(North Carolina State University News) ... Lignin, a polymer that makes trees rigid and resistant to degradation, has proven problematic. Now those NC State researchers know why: They’ve identified the specific molecular property of lignin — its methoxy content — that
microorganisms/microbes
Back TO HOMEWhite House Releases Report on Growing U.S. Biomanufacturing Capacity for the American Bioeconomy
(White House) The global bioeconomy is projected to expand at a rapid pace in the coming decade due to advancements in key technology areas, such as the ability to program microbes to act as microscopic factories by manipulating their DNA. The
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Novel Electro-Biodiesel a More Efficient, Cleaner Option to Existing Alternatives
by Beth Miller (Washington University) Joshua Yuan, Susie Dai and colleagues at WashU and Texas A&M create biodiesel with electrocatalysis and bioconversion -- Researchers in the labs of Joshua Yuan in the McKelvey School of Engineering and Susie Dai at the University
November 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Pivot Bio Launches Weekly ‘N-SIGHTS from the Farm’
(Pivot Bio/Ag News Wire) Harvest Vidcast and Digital Hub Highlight PROVEN® 40 Microbial Nitrogen Performance -- Pivot Bio has introduced “N-SIGHTS from the Farm,” a digital hub providing real-time harvest data and weekly agronomic insights that showcase how Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40
November 13, 2024 Read Full Article
The Renaissance of Anaerobic Digestion
by Alexandra Arndt (Digester Doc/Biomass Magazine) Scientific advances of the past decade are ushering anaerobic digestion (AD) into a new era in which the technology can deliver more than just biogas, unlocking unprecedented efficiencies in clean energy production, revolutionizing environmental impact
October 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Argonne Technology Converts Waste Streams into Biofuel that Dramatically Reduces Carbon Emissions from Jets
by Beth Burmahl (Argonne National Laboratory) Technology uses wastewater from breweries and dairy farms to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% -- New Argonne technology creates sustainable aviation fuel that significantly cuts carbon emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. -- ... Now
October 10, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to CO2 Valorization via Rewiring Carbon Metabolic Network
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Developing Carbon Negative Biorefinery with Gas-fermenting Bacteria is the focus of this project, focusing on Acetogens as model gas-fermenting anaerobes, with high energy efficiency and fast electron/carbon consumption making them potentially a new chassis for the
October 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Lessons from the Kitchen: of LanzaTech, a Protein Shake, New Markets, and Scooby-Doo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech is back in the news with a budding venture based in manufacturing single-cell protein — usually a side product — as the main product for a new set of biorefineries they have in the pipeline. Plus,
October 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Breakthrough in Biofuel Production: Rhodococcus Strain N1-S Transforms Succinic Acid Production
(Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science/EurekAlert!) Rhodococcus aetherivorans strain N1-S boosts succinic acid yields by 6.5 times, promising a more efficient path to sustainable biofuels -- As the global push for sustainable biofuels intensifies, lignocellulosic biomass has emerged as a
September 26, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Novonesis, the Investment Perspective
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A handful of industrial biotechnology companies have the strength and purpose to make it as a public company — others remain private, are acquired, or wind down. What makes companies able to succeed with public investors?
September 13, 2024 Read Full Article
More Green Downstream: Farmers Using a New Microbial Nitrogen Fertilizer
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Farmers using a new microbial nitrogen fertilizer from Pivot Bio have reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by more than 932,500 metric tons since 2022. With feedstock accounting for half of the carbon intensity of a
September 05, 2024 Read Full Article
GAFT Secures $S1 Million Funding from Temasek Foundation by Winning the Liveability Challenge 2024
(GAFT) GAFT has emerged as the grand prize winner of The Liveability Challenge 2024, triumphing in the Climate Change track. This remarkable achievement secures us a phenomenal S$1 million in funding! This funding allows us to showcase our process to produce fatty acids
August 31, 2024 Read Full Article
Eating Feces: Capybara Behavior Helps Discover Organism for 2G Ethanol
by Marina Favaro (Tudo EP (Google Translation)) Protozoan present in animal feces produces enzymes capable of degrading biomass -- ... Research has found that protozoa of the species Muniziella cunha found in the digestive system of capybaras produce enzymes capable of degrading biomass. Recently published in
August 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels Can Power the Biggest Ships: Five Things to Know about Expanding Their Use
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Propelling massive ships around the world requires lots of energy created by burning thousands of gallons of fuel. The industry uses an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of fuel every year—primarily heavy fuel oil made from
August 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Advancing Circular Bioeconomy with Biomass Feedstocks
(Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research) Teams of researchers working to develop the science to create energy, animal feed, and other essential products from sustainable materials have been selected to join the Virtual Institute on Feedstocks of the Future (VIFF). The institute is
July 26, 2024 Read Full Article
NREL Research Dives Deeper Into the Mysteries of Energy Control in Electron-Bifurcating Enzymes
by Justin Rickard (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Understanding the Catalytic Mechanism of This Unusual Class of Enzymes May Be a Precursor to More Efficient Catalysis in the Production of Fuels and Chemicals -- In 2019, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) senior scientist Cara
July 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Cowboy Clean Fuels Announces Transformative Financing and Commercial Progress
(Cowboy Clean Fuels/PR Newswire) Cowboy Clean Fuels Announces Final Close of $13 Million Series B to Commercialize Technology for Scalable, Simultaneous Production of Renewable Natural Gas and Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide. -- Cowboy Clean Fuels (CCF), an advanced climate tech and energy
July 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Innovative Manure Solutions for Sustainable Dairy Farming
by Lori Captain (Green Biz/Dairy Management Inc.) ... Methane is emitted on dairy farms in two ways — enteric methane is produced in the cow’s rumen through its digestion process and released through their mouths; methane is also emitted through the
July 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Scaling up the Bioeconomy Workforce: Welcoming a New Wave of Bioprocessing Graduates
by Katy Christiansen (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) As a recent college graduate, Javier Santana was working in the petrochemical industry when he decided to make a career change. Seeking more opportunities for innovation, he turned to biomanufacturing — a growing industry
July 10, 2024 Read Full Article
Scientists 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
APHIS Releases Preview of Request for Information on Options for Reducing Regulations for Modified Microbes DEADLINE September 3, 2024
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will soon invite public comment for 60 days on a Request for Information (RFI) once published in the Federal Register. The RFI will explore options
July 01, 2024 Read Full Article
Introducing CirculAir: A New Pathway for Sustainable Aviation Fuel from LanzaJet and LanzaTech
by Jimmy Samartzis (LanzaJet) As Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet, two of the most frequent questions I get asked are: “What is LanzaJet’s relationship with LanzaTech?” and “Why pursue the Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) pathway over all the others?” These two questions are crucial to understanding
June 28, 2024 Read Full Article
The Most Sustainable Feedstocks for Precision Fermentation
(World Bio Market Insights) Over the last several years, precision fermentation has attracted attention as a manufacturing methods that could drastically lower the environmental impacts of everyday products, from edible proteins to animal feed and cosmetics ingredients. Precision fermentation is a biomanufacturing
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Biotechnology, Design and Story, and the Persistence of the Plastics Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Well might you ask, why is there a BioDesign Challenge? For one thing, at such an event, you notice something about young people: how impressively organized and thoughtful they are. ... There’s no app for solving our bigger
June 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels Help Drive Economic Impact
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has just released a new report on “The Economic Impact of the U.S. Industrial Bioeconomy” that spotlights economic activity tied to the transformation of renewable biomass into fertilizers, bioplastics, biofuels, bio-lubricants, and other industrial bioproducts. “Our
June 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Circe Bioscience Licenses Technology to Decarbonize Industry with Microbes Developed at Wyss Institute at Harvard University
by Lindsay Brownell (Wyss Institute at Harvard Office of Technology Development) Novel gas fermentation approach enables engineered microbes to eat greenhouse gases and produce valuable products for multiple uses -- The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University announced that Circe,
May 21, 2024 Read Full Article
How Cow Manure Is Fueling a Biogas Revolution
byMax Perez (Impakter) Pioneering a circular bioeconomy, Mexican startup Sistema.bio empowers farmers worldwide to transform manure into clean energy, biofertilizers, and a sustainable future -- The world’s overflowing landfills and mounting piles of organic waste pose a severe environmental threat. As food
May 18, 2024 Read Full Article
For Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Researchers Engineer a Promising Microorganism for Precursor Production
(U.S. Department of Energy) Pseudomonas putida is a useful microorganism for producing the sustainable aviation fuel precursor isoprenol due to its ability to use renewable sources of carbon. -- Sustainable aviation fuels made from renewable sources of carbon could reduce carbon dioxide
May 10, 2024 Read Full Article
EPA, FDA, and USDA Issue Joint Regulatory Plan for Biotechnology
(U.S. Food and Drug Administration) In response to President Biden’s Executive Order 14081, “Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and
May 08, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Cemvita
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve engineered microbes that turn the waste such as CO2 into helpful compounds, therefore closing the carbon/waste loop and address those recovery and production processes that, in current heavy industry, creates waste and emission outputs. Cemvita’s Pedro
May 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Yeast Fuel, Developed by Chula's Faculty of Science Soon to Expand Its Production for the Aerospace Industry
(Chulalongkorn University/PR Newswire) Researchers from Chulalongkorn University have made use of forage grass to feed microorganisms and convert the resulting fat into jet fuel. They aim to expand petroleum-based oil replacement production to reduce impacts on human health and the environment. -- Yeast is a
April 24, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Gold Hydrogen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recently, Cemvita launched the Gold Hydrogen program for subsurface biomanufacturing of Hydrogen, noting that “With thousands of depleted oil wells in the US and more around the world, Gold Hydrogen represents a unique opportunity to work
April 23, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to BioVeritas
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioVeritas uses some of the same technology with different market goals as the famed Terrabon of days gone by — carboxylic acids made from waste biomass, with fuel precursors and a slew of interesting renewable chemical
April 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Strengthening the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy with Four Policy Recommendations
(European Commission/CORDIS) From policy briefs to social media campaigns, PROMICON points the way to a sustainable bio-based economy. -- The EU-funded PROMICON project has released its first policy brief supporting the 2018 EU Bioeconomy Strategy’s goal to create a sustainable, circular and
March 28, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to an Efficient, Cost-Effective Anaerobic Digester
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A high production cost of renewable natural gas results from slow disintegration and hydrolysis of recalcitrant feedstocks in conventional AD leads to low productivity; low methane content of biogas produced from AD requires downstream purification; and
March 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Soil Carbon Capture Sequestration, Low Carbon Intensity Scores and the Small Water Cycle: The Symbiotic Connection
by Joel Stone (LEC Partners/Biofuels Digest) Soil Carbon Capture Sequestration (SCCS), low carbon intensity (low CI) scores and the Small Water Cycle are connected through various ecological and hydrological processes that occur within terrestrial ecosystems. SCCS refers to the process of
March 04, 2024 Read Full Article
Producing Transportation Fuels, Electrical Power, and Chemicals in a Circular Bioeconomy
Timothy J. Donohue (National Academy of Engineering) Renewable raw materials can be exploited as alternatives to fossil fuel–based liquid transportation fuels, electrical power, and chemicals. -- Among today’s greatest challenges is the development of sustainable and cost-effective ways to produce sufficient transportation
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Since 2005, LanzaTech has been working to create this closed-loop system using waste carbon to make the things we use in our daily lives. LanzaTech is changing how people think about carbon, creating value and new
February 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Beast Mode Yeast Load, Least MO’d; Novonesis’ New Innova Delta, Non-GM Yeast for Biofuel Producers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Denmark, Novonesis, formerly Novozymes, has launched its latest and most exciting development in yeast technology— Innova Delta. Yes, they’re back in Beast Mode, and the beast mode yeast loads now have that new twist to them,
February 17, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Windfall Bio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 2023, Windfall Bio is developing the first-ever solution for capturing and transforming climate-harming methane emissions into living organic soil nutrients. CEO Josh Silverman gave this presentation at ABLC Next 2023 on the targets, the team, the
February 14, 2024 Read Full Article
As Decarbonisation Momentum Builds, So Does Biofuel Usage
by John Snyder (Riviera) Based on samples tested in 2023, VPS reports biofuel usage more than doubled year-on-year, reaching 558,000 metric tonnes -- While biofuels represented less than 1% of the marine fuels tested in 2023, interest in their use is rising
February 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits Announces Partnership with Braskem Focused on the Development of Bio-based Chemicals
(Lallelmand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits) New Technological and Commercial Partnership Focuses on Sustainable Chemicals with Negative Carbon Footprints -- Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS), a leading global fermentation ingredients supplier to alcohol producers, today announced a new partnership with Braskem
January 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Free Classroom Curriculum Resources from GrowNextGen
(GrowNextGen) Explore, download and share these proven real-world educational resources to help bring science and agriculture to life in your classroom. Relevant and engaging, you’ll find useful, easy-to-implement lesson plans and activities. GrowNextGen was launched in 2014 with funding from the Ohio
January 23, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial Microbes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) iMicrobes designs and builds microorganisms, including industrial strains of bacteria and yeast to produce chemicals from natural gas and carbon dioxide. Their green, bio-based methods are “more cost effective than sugar or oil, helping to make
December 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Biomass to Liquid Fuels: We Need Commercial Scale Gen 2 Success
by Doug Rivers (Lee Enterprise Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... And while advances have been made in the materials handling and pretreatment of these feedstocks, commercial scale attempts produce ethanol have been met with multiple and highly visible failures measured in at least hundreds
December 04, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Aequor and Anti Biofilm, Anti-Fouling Technologes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aequor’s natural chemicals uniquely kill a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal pathogens at all stages of growth – including biofilm (the first and often only resistance response of microorganisms). This is significant because every antimicrobial-resistant
November 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Biodiversity Centre Asked to Revive Research on Mukah Red Yeast Strain for Biofuel
by Galileo Petingi (Borneo Post) ... Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the research on the yeast collected from soil in Mukah was done almost three decades ago by South African researchers. “I was informed of an interesting
November 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Oldendorff Study Finds Biofuels Stability and Degradation Issues
by Marcus Hand (Seatrade Maritime News) A study commissioned by German shipowner Oldendorff Carriers shows stability and degradation issues for biofuels. -- ... As part of a 2019 research agreement between Oldendorff and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Center for Bits
November 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Opinion: Climate Change and Hunger Are Here Now—a New Farm Bill Can’t Wait
by Beth Ellikidis (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Agri-Pulse) ... One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our climate is by getting more of the energy we use from above the ground instead of beneath it. The biotech company LanzaTech genetically engineers microbes to
October 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Chemicals from Thin Air: Gas Fermentation and the Future of Bio-manufacturing
(World Bio Market Insights) Bacteria can metabolise sugars in milk or wheat into wondrous forms like sourdough bread, sauerkraut, beer and cheese. Modern industrial fermentation uses similar techniques: it cultivates biochemicals in the bodies of microorganisms for drugs, proteins, nutraceuticals, and
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Proof-of-Concept Method Advances Bioprocess Engineering for a Smoother Transition to Biofuels
(Fujita Health University/Phys.Org) One of the primary goals of bioprocess engineering is to increase the yield of the desired material while maintaining high production rates and low raw material utilization. This optimization is usually accomplished by controlling the behavior of microorganisms
October 12, 2023 Read Full Article
36 Characters in Search of an Author: The Quest for a National Energy Solution, Part 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The problem of renewable molecules is not hard to understand. Molecules that are sustainable and affordable are not available. Those that are sustainable and available are not affordable. If they are available and affordable, they are not
October 10, 2023 Read Full Article
Revolutionary Recycling Process Transforms Plastic Waste
(U.S. Department of Energy) Despite millions of Americans depositing their plastic waste into recycling bins, much of that waste, including flexible films, multilayer materials, and colored plastics, cannot be recycled cost-effectively. In fact, only 9% of plastics in the U.S. are
October 06, 2023 Read Full Article
United Signs Agreement to Buy up to One Billion Gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Cemvita
(Cemvita/Business Wire) Cemvita designs synthetic microbes that have the potential to convert CO2 into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) -- Cemvita Corporation announced an offtake arrangement with United Airlines for up to 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Cemvita’s first full-scale SAF
September 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Researchers Track Yeast Population Dynamics in Fuel Bioethanol Production
by Julia Moióli (FAPESP/Phys.Org) Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil, in collaboration with colleagues at Harvard University in the United States, conducted an innovative study of the DNA and population dynamics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast used
August 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Australian Biotech MicroBioGen Announces Publication of Peer-Review Article on Reducing the Carbon Intensity of Food and Fuel Production whilst Lowering Impacts of Biofuels on Land Use
(MicroBioGen/PR Newswire) Australian industrial biotechnology and yeast innovation technology solutions leader MicroBioGen has announced the publication of its peer-review article, 'Reducing Carbon Intensity of Food and Fuel Production Whilst Lowering Land-Use Impacts of Biofuels' in Fermentation, an international, scientific, peer-review journal on fermentation process and technology
August 10, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Renewable Chemicals and Materials
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s the State of Renewable Chemicals and Materials presentation from the ABLC CONNECT series episode.The Value Stack, planned capacity, mandates, incentives, major players and their recent activities, pathways, mandates around the world, molecules, and markets. It’s a comprehensive
July 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Microbial Electrosynthesis – Scientists Discover That Bacteria Can Produce More Chemical Substances Than Thought
(SciTechDaily/Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI)) How bacteria use carbon dioxide and electricity to produce useful chemical -- In the field of microbial electrosynthesis, microbes utilize CO2 and electricity to generate substances like alcohol. The precise biological mechanisms
July 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Feedstocks of the Future for a Circular U.S. Bioeconomy: A Summary from a Stakeholder Convening
(Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research) The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Schmidt Futures partnered for a convening to identify strategic research opportunities to advance the circular bioeconomy—an economy that uses waste as inputs and is enabled by
June 13, 2023 Read Full Article
First Experimental Confirmation that Some Microbes Are Powered by Electricity
(Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie - Hans-Knöll-Institut (Leibniz-HKI)/Phys.Org) In microbial electrosynthesis, microorganisms use CO2 and electricity to produce alcohol, for example. How this process works biologically, however, has only been speculated about, until now. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural
June 01, 2023 Read Full Article
The Pathways to Biofuels: A Survey of Why We Should Stop Fretting
byMichael Barnard (CleanTechnica) We have enough waste biomass feedstock to fulfill all of our transportation needs, and the market and a bunch of bright people will figure out which ones are cheapest and lowest impact. ... And in this future world of
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With proven technology at the nexus of two mandated markets, industrial and consumer — LanzaTech has been on fire in recent months. Here’s more on their commercial operating plants, plants scheduled to complete construction in
May 17, 2023 Read Full Article
Visolis and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Partnership to Improve Microbial Strain for Bio-Isoprene and Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production
(Ginkgo Bioworks/PR Newswire) Partnership aims to enable cost-effective decarbonization of rubber tire manufacturing and sustainable aviation fuel production -- Visolis, a company combining advanced bioengineering with chemical catalysis to provide sustainable, carbon-negative materials, today announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA),
May 02, 2023 Read Full Article
Cemvita Unveils eCO2 Pilot Plant: Transforming CO2 Emissions into Renewable Feedstocks and Fertilizers
(Cemvita/Business Wire) eCO2TM platform promises to alleviate feedstock shortage and produce carbon-negative fuels and chemicals at competitive market rates -- Cemvita, the standard for biosolutions in the energy industry, today announced the opening of a pilot plant in Houston, TX. The
April 13, 2023 Read Full Article
GLBRC Receives Five Year Funding Renewal
by Chris Hubbuch (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a University of Wisconsin–Madison based research center another five years of funding to develop sustainable alternatives to gasoline, diesel and other hydrocarbon fuels as well as
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Growing In Iowa: The Future of Food and Farming -- Pivot Bio Improves Grower Access to a Dependable Nitrogen Source
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From his time at the University of Iowa to the first startup he founded with support from the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, Karsten Temme, Ph.D., credits much of his accomplishments as Pivot Bio CEO and co-founder to the invaluable
April 11, 2023 Read Full Article
B-Harmony: Creating Happy Bacterial Colonies and Ridding the World of Its Methane Malaise, the Windfall Bio Way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... So, let us introduce Windfall Bio, just now emerging from many moons of stealth. News has arrived from Windfall’s Menlo Park Hq that the company has closed a $9 million seed round led by
April 10, 2023 Read Full Article
APHIS Announces Draft Modified Microorganisms Guide Available for Public Comment [open for comment through May 22, 2023]
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is sharing a draft guide detailing the information requirements and process for submitting permit applications for microorganisms developed using genetic engineering and inviting public
April 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Playing and Painting to Promote Science: Board Games and Art Teach Conservation
by Grace Marie Finnell-Gudwien (Planet Forward) It’s board game night. You’re sitting around a table with some of your friends, ready to play the colorful board game laid out in front of you. You all pick your characters and deal out
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Plant, Microbe Matchmaking for Better Bioenergy Crops
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have identified specific proteins and amino acids that could control bioenergy plants’ ability to identify beneficial microbes that can enhance plant growth and storage of carbon in soils. These proteins, called LysM receptor-like
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Researchers Prove that Tough, Woody Lignin Can Be Broken Down in an Anaerobic Environment
by Sonia Fernandez (University of California - Santa Barbara/Phys.Org) It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. In this case, the "job" is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature
March 17, 2023 Read Full Article
NREL Launches Synthetic Biology Project to Advance Biofuels
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The pathway that leads us away from unsustainable fossil fuel consumption is not straight and narrow but filled with many branches of possibilities. One of those branches—carbon-negative production of biofuels and biochemicals—is the focus of
February 22, 2023 Read Full Article
First in Technology, First in Commercialization, First in the Hearts of the Bioeconomy: a Presidents’ Day Look at LanzaTech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The timelines of the company’s development may have been pushed back here and there by pandemic, but the patience of LanzaTech’s worldwide cadre of fans was rewarded when news arrived from the Financial Temples of
February 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The Promise of Advancing Biomanufacturing Innovation
by Greg Potter and Glenn Farris (Lipiferm Scientific andFarris Advisory Services/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) On September 12, 2022, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order to Advance Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation to support solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security,
February 20, 2023 Read Full Article
UW–Madison Research Key to Decarbonization Plan
by Chris Hubbuch (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are working to develop plant-based fuels that are a key piece of the nation’s blueprint for decarbonizing transportation. ... That will require sustainable alternatives to gasoline,
February 07, 2023 Read Full Article
To Battle Climate Change, Scientists Tap into Carbon-Hungry Microorganisms for Clues
by Theresa Duque (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels -- Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a nature-inspired technique for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated
December 30, 2022 Read Full Article
The Caribbean Is Swimming in Seaweed. Scientists Aim to Turn It into Jet Fuel and Batteries
by Erik F. Ringle (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Backed by U.S. Department of Energy Funding, New R&D Could Help Seed a Uniquely Caribbean Bioeconomy -- ... Kruger (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researcher Jacob Kruger) may be unable to eliminate the
December 19, 2022 Read Full Article
To Battle Climate Change, Scientists Tap into Carbon-Hungry Microorganisms for Clues
by Theresa Duque (Science Daily/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels -- Scientists have demonstrated a new technique, modeled after a metabolic process found in some bacteria, to convert carbon dioxide into solar fuels through artificial
December 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Products Made with Captured Greenhouse Gas Are Reaching Commercial Scale
By Dieter Holger (Wall Street Journal) Straws, bottles and packaging made with captured greenhouse-gas are starting to reach commercial scale, offering a way for businesses making and using everyday products to reduce emissions contributing to global warming. Locking up greenhouse gas in
November 29, 2022 Read Full Article
UChicago Researchers Take Inspiration from Soil to Create New Material with Promise for Medical, Biofuel Technology
(University of Chicago News) ... Their latest experiment mimics the structure of soil to create materials that can interact with their environment, with promise for electronics, medicine, and biofuel technology. It has multiple potential applications; preliminary tests have shown the material
October 28, 2022 Read Full Article
MicroBioGen Opens State-of-the-Art Laboratory Facilities in Sydney, further Establishing NSW as a World-leading Industrial Biotechnology Hub
(MicroBioGen) This week MicroBioGen officially opened our state-of-the-art laboratories in Macquarie Park in Northern Sydney. Three years in the making, these labs will produce our world-leading micro-organisms that are essential to industries worth over US$2 trillion per year, including biofuels,
October 18, 2022 Read Full Article
LanzaTech Produces Ethylene from CO2, Changing the Way We Make Products Today
(LanzaTech/Globe Newswire) Breakthrough Discovery to Replace the Barrel with Synthetic Biology, Addressing One of the Largest Carbon Emitters in the Chemical Industry -- LanzaTech NZ, Inc. (“LanzaTech”), an innovative Carbon Capture and Transformation (“CCT”) company that transforms waste carbon into materials such
October 12, 2022 Read Full Article
PNNL Team Recognized with ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry
by Mary Ann Showalter (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) The American Chemical Society (ACS) has announced that development of a catalytic process and catalyst to create sustainable aviation fuel is receiving the 2023 ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry. The team named in the
September 30, 2022 Read Full Article
DOE Announces $178 Million to Advance Bioenergy Technology
(U.S. Department of Energy) 37 Projects Will Develop New Technologies That Engineer Plants and Microbes into Bioenergy and Improve Carbon Storage -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $178 million for bioenergy research to advance sustainable technology breakthroughs that
September 15, 2022 Read Full Article
4H Club, Methane to the Rescue: The Calysta, Mango Materials, Industrial Microbes, T2C Energy Stories
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biogas is an ancient thing, organisms have been making it for millenia – only in recent decades have we learned to capture and use it to generate on-site heat and power. ... ... This is the supply
September 13, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Executive Order to Fund U.S. Biomanufacturing Industry
by Trevor Hunnicutt (Reuters) President Joe Biden will sign orders on Monday to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry, aimed at reducing dependence on China for materials to generate clean energy, weave new fabrics and inoculate populations against
September 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $29.5 Million for Improved Bioenergy Resource Recovery and Conversion Systems
( U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $29.5 million to 15 projects to improve the current science and infrastructure for utilizing waste streams, often disproportionately located in underserved communities, and support the development of improved organisms and
August 31, 2022 Read Full Article
ROBIN Debuts THE CLARIANT CHANNEL
(Biofuels Digest) Now on ROBIN, up to the minute video and presentations, events and background from Europe's dominant player in 2G ethanol and in many chemicals markets. All content is available on THE CLARIANT CHANNEL, part of your ROBIN streaming
August 26, 2022 Read Full Article
With a €43M EU Grant and €1.2M from a VC, This Startup Plans to Turn CO2 Emissions into Gold
by Mike Butcher (Tech Crunch) Now Copenhagen-based biotech company SecondCircle thinks it also has a novel approach. It claims to be able to capture CO2 from industrial emitters at the point of emission using “synthetic biology” to develop biocatalysts (bacteria). These then convert the
August 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Not Just Bread and Beer—Microbes Can Ferment Carbon Dioxide to Make Fuel, Too
by Erik F. Ringle (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Scientists Mapped Out a "Bicyclic Carbon Fixation" Pathway for Speeding Up Gas Fermentation in Specialized Bacteria -- ... Certain species of bacteria ferment carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to make their own nutrients
August 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Virtuous Cycles: Breakthroughs in the Use of Bacteria Are Helping Us to Build a New Green Economy.
by Peter Forbes (New Humanist) ... Humans are finally learning from the original carbon cycle, which has governed Earth for 4 billion years. This natural cycle is regulated largely by bacteria and other microbes. Today, using what we know about the
July 26, 2022 Read Full Article
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 other fossil fuels. As one of the world’s largest producers
May 03, 2022 Read Full Article
1/10th Scale “Waste to Ethanol” Demonstration Plant Completed in Kuji City
(Sekisui) Aiming to Build a New Social System for Resource Recycling -- SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., Ltd. (President and Representative Director, Keita Kato; hereinafter, “SEKISUI CHEMICAL”), INCJ, Ltd. ( President and COO, Mikihide Katsumata; hereinafter “INCJ”), and SEKISUI BIO REFINERY CO., Ltd.
April 11, 2022 Read Full Article
Protecting Land-based Diesel Assets in a Greener World
by Pierre Poitras (Conidia Bioscience/Biofuels Digest) ... how the increased percentage of biofuels can raise the cost of fuel as well as leave it susceptible to microbes. The analysis is based on the white paper Protecting equipment from microbial contamination
April 05, 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 into fuels suitable for aviation and other difficult-to-electrify sectors. -- The
March 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Turning Carbon Dioxide into Sustainable Fuel: United and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures Announce Collaboration with Biotech Firm to Create New Fuel Sources
(United Airlines/PR Newswire) Houston-based Cemvita Factory's synthetic biology process has the potential to create a new way to produce sustainable fuel for aviation; United has invested in more SAF production than any other airline -- United Airlines Ventures (UAV) and Oxy
March 29, 2022 Read Full Article
Six Carbon Capture and Utilisation Technologies for a Sustainable Chemical and Fuel Production Nominated for the Innovation Award “Best CO2 Utilisation 2022”
(nova-Institute) Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) Innovations of the Year 2022: A lot of technologies are in place and in development to face the challenges of a sustainable chemicals and fuels production based on the utilisation of captured CO2 from industrial off-gases
March 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Three Partners, Two Problems, One Bioenergy Research Article Published
by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) ... The journal Nature Biotechnology recently published a paper featuring cutting-edge work funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The article details a carbon-negative platform that uses microorganisms to convert carbon captured
March 24, 2022 Read Full Article
GreenBiz 350 Podcast Episode 308: LanzaTech CEO Reflects
(GreenBiz) A visit with 'badass' LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren (29:10) Jennifer Holmgren was thinking about retirement when she was recruited to lead the carbon recycling company LanzaTech. Under her leadership, the company has forged high-profile relationships to turn captured CO2
March 20, 2022 Read Full Article
To the (Climate) Rescue: From First Blip in Chromatogram to Deployment at Industrial Pilot Scale
by Fungmin Eric Liew (Lanza Tech/Nature Bioengineering Community) Industrial waste gas can serve as feedstock to manufacture fuels and chemicals through gas fermentation. Our work describes a collaborative and multidisciplinary team effort to engineer gas-utilizing microbe to produce acetone and
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Gigacorn Microbial Cement, Hemp Rebar, Date Waste for Filtration Membranes, and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of March 4th
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Rebuilding in a more sustainable way is top of mind for this week’s Top 8 Innovations. From a composite reinforcing material made of hemp stalk and bioplastic to create a rebar as strong as steel
March 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Composition and Yield of Non-Cellulosic and Cellulosic Sugars in Soluble and Particulate Fractions during Consolidated Bioprocessing of Poplar Biomass by Clostridium thermocellum
by Ajaya K. Biswal, Neal N. Hengge, Ian M. Black, Melani A. Atmodjo, Sushree S. Mohanty, David Ryno, Michael E. Himmel, Parastoo Azadi, Yannick J. Bomble & Debra Mohnen (Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts) Terrestrial plant biomass is the primary renewable
March 02, 2022 Read Full Article
The Next Big Step for Algae and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
by Rebecca White, Lieve Laurens, Nate Kommers (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Diges) Among the dozens of policy innovations that Congress must consider in climate change legislation is a tool that could help trigger the next stage in decarbonizing one of the most
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
And the Winners Are…: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to SHV Energy’s Innovation Challenge
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 5 million tons of CO2 reduction by 2025 and 100% of their energy products to be from renewable sources in 2040 are part of SHV Energy’s ambitions. How does renewable propane and bioLPG fit in?
February 04, 2022 Read Full Article
New DOE Request for Information Released on Biomass Conversion Research, Development, and Analysis Programs DEADLINE March 11, 2022
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has released a new request for information (RFI) on several priority areas relating to activities in the Conversion Research and Development (R&D)
February 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Synthetic Biology Spotlight: Amyris
by Chris Calvey (National Renewable Energy Lab/Biofuels Digest) ... Simply put: synthetic biology is a revolutionary new field of science which involves genetically modifying lifeforms – usually simple ones like bacteria or yeast – and redesigning them to do something interesting
February 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Glowing Yeast Lights the Way to Better Biofuels
by Tom Garlinghouse (Princeton University/Phys.Org) Deploying a technique that promises to supercharge the development of biofuels, researchers at Princeton University have found a way to make yeast cultures glow when producing next generation fuels that could power cars and airplanes. The glowing
January 31, 2022 Read Full Article
$2.5M for Food-Chain Microbiome Research Could Impact Agriculture, Biofuel Systems
by Marc Arakaki (University of Hawai'i News) World-renowned microbiome research at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa received a major boost by the National Science Foundation. The five-year, $2,499,432 grant will support new research led by School of Life Sciences Professor Anthony Amend and his team to study how microbiomes
January 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Microbial Production of Fourth-Generation Biofuels
(University of Exeter) Bacteria modified to produce fuel on demand have been produced by University of Exeter researchers in collaboration with energy and petrochemicals group Shell. Academics led by Professor John Love have found a way to get the organisms to produce fuel nearly identical
January 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Top 10 Digest Stories of 2021
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... In fact, in terms of news stories, there was more good news than bad in 2021 and a look at what you, the Digest readers, found most interesting and intriguing in 2021 shows just
December 31, 2021 Read Full Article
Top 10 Slide Guides of 2021
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) As we wrap up 2021 this week, The Digest brings you the hottest Top 10 slide guides from this past year – with key themes like carbon upcycling, ethanol to hydrogen, renewable diesel and jet
December 30, 2021 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 used to make fuels and a wide range of important
December 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Zara, LanzaTech’s Steel Factory Waste Emissions Fashion, Largest Cultured Steak Printed to Date, Adidas, Allbirds on Low-Carbon Cootwear and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of December 16th
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Zara clothing made from steel factory waste emissions thanks to LanzaTech, adidas and Allbirds scaling up their low-carbon footwear, Canadian brand launches apple leather handbags, new fruit-based glitter for your holiday festivities, and the largest
December 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Più-Biogas App Project Could Help Increase Biogas Yields
(Bioenergy Insight) BTS Biogas has partnered with the University of Padua in Italy to develop a research project which aims to increase biogas yield by at least 10%. ... In the current production process, there are no efficient methods for the real-time
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
LanzaTech and Zara Collaborate to Create a Capsule Collection Made from Recycled Carbon Emissions
(LanzaTech) Today, LanzaTech has announced a collaboration with Inditex that led to the design of a capsule collection for the retail group’s largest brand Zara that incorporates fabric made with carbon emissions, avoiding their emission into the atmosphere (CarbonSmart™). “We are hugely
December 13, 2021 Read Full Article
TWB® Start-Up Day: “Microorganisms: The Next Frontier” and Contest --- February 2-3, 2022 --- Toulouse, France
The 5th edition of TWB® START-UP DAY will be held on 3 February 2022 at the premises of TBS (Toulouse Business School) in Toulouse (France) – only face-to-face. The 2022 focus will be on “Microorganisms: the next frontier”. This event, organised by
December 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Competitive Edge: Nzyme2HC’s Hydrogen Tech
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There was no existing way to produce Hydrogen that was simultaneously renewable (no CO2 emissions) and price-competitive with fossil (Steam Methane Reforming of Nat Gas). If one wants demand for FCVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles)
December 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Microbes’ Sense of Community, Cooperation Could Improve Biofuels
by Elizabeth K. Gardner (Purdue University/Fence Post) Microorganisms can be neighborly — when breaking down complex plant fibers they divide the labor and are able to sustain a diverse community, as each member gets its share of food. Understanding how
November 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Microbes, Fermentation: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to C1Pro
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Using native methanotrophic bacteria and microbial cell factories, C1Pro is converting methanol into amino acid derivatives for biomaterials. The details behind the microbes, the proteins, the fermentation, methane utilization rates, how it all works, here
November 18, 2021 Read Full Article
On Announces CleanCloud™ - Turning Carbon Emissions into Running Shoes in Cooperation with LanzaTech and Borealis
(On, Inc./CISION) Swiss sports brand On leads supply chain coalition to reshape carbon waste into running shoes -- Main Facts: - On announces CleanCloud™ - a sustainability initiative using carbon emissions to create foam for running shoes. - On is moving away from petroleum-based
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Using Microbes to Make Carbon-Neutral Fuel
by Talia Ogliore (The Source) Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a new way to train microbes to make a readily usable biofuel. A team of biologists and engineers modified a microbe called Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1) so that it can
November 04, 2021 Read Full Article
Pollution Pods, Machine Learning, Fermentation Protein-Producing Microorganisms, Microsoft’s Look at Algae and Fungi for Green Data Centers and More: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the Week of November 4th
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Want to know what it’s like to breathe some of the world’s lowest quality air? “Pollution pods” in the UK are giving people that opportunity to draw attention to growing pollution impacts. And an alternative
November 04, 2021 Read Full Article
Crucial Step Identified in the Conversion of Biomass to Methane
(Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) Researchers find the enzymatic link in the formation of methane from fatty acids by cooperating microorganisms -- Microbial production of methane from organic material is an essential process in the global carbon cycle and an important source of renewable
October 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Degradation of Biobased Plastics in the Soil
(Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research) The idea of biodegradable plastics sounds good at first. However, very little is known about how they are degraded in the soil and how this is influenced by climate change. In two recent studies, soil ecologists
October 15, 2021 Read Full Article
NREL Process for Renewable Butyric Acid Good for Environment, Cheaper Biofuels
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a fully integrated process to produce a promising precursor for diesel and jet fuel from lignocellulosic biomass, and for less expense than the selling price of the same
October 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Pluton Biosciences Gets $6.6M in Seed Funding, Bayer AG Soil Deal and More
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Pluton is a large body of intrusive igneous rock according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and “breaking ground” and being “ground breaking” is just what Pluton Biosciences is doing with their novel microbes. They are making
October 11, 2021 Read Full Article
HSSMI Recognised in Award Nomination for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project
(HSSMI) A trailblazing circular economy project to advance the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) has secured a finalist place at the global Energy Institute 2021 Awards, and HSSMI has been praised for contributing to the project’s success. HSSMI is working in
October 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuel from Pine Needles a Reality
by Ambika Sharma (The Tribune) Scientists at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni have devised a method to convert pine needles into enthanol, a green biofuel. -- Pine needles will no longer be a source of forest
September 27, 2021 Read Full Article
The Problem with Moisture Analysis in Biofuels – a New Solution?
by Stephany McClements (Lantha Sensors/Biofuels Digest) ... One in particular is that biofuels have a higher affinity towards moisture and they have a higher water capacity. As such, biodiesel can absorb up to 6.5 times more moisture from the air than fossil fuel-based
September 16, 2021 Read Full Article
State of Renewable Chemicals & Biomaterials
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Want to know who's doing what, where, how and with whom in renewable chemicals and biomaterials? Then check out this State of Renewable Chemicals & Materials top story highlighting what you need to know. In today's Digest,
September 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Breakthrough Methods Help Integrate Renewable Hydrogen with Waste Carbon Dioxide to Produce Clean Fuels, Chemicals, and More
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) ... NREL is validating utility-scale hydrogen-production processes that could provide tomorrow’s clean fuels and chemical feedstocks to produce low-carbon, high-value products. New IP To Simplify Renewable Hydrogen Reactions Renewable hydrogen could fit into future low-carbon energy systems like
September 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Using CO2 from the Atmosphere to Make Biofuel Would Benefit Business and Environment
(Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) ... Traditional fermentation processes for producing such products rely on microorganisms that emit large quantities of CO2. If researchers could find a way to avoid such emissions and to actually incorporate CO2 into the product, important environmental
August 31, 2021 Read Full Article
India Innovates Technology that Generates Hydrogen Directly from Agricultural Residue
(PTI/Yahoo! News) World’s first technology that generates hydrogen directly from agricultural residue for use in fuel cell-powered vehicles. This is a collaborative efforts of Pune based Sentient Labs and Agharkar Research Institute to contribute to “India’s National Hydrogen Mission”. Sentient Labs
August 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Fungus That Tastes Just Right: PNNL Researchers Study Plant Material in Soils that Offers Clues for Making Sustainable Bioproducts
by Allan Brettman (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Discerning leaf-cutter ants know what food they like to eat. They turn up their scent-detecting antennae at some plant material in soils in favor of others that fungus has degraded just the way they
August 02, 2021 Read Full Article
LanzaTech and lululemon Partner to Create the First Fabric Using Recycled Carbon Emissions
(LanzaTech) Partnership includes India Glycols Limited and Far Eastern New Century -- Biotechnology company LanzaTech today announced it has partnered with lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU), an athletic apparel company, to create the world’s first yarn and fabric using recycled carbon emissions
July 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Microbes in Cow Stomachs Can Help Recycle Plastic
by Nicoletta Lanese (Live Science) Microbes fished from the stomachs of cows can gobble up certain kinds of plastic, including the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used in soda bottles, food packaging and synthetic fabrics. Scientists uncovered these microbes in liquid that was drawn
July 06, 2021 Read Full Article
DOE Awards $45.5 Million for Projects to Advance Biotechnology Research
(U.S. Department of Energy) 34 Projects Will Develop New Instruments to Study Cells, Processes to Convert Natural and Synthetic Materials Into Sustainable Biofuels and Bioproducts -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today awarded $45.5 million for research projects geared towards
July 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Engineered Yeast Could Expand Biofuels' Reach
by Anne Trafton (Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Phys.Org) To try to expand biofuels' potential impact, a team of MIT engineers has now found a way to expand the use of a wider range of nonfood feedstocks to produce such fuels. At the
June 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Transforming CO2 and Sugars Into Biofuel With a $2.7 million grant, UD researchers using microbes to make valuable chemicals
(University of Delaware) In the quest to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and curb climate change, University of Delaware researchers are turning to an interesting ally: bacteria that consume biomass sugars and CO2. With a $2.7 million grant from the U.S.
June 23, 2021 Read Full Article
The Energy Department Pursues Cleaner and More Efficient Biofuel
by Tom Temin (Federal News Network) One way or another, bio-fuel will be part of the country’s energy future, especially to power ships and airplanes. That’s why the Energy Department’s ARPA-E is spending some $35 million in grant dollars to improve
June 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Economical Cell-free Isobutanol Production: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Invizyne Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biomass derived sugars can be used by engineered microbes to make fuels and chemicals – but Invizyne is looking at alternative methods to improve cellulosic utilization and conversion. Check out their BETO presentation highlighting their
June 01, 2021 Read Full Article
I Got 99 Problems but Product vs. Platform Ain’t One: Introducing Microbes-as-a-Service
by Moji Karimi (Cemvita Factory/Biofuels Digest) Any SynBio (synthetic biology) company is faced with three principal questions right off the bat: 1. Product or platform? A) Product: develop the microbe, build the plant, and sell the product. The end molecule is the revenue
May 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Are Microbes the Next Carbon Crop for Farmers?
by Mindy Ward (Farm Progress) Pluton Biosciences partners with Bayer for a carbon sequestration project. -- Barry Goldman has one goal — to find the next Bt-like row crop breakthrough but for carbon sequestration. “There are a trillion species of microbes, and the
April 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Biosolutions for Ag, Industrial & Consumers: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Novozymes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Just released yesterday, this Novozymes Q1 presentation shows their microbes and industrial enzymes business is off to a good start with solid Q1 results with 3% organic sales growth and strong earnings. Get details on their
April 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Earth Day Series Day 11: Microbial World for Renewable Fuels and Chemicals Production
by Anahita Bharadwaj* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The versatile world of microorganisms is a perfect source for the production of a variety of biobased fuels, chemicals and materials. Microorganisms have the ability to break down biomass, components of these biomass or other
April 11, 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 biofuels and other products could be humanity’s ticket to smarter materials,
March 16, 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 by biorefineries, the polymers that make it up must be
February 18, 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 2015 first embarked on an ambitious project to characterize gut
February 02, 2021 Read Full Article
South by Yeast: Ginkgo Acquires a Venture that Sputtered but Never Failed to Intrigue
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was styled as a biofuels and biochemical producer, founded back in the heady days of the Recovery Act in February 2009, focused on developing high value oils and animal feeds by fermentation of low cost
January 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Need Cost-Effective Separations Tech: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioprocessing Separations Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four critical challenges in biochemical and thermochemical processing were addressed in the just released “Bioprocessing Separations Consortium Three-Year Overview” U.S. BETO report, including targeting the fractionation of lignin to enable valorization; Developing technologies to enable
January 05, 2021 Read Full Article
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