by Johnny von Einem (University of Adelaide) A newly discovered way of optimising plant enzymes through bioengineering has increased knowledge of
plant cell research
Back TO HOMELipid Making in Plants Involves the Cooperation of Two Organelles, Study Finds
(RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science/Phys.Org) Two enzymes that plants need to make oils live in different organelles, a pair
June 29, 2023 Read Full Article
Researchers Create 3D Images of C4 Plant Cellular Components
( University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Phys.org) A team from the University of Illinois has quantified the plant cell properties in two
May 18, 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
March 17, 2023 Read Full Article
Seeing Starch: Novel Technique Enables Gentle Observation of Biofuel Materials
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new method to
February 27, 2020 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
October 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Supercomputing Improves Biomass Fuel Conversion
by Holly Ober (Univesity of California Riverside News) Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Turning the Switch on Biofuels
by Anne M Stark (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Plant cell walls contain a renewable, nearly limitless supply of sugar that can be
June 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Breakthrough Technique for Studying Gene Expression Takes Root in Plants
(U.S. Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) Berkeley Lab scientists adapt open-source genetic analysis method for use in plant cells for
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Removing the Brakes on Plant Oil Production
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Biodiesel Magazine) Scientists studying plant biochemistry at the U.S. DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered new details about biomolecules
April 18, 2018 Read Full Article
New Insights into How Cellulose Is Built Could Indicate How to Break It Apart for biofuels
(Phys.Org/Pennsylvania State University) A comprehensive look at how plants build cellulose, the primary building block of the walls of most plant
April 01, 2018 Read Full Article
New Insights into Photosynthesis Could Boost Biofuel Production
(Biofuels International) Newly published research explains for the first time how plants switch from photoprojection to photosynthesis when transitioning from darkness
February 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Less Chewing the Cud, More Greening the Fuel
(Phys.Org/Rothamsted Research) ... But now a multinational team of researchers, from the UK, Brazil and the US, has pinpointed a gene
January 12, 2018 Read Full Article
NREL Research Finds a “Sweet Spot” for Engineering Better Biofuel Enzymes
(U.S. Department of Energy) Added sugar takes on a whole new meaning in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) work to
December 12, 2017 Read Full Article
A New Chloroplast Role for Making Biofuels
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University researchers are experimenting with harvesting seed oil to make biofuels that could someday power
August 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Loosening of Lignocellulose: Switchgrass and Success in Sugar Release
(U.S. Department of Energy) Introduced traits remain stable, improving biofuel production in a field setting. -- ... Near-term fossil
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
New Approach to Unlock the Genetic Potential of Plant Cell Wall
(Phys.Org/University of York) Researchers from the University of York and the Quadram Institute have unlocked the genetic secrets of plant
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Textbook: Biofuels and Bioenergy
edited by John Love and John A. Bryant (Wiley-Blackwell) With increased public and scientific attention driven by factors such as
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Researchers Find New Way to Typify Cellulose, Advance Bioproducts
(Washington State University/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Proteins Interactions Hold Key for Maximizing Oil Production in Plants for Biofuels and Biomaterials
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Lab Manager) Findings point to new biochemical strategies for increasing oil yield from crops grown to produce biofuels
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
ORNL: Populus SNP Dataset Holds Promise for Biofuels
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have released the largest-ever single
January 20, 2017 Read Full Article
‘Glue’ That Makes Plant Cell Walls Strong Could Hold the Key to Wooden Skyscrapers
(University of Cambridge) Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to making
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Ames Laboratory to Receive $3 Million to Develop Instrument to Study Plant Cell Walls
(Ames Laboratory) A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory will be developing new instrumentation aimed
October 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Stanford Faculty Share in $24 Million National Science Foundation Grant
by Taylor Kubota (Stanford News) Two Stanford faculty are part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers who will share a $24
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
UT-ORNL Team Hopes to Ease Path from Vegetation to Biofuel
(University of Tennessee) A UT-ORNL team led by Governor’s Chair Jeremy Smith is using supercomputing to figure out ways to ease the
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Greenwood Resources Licenses ORNL Invention to Boost Biofuel Yield
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/NewsWise) GreenWood Resources has licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology based on the discovery of a
September 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Sandia: Turning Ubiquitous Lignin into High-Value Chemicals
(Sandia National Laboratories/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Abundant, chock full of energy and bound so tightly that the only way to release
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Breakthrough in Salt-Tolerance in Plants Research
(Univesity of Adelaide) University of Adelaide researchers have made a breakthrough in investigating salt tolerance in plants which could lead
September 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Researchers: Generically Improving Sorghum Could Benefit Biofuels
(Genetics Society of America/Biomass Magazine) The bioenergy crop sorghum holds great promise as a raw material for making environmentally friendly
July 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Better Understanding Could Lead to More Cost-Effective Production of Cellulosic Biofuels
(Phys.Org) Plant cell walls, which constitute the bulk of plant biomass, are diverse, complex, and dynamic in their structural composition
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Shows Trees with Altered Lignin Are Better for Biofuels
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) Fundamental enzyme study leads to increased access to bioenergy feedstocks and improves ethanol yield by modifying plant
June 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulose: New Understanding Could Lead to Tailored Biofuels
(University of Cambridge/University of Melbourne) In the search for low emission plant-based fuels, new research may help avoid having to
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
The Future, Unzipped
by Erik Ness (Grow) Lignin is a tough organic compound that gives plants like this poplar their structure—and it’s one
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Seeking Better Biofuels
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute transform biomass into energy-rich fuel molecules --
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Unlocking Lignin for Sustainable Biofuel
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/NewsWise) Lignin–hemicellulose simulation demonstrates potential for predictive modeling using NAMD -- Turning trees, grass, and other biomass
July 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Unlocking Fermentation Secrets Open the Door to New Biofuels
by Rick Kubetz (Phys.Org) Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have, for the first time, uncovered the complex
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Unlocking the Biofuel Energy Stored in Plant Cell Walls
by Cherie Winner (Pennsylvania State University) By virtue of their chloroplasts, plants are superb harvesters of solar energy. They use it
June 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists Harness Enzymes to Break Down Tough Cell Walls
( Canadian Light Source/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Emma Master’s team spent the last two years studying plant cell walls, the part
March 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Purdue Study Uncovers Details on Plant Building Blocks
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) Purdue University researchers said Wednesday they have discovered the structure of the enzyme that makes
September 26, 2014 Read Full Article
JBEI GT Collection: A New Resource for Advanced Biofuels Research
(Joint BioEnergy Institute/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute have unveiled the first glycosyltransferase clone collection
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Scientists Identify Key Genes to Increase Plant Leaf Oil Content
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Biodiesel Magazine) Scientists at the U.S. DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified the key genes required for oil
October 23, 2013 Read Full Article
New Plant Protein Discoveries Could Ease Global Food and Fuel Demands
by Kim McDonald (University of California at San Diego) New discoveries of the way plants transport important substances across their biological
May 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Making Do with More: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Engineer Plant Cell Walls to Boost Sugar Yields for Biofuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) When blessed with a resource in overwhelming abundance it’s generally a good idea
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
The Carbon Fix? Think Carbon Suit. ZeaKal Raises $3.8M in Series A Financing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Crop yield and oil content increases of up to 50% and 34% seen from ZeaKal’s
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Newly Discovered Plant Structure May Lead to Improved Biofuel Processing
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) When Li Tan approached his colleagues at the University of Georgia with some unusual
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Chlamydomonas Shown to Break Down Cellulose
(Algae Industry Magazine) Douglas Main reports on OurAmazingPlanet that researchers at Germany’s University of Bielefeld have discovered that when the
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Research Targets Cells to Reduce Lignin, Boost Fermentable Sugar
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute are exploring new ways to meet the challenge
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Boosting Galactan Sugars Could Boost Biofuel Production
(EScienceNews.com) Galactan is a polymer of galactose, a six-carbon sugar that can be readily fermented by yeast into ethanol and
December 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Researchers Work to Unlock Secrets of Cellulose Production
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...University of Virginia researchers Jochen Zimmer, Jacob Morgan and Joanna Strumillo wrote a paper
December 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Discovery May Pave Way to Genetically Enhanced Biofuel Crops
(ScienceCodex.com) ...Pectic compounds decorated with β-1,4-galactan (a chain of six-carbon sugars) are of considerable interest to the biofuels industry, because
December 21, 2012 Read Full Article
NREL Researchers Use Imaging Technologies to Solve Puzzle of Plant Architecture
(US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Breakthrough could help optimize capture of sugars for biofuels Scientists at the U.S. Department
November 30, 2012 Read Full Article
How Does Plant Cell Wall Nanoscale Architecture Correlate with Enzymatic Digestibility?
Shi-You Ding, Yu-San Liu, Yining Zeng, Michael E. Himmel, John O. Baker, Edward A. Bayer (Science Magazine) Greater understanding of the
November 27, 2012 Read Full Article
A Better Route to Xylan
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Find New Access to Abundant Biomass for Advanced Biofuels After
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Functional Characterization of the Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor PvMYB4 for Improvement of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang, Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A.
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
New Technique Yields Information Critical to Biofuels Research
(R&D Magazine) Pioneering mass spectrometry methods developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Ames Laboratory are helping plant biologists
August 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Plant Research Funding Crucial for the Future
(Western Farm Press/Carnegie Institute) The scientific community needs to make a 10-year, $100 billion investment in food and energy security,
June 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Food Drive St. Louis Dreams of a Plant Revolution
by Marc Gunther (GreenBiz.com) St. Louis doesn’t turn up on lists of America’s most innovative cities. But when it comes to
June 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Iowa State, Ames Lab Chemists Aid Study of Mutated Plants that May Be Better for Biofuels
(EurekAlert/Iowa State University) Genetic mutations to cellulose in plants could improve the conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels, according
February 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Plant toughness: Key to Cracking Biofuels?
(EurekAlert/Stanford University) Along with photosynthesis, the plant cell wall is one of the features that most set plants apart from
February 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Extreme Biofuels and Those Heat-Seeking X Bugs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Some of the first American visitors to Yellowstone, who began to record their journeys
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Major Step Forward Towards Drought Tolerance in Crops
(Science Daily) When a plant encounters drought, it does its best to cope with this stress by activating a set
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Discovery On How Sugars Are Moved Throughout a Plant
(Science Daily) ...But how the sucrose produced in the leaves via photosynthesis is delivered to the transporters that move it
December 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Transcriptional Changes Related to Secondary Wall Formation in Xylem of Transgenic Lines of Tobacco Altered for Lignin or Xylan Content which Show Improved Saccharification
by Charis M. Cook, Arsalan Daudi, David J. Millar, Laurence V. Bindschedler, Safina Khan, G. Paul Bolwell, Alessandra Devoto (Science Direct) In this study, an EST library
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
National Science Foundation, Japan Science and Technology Agency Issue New Joint Awards To Reduce Pesticide Pollution And Promote Biofuel
(Red Orbit) The carbon footprint of humans will be reduced by four awards for plant and microbial research issued under
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa State University Scientists Part of US-Japan Team Set to Research Gene Chemistry to Enhance Biofuel, Biochemical Technology
(PressZoom/Iowa State University) An Iowa State University research team is collaborating with scientists at the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Biologists Discover an 'Evening' Protein Complex that Regulates Plant Growth
(EurekAlert!/University of California San Diego) Farmers and other astute observers of nature have long known that crops like corn and
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Tailoring Biomass to Fit the Biofuels Pipeline
by Dr. Maureen McCann (Professor, Purdue University) Dr. McCann begins by describing the different plant cell wall architectures belonging to
January 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Genetic Mutation Helps Plants Use Less Water without Biomass Loss
(NewKerala.com) Purdue University researchers have made a discovery that could reduce the amount of water required for growing plants and help plants
January 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Unraveling Plant Cell-Wall Construction for Biofuels Research
by Karen McNulty Walsh (Brookhaven National Laboratory/RenewableEnergyWorld) Understanding how lignin building blocks are transported could break down barriers to biofuel
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Sweet Success for Sustainable Biofuel Research
Scientists have found a way to increase fermentable sugar stores in plants which could lead to plant biomass being easier
January 29, 2010 Read Full Article
Biologist Finds Cell Wall Construction Pathway
Wood with altered properties and cheaper ethanol through more efficient production are two possibilities as a result of a find