by Johnny von Einem (University of Adelaide) A newly discovered way of optimising plant enzymes through bioengineering has increased knowledge of
plant cell walls
Back TO HOMEResearchers 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
To Make Valuable Bioproducts, Pick the Right Solvent Pretreatment
(U.S. Department of Energy) Lignin and cellulose are polymers—large molecules made up of repeating modules—that are situated in a tangled braid,
December 17, 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
May 03, 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.
March 02, 2022 Read Full Article
LSU Chemists Unlock the Key to Improving Biofuel and Biomaterial Production
(Louisiana State University Chemistry) As the world searches for and demands more sustainable sources of energy and materials, plant biomass may
January 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Recent Innovations in Turning Agricultural Waste into Biofuels
by Raj Shah and Amanda Loo (altenergymag.com/Koehler Instrument Company) Wastes from fields and wastes from processing are the two kinds
August 19, 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
February 02, 2021 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Unravelling the Plant Cell Wall - Unlocking the Potential of Plant-Based Fuels and Products for a Greener Future --- January 13, 2021

University of Georgia Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department and the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center's GTP Seminar Series Wednesday, January 13,
January 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Novel Cellulose Finding May Lead to New Chemicals, Biofuels
by Jamie Oberdick (Pennsylvania State University/Phys.Org) A multi-institutional research group led by two Penn State faculty members has identified, for the
November 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Amid Oil Price Crash, a New Hope for Biofuels
by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) ... (T)there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of biofuels, as the field
May 19, 2020 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
Bigger, Better Crops Combat Climate Change
by Michael Robin (Western Producer) Carbon from bigger crops and more robust plants like this hybrid canola, and their larger
January 28, 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
Gene Improves Plant Growth and Conversion to Biofuels
(University of Georgia/Biomass Magazine) A research team led by the University of Georgia has discovered that manipulation of the same gene
February 14, 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
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
Understanding Why Cellulose Resists Degradation Could Lead to Cost-Effective Biofuels
(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) A major bottleneck hindering cost-effective production of biofuels and many valuable chemicals is the difficulty of
June 06, 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
Smart Microalgae at the Danish IP Fair
(Algae Industry Magazine) On May 9 Yumiko Sakuragi from the Copenhagen Plant Science Centre will participate in the Danish IP
March 08, 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
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
Diverse Fungi Secrete Similar Suite of Decomposition Enzymes
(Phys.Org/Department of Energy) Soil fungi secrete a wide range of enzymes that play an important role in biofuel production and
August 31, 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
Researchers' New Advance in Quest for Second Generation Biofuels
(Phys.Org) ... The team, including Professor Paul Walton and Professor Gideon Davies of the Department of Chemistry at York, today presents
March 02, 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
UMass Amherst Lignin Research Sheds Light on How Plants Adapt to Environmental Stress
by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, new research may advance our understanding of “how the relative proportions of biopolymers,”
January 05, 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
Converting Biomass to Fuels
by Aaron Dubrow (National Science Foundation) Researchers use NSF-supported Stampede supercomputer to improve catalysts for conversion Scientists from the National Renewable Energy
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Purdue Researchers Launch Innovative Biomass Renewable Energy Company
by Phillip Fiorini and Cynthia Sequin (Purdue University) Purdue University researchers are launching a company focusing on an innovative process that could
March 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
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
Reflections on Developments in the Biorefinery Industry: 4th Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference
by Stefaniya Becking* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 4th Nordic Wood Biorefinery conference held in Helsinki, Finland (October 23-25, 2012) brought
October 29, 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
Mutation of WRKY Transcription Factors Initiates Pith Secondary Wall Formation and Increases Stem Biomass in Dicotyledonous Plants
Huanzhong Wang, Utku Avci, Jin Nakashima, Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
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
Scientists Create Low-Lignin Plants with Improved Potential for Biofuel Production
(ECNMag.com) Engineered enzyme alters cell wall composition in ways that could make it easier to convert plant biomass into biofuels Scientists
August 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Patent Marks Milestone for Madison Research Hub
Thomas Content (Journal Sentinel) C5-6 Technologies of Middleton and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison are celebrating a
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Heat-Loving Bacteria Could Lead to Next-Generation Microbe
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Key proteins have been identified in a family of bacteria that help the microbes
July 05, 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
The 7 Paths of the New Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But the New Agriculture has arisen in recent years, with new solutions to the old
January 06, 2012 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
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
Rediscovering Genes Related to Biomass Recalcitrance Using a Combination of High Throughput and High Resolution Plant Cell Wall Characterization Methods
by Dr. Mark Davis (BioEnergy Science Center, National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Dr. Davis discusses a multidisciplinary approach
January 23, 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
Drilling Down to the Nanometer Depths of Leaves for Biofuels
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) By imaging the cell walls of a zinnia leaf down to the nanometer scale, energy researchers
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Breaks Down Walls for Biofuels
by Heather Lammers, NREL (Renewable Energy World) Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and ethanol producers are racing
December 11, 2009 Read Full Article
US DOE Funds Lignocellulose Research
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The newly funded Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation at Pennsylvania State University will
May 30, 2009 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