Blue Ridge Biofuels took a bold leap toward developing a closed-loop biodiesel system for Western North Carolina when it produced its first batch of non-GMO, expeller-pressed canola cooking oil through a community partnership
May 21, 2018 Read Full Article
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