by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let’s review the big gambits from the likes of DSM, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Novozymes as they duke it out over market share in an era where corn ethanol gallons are, perhaps for the first
yeast
Back TO HOMEBASF Invests in LanzaTech, ArcelorMittal’s Underway on Advanced Fuels, Syngenta Breaks 3B Gallon Mark, Leaf Gets an Accelerator: Partnership Frenzy in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But it shows also what smaller companies can do when they partner effectively – whether that means industrial giants like ArcelorMittal or BASF, technology accelerator schemes like Unreasonable Impact, or with the US ethanol industry. And
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
BASF and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits to Collaborate and Leverage Synergies Bringing Increased Value to Ethanol Producers
(Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits/BASF) BASF Enzymes LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have formally entered into a marketing and sales collaboration agreement to leverage synergies between the two companies’ products that maximize value to customers in the ethanol market in the
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
FEW Recognizes Moore, Walker for Contributions to Fuel Ethanol
by Tim Albrecht and Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Kristin Moore and Graeme Walker were recognized June 12 for their contributions to ethanol industry during the 2018 Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo in Omaha. Moore was presented with the High-Octane Award
June 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Higher Yields, Faster Fermentation, Reduced Energy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ XCELIS Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Building off the recent launch of its fuel ethanol platform DuPont XCELIS, DuPont Industrial Biosciences unveiled the first three products from the innovation hub – designed to increase yields, speed fermentation and reduce energy and chemical
June 08, 2018 Read Full Article
DuPont Industrial Biosciences Launches 3 New Ethanol Products
(DuPont Industrial Biosciences/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Building off the recent launch of its fuel ethanol platform DuPont Xcelis, DuPont Industrial Biosciences unveiled the first three products from the innovation hub—designed to increase yields, speed fermentation and reduce energy and chemical consumption: DuPont Synerxia
June 06, 2018 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Yeast, Yield, and Plant Performance: The Real-World Science behind the Innovation --- June 5, 2018
Yeast performance dictates how plants operate and how successful they are. But with the relatively recent introduction of new yeast technologies, it can be difficult to know what works best in your plant and what will help you to meet
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Hot Tech for Fuels: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Joint BioEnergy Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) JBEI’s mission is to convert biomass to biofuels. The goal is to provide the nation with clean, renewable transportation fuels identical to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Inside JBEI’s Emeryville laboratories, researchers are using the latest tools
May 22, 2018 Read Full Article
DSM Wins Patent Infringement Case Against Lallemand Related to Low-Glycerol Yeast Technology Applicable in Ethanol Production
(DSM/PR Newswire) Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials received unanimous jury verdict in a Federal Court in Wisconsin concluding that all glycerol reducing ethanol yeast products sold by Lallemand infringe DSM's US Patent 8,795,998. After several
May 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Key Enzyme for Production of Second-Generation Ethanol Discovered in Brazilian Amazon
(São Paulo Research Foundation/EurekAlert) Protein encoded by gene found in microorganisms living in Amazon lake could boost efficiency on the sugarcane bagasse saccharification process, which makes for up to 50% of the global costs of cellulosic ethanol production. -- Second-generation ethanol (also
May 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Verdezyne, Ave Atque Vale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Southern California the report has arrived that Verdezyne is winding down as a company, and today is the last day of operations. The low oil price environment has claimed another victim among the renewable chemical
May 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Accelerating Ag Innovation: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the USDA Agricultural Research Service
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to:
May 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Duckweed Redux: Are Duckweed’s Ducks Finally in a Row for Protein, Fuels and More?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Greenbelt Resources Corporation and Duckweed DAYS commenced their inaugural Duckweed Project to commercialize the duckweed model developed by the Andrew J. Young Foundation. Tests conducted during a pilot program indicated that protein extracted from duckweed was
May 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Ace Ethanol to Install D3MAX Technology at Its Stanley, Wisconsin Facility
(BBI International/PR Newswire) Adoption of both D3MAX and Whitefox Technologies will result in making the Stanley ethanol plant one of the most efficient ethanol facilities in the world. -- D3MAX, LLC and Ace Ethanol, LLC announced today that Ace Ethanol will be the first ethanol
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Engineer Yeast to Grow on Xylose
(Ethanol Producer Magazine/Tufts University) Researchers at Tufts University have created a genetically modified yeast that can more efficiently consume a novel nutrient, xylose, enabling the yeast to grow faster and to higher cell densities, raising the prospect of a significantly faster
April 04, 2018 Read Full Article
DSM Announces Broad Product Offering for the Biofuels Industry
(DSM/Newswire Today) Royal DSM announces its commitment to bring innovative solutions to the biofuels industry with a full portfolio offering of yeast and enzymes for starch, fiber and biomass conversions - DSM.com. Euronext: DSM KON -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers Use Light to Turn Yeast into Biochemical Factories
by Lonnie Shekhtman (Princeton University) ... In a series of experiments, they used light to control genetically modified yeast and increase its output of commercially valuable chemicals. The results offer scientists a powerful new tool to probe and understand the inner working
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Greenbelt’s Testing Facility to Become Commercial Production Plant; “California BioEthanol Project” Designed to Meet the Growth of Local Protein and Ethanol Extraction Needs
(Greenbelt Resources Corporation) Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC:GRCO) (Greenbelt) has announced Phase 1 of the “California BioEthanol Project,” a three-phased initiative that will convert Greenbelt’s Commercial Scale Testing Facility into a commercial-scale production biorefinery. Once Phase 1 is completed, the biorefinery will produce
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Second Front in the Yeast Wars: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Engineering Cellulosic Tolerance in Yeast
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve been covering some important movements in the design and performance of yeast in recent weeks, including the arrival of Novozymes’ Innova drive strains. Most of the activity has been focused on 1G ethanol fermentation. But it’s
February 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Advanced, to Go: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 2G Biofuels Implementation Timetable
The biggest news out of Novozymes this month is its new yeast platform for starch-based ethanol, while also introducing the first product, Innova Drive. A completely new yeast strain, the product can reduce fermentation time by up to two hours compared
February 07, 2018 Read Full Article
How EtOH Production Affects Yeast Health: 4 Tips for Dealing with Ethanol Stress
by Dale Earls, Scientist (Novozymes/Biofuels Digest) In commercial yeasts available today, as fermentation progresses and the concentration of ethanol rises, yeast cells are increasingly exposed to levels of ethanol that quickly become toxic. This greatly affects yeast’s ability to produce ethanol;
December 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrially-Relevant Strains: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a goal of developing industrially-relevant strains to meet titer, rate, and yield targets for fuel precursors for the 2022 BC Platform cost target goals of $3/GGE. A project led by
December 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Collaboration Success: Two Labs Develop a Promising Pathway to Biobased Fuels and Chemicals
(U.S. Department of Energy) Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, have successfully modified a microorganism to produce a useful intermediate from sugar fermentation, which can then be upgraded into valuable biobased fuels and chemicals. NREL’s modified
November 30, 2017 Read Full Article
DuPont Launches Synerxia Thrive to Increase Ethanol Yields
(DuPont Industrial Biosciences/Ethanol Producer Magazine) DuPont Industrial Biosciences has announced the launch of Synerxia Thrive Fermentation System, the newest innovation in the company’s synergistic fermentation system technologies. The new fermentation system will deliver higher ethanol yields, incomparable robustness during thermal excursions and
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Cheaper, More Efficient Biofuels Targeted with New Yeast
(North Queensland Register) A Sydney company has been awarded a $4.03 million grant to develop a yeast to address economic and sustainability issues surrounding biofuels. -- SYDNEY-based yeast developer Microbiogen has been awarded a $4.03 million federal government grant to make production of
November 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Microorganism Factories: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Verdezyne
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Verdezyne is a privately held industrial biotechnology company that is developing and commercializing novel genetically engineered microorganisms for use as “factories” to manufacture renewable chemicals. Verdezyne’s unique microorganisms permit greener, cleaner and more cost effective production
November 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Fuels and Much More: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We Really Do Mean “Drop-in”. Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have
November 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Breaking the Bottleneck - POET-DSM Achieves Cellulosic Biofuel Breakthrough
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In South Dakota, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels achieved a major breakthrough in cellulosic biofuels production at its Project LIBERTY plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The company has solved the critical challenge in pretreatment, overcoming what has been the No.
November 06, 2017 Read Full Article
BREAKING NEWS: DowDuPont to Exit Cellulosic Biofuels Business
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Delaware, DowDuPont announced that it intends to sell its cellulosic biofuels business and its first commercial project, a 30 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa. The Nevada project is still going
November 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Clariant to Build Flagship Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in Romania: 8-Figure Sales Potential Envisioned
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, Clariant’s board has approved investment in a new full-scale commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues using its sunliquid technology. The new plant, with an annual production capacity of 50.000
November 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Keeping Yeast Fit and Healthy: Combating Organic Acids in Fermentation
by Amanda Moser (Novozymes/Biofuels Digest) ... A yeast that is less susceptible to stressors is the best way to create a solid foundation for your fermentation. It also helps, however, to have a strategy for keeping your yeast fit and healthy.
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Methane for Supper: The Digest’s 2017 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
October 20, 2017 Read Full Article
A Sticky Matter: Sugar Molasses Dent EU’s Ambitions on Advanced Biofuels
by Paola Tamma (EurActiv) Sugar molasses, which the European Commission sees as “advanced” biofuel, present many of the same problems as conventional biofuels – including a potential increase in food prices and land competition for food production. But their definition as biofuels
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Engineering and Evolution in Biotechnology
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advancements in yeast optimization are gaining momentum. New companies are entering the space and veterans are improving their processes. -- Yeast strains used in the ethanol industry have remained largely static — even genetic
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
More Efficient Use of Raw Materials with the Aid of 'Molecular Conveyor Belts'
(Phys. Org/Goethe University) Currently, making products such as fuels, synthetic materials or pharmaceuticals from renewable raw materials lacks efficiency because the microorganisms process the raw materials very slowly and generate many unwanted by-products. Biotechnologists at Goethe University Frankfurt have now
September 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Targeted Microbial Development: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Biomass Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy is supporting projects to investigate and recommend promising pathways for advanced biological upgrading of biomass sugars and lignin to hydrocarbons (HC) and co-products to support the DOE BETO 2022 goal
September 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Fermentation Frontiers: Top 10 Trendlines in Industrial Biotech Fermentation
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The most visible advanced industrial fermentation target for a number of years has been cellulosic ethanol, but the targets are diversifying and cellulosics themselves are shifting gears from process to feedstocks. There’s a fervent ferment
September 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Potato Waste Processing May Be the Road to Enhanced Food Waste Conversion
(Pennsylvania State University/Phys.Org) With more than two dozen companies in Pennsylvania manufacturing potato chips, it is no wonder that researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a novel approach to more efficiently convert potato waste into ethanol.
August 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Industrially-Relevant Strains: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Biological Upgrading of Sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy has a goal of developing industrially-relevant strains to meet titer, rate, and yield targets for fuel precursors for the 2022 BC Platform cost target goals of $3/GGE. A project led by
August 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Sugarlogix Researchers Go from Fuel to Food
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In California, two cofounders of Sugarlogix went from engineering yeast for cellulose based fuel production and refining biofuel fermentation processes to cultivating prebiotic sugars that could be good for your gut. Their goal is to
July 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Into the Wild: Exploring Yeast Biodiversity for Better Biofuel
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) In the world of biofuels research, the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae gets a lot of love, with scientists commonly tweaking the yeast’s fermentative qualities to enhance ethanol production. Researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Xylogenics Announces GX-1 Yeast Technology
(Xylogenics) Indiana-based Xylogenics announced today the release of a new strain design for its patented GX-1 yeast production and fermentation process. The efficiencies created by the newest strain design will have an immediate impact on industries that rely on micro-organism
June 29, 2017 Read Full Article
“Packers” Yeast, Newly Identified by a UW–Madison Undergrad, Uncovers a Decades-Old Mistake in the Yeast Family Tree
by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) When Max Haase set out for a walk in Green Bay’s Baird Creek Nature Preserve on a May day in 2015, it was pretty normal stuff. Baird Creek was practically in his backyard, and
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
The Low pH Edge: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Reverdia
by Eduardo Baral (Novvi/Biofuels Digest) Reverdia is a joint venture between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company. Reverdia is dedicated to be the global leader in the
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
UW–Madison Partners with Bonduel School District on Innovative Science Education
by Leslie Shown (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) If science classes at Bonduel Middle School had a rallying cry it would be, “Don’t expect to find the answers in the book!” And Lisa Sorlie, enthusiastic advocate of innovative classroom science, would
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
New Capabilities for Genome-Wide Engineering of Yeast
by Claudia Lutz (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois) New approach combines synthetic biology, genome editing tools, and automation to quickly and effectively produce novel yeast strains One of humankind’s oldest industrial partners is yeast, a familiar microbe that enabled early societies
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to DSM in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences, DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
CHASSY – New EU Yeast Biotech Project
(CHASSY) ... Yeast is already the powerhouse behind many food flavourings, the anti-aging compound Resveratrol, the malaria drug Artemisinin, the grapefruit extract Nootkatone, insulin, bioethanol, bioplastics, and there is potential for many more industrial applications. To better exploit the potential of yeast
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
AB Mauri Introduces AB Biotek in North America
(AB Mauri) AB Mauri, a global leader in yeast and bakery ingredient products, has launched a new business division – AB Biotek – in North America and globally. Specializing in fermentation science and yeast innovation, AB Biotek is a technology-driven division
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Yeast and Bakery Ingredient Leader Launches New Biotech Division Targeting Fermentation and Yeast Innovation; Biofuels
(MoveEnergy) AB Mauri, a global leader in yeast and bakery ingredient products (AB Mauri sells Fleischmann’s yeast), has launched a new business division—AB Biotek—in North America and globally. Specializing in fermentation science and yeast innovation, AB Biotek is a technology-driven
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Quad County Corn Processors to Evaluate XyloFerm® on Industrial Scale
(Taurus Energy) Quad County Corn Processors, Galva, Iowa, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits and Taurus Energy has agreed to evaluate XyloFerm in the Cellerate™ process on industrial scale. After preliminary lab-scale trials of XyloFerm in the Cellerate™ process and obtained GRAS
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
From Sake Brewing to Energy Production: How Innovation in Biofuels Is Coming From Unlikely Places
(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/Forbes) ... Biofuels are one example of the unique synergy that arises when energy developers think “outside the box”. In shifting the focus to fermentation, researchers find themselves relying on sake brewers to produce the biofuels they need. Biofuels,
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Problem of Producing Cheap Biofuel from Cassava Solved
(Bangkok Post) New yeast species is key to cutting cost -- ... After 18 months of research and experiments, the Thailand Institute of Science and Technological Research (TISTR) has found that they can use a species of yeast named Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Exploring The Symbiotic Relationship of Lichens Could Make For Better Biofuel Production
(Biofuels Journal) Researchers at John Hopkins University, USA, have created artificial lichens using bacteria and yeast that are capable of producing materials for biofuels directly from sunlight and CO2. The research is published in the open access journal Biotechnology for Biofuels
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Five New Artificial Yeast Chromosomes Set Stage for First Synthetic Eukaryotic Genome
(American Association for the Advancement of Science/EurekAlert!) In a package featuring seven new studies, scientists of the Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0) who previously constructed a single yeast chromosome now report constructing five more - representing more than one-third of yeast's
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
A Step toward Renewable Diesel: Chemical Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils.
by Anne Trafton (MIT News) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
The Emerging Synthetic Biology Ecosystem: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Gingko BioWorks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Recently, Ginkgo BioWorks announced the launch of their next generation foundry, Bioworks2. With 125,000 square feet and an 6X expected increase in capacity compatred to BioWorks 1, Bioworks2 represents a step change in what is possible for
January 23, 2017 Read Full Article
MIT Engineers Program Yeast to Convert Plant Sugars into Oils
by Anne Trafton (MIT/Biomass Magazine) MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers,
January 20, 2017 Read Full Article
FHR Unveils a $50M Gambit to Make Überprotein at Ethanol Plants
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nebraska, Flint Hills Resources will invest more than $50M in its Fairmont, Neb. ethanol plant to install a new technology that will produce a high protein animal and fish feed ingredient from a portion
January 19, 2017 Read Full Article
LEAF Opens New Yeast Facility and Launches New Product
by Doris de Guzman (Green Chemicals Blog) Leaf – Lesaffre Advanced Fermentations has inaugurated its the new Lesaffre Yeast Corporation drying facility in Headland, Alabama, last week, which is reportedly the company’s first yeast drying facility in the United States. The
January 19, 2017 Read Full Article
PTG to Make Ethanol from Cassava Pulp
(Bangkok Post) PTG Energy Plc (PTG), a SET-listed oil retailer, and Eiamburapa Co (EBP), a top producer of tapioca products, have teamed up to develop what they say will be the world's first facility that makes ethanol from cassava pulp. The project
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Harnessing the Biofuel Power of Algae
by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News) New research at Michigan State University has the potential to create a biofuel source produced by algae. Plant researcher Danny Ducat tells Brownfield certain algae bacteria can capture more solar energy, using less land and
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Molecular Velcro Boosts Microalgae's Potential in Biofuel, Industrial Applications
(Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists have engineered “molecular Velcro” into cyanobacteria, boosting this microalgae’s biofuel viability as well as its potential for other research. The findings, featured in the current issue of ACS Synthetic Biology, show how MSU researchers
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
We Really Do Mean “Drop-in”: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have developed an industrial
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
New Research Could Make Ethanol Production More Efficient and Economic
(Phys.Org) New research at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus could significantly change ethanol production by lowering operating costs and simplifying the dry grind process. "There are currently more than 200 dry grind plants
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Yeast Evolution Offers Hope for Cellulosic Biofuel
by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News) ... The prospects for cellulosic ethanol becoming a commercially available clean transportation fuel could also hinge on yeast’s ability to ferment corn stalks, switchgrass, wood chips or other fibrous feed stock. The same strain of
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
‘Super Yeast’ Has the Power to Improve Economics of Biofuels
by Mark E. Griffin (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) have found a way to nearly double the efficiency with which a commonly used industrial yeast strain converts plant sugars
October 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Fibria, Lallemand
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at Fibria and Lallemand and
October 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Strategic Intent: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to LeSaffre, Corbion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This season, The Digest is hosting the Strategic Intent webinar series, looking at the plans, progress and future milestones of strategic stakeholders in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In this slide deck, we looked at LeSaffre and
October 06, 2016 Read Full Article
How to Optimize Biofuel Production Through Plant Genetics and Alternative Ingredients
(AUSBIOTECH/Ag Funder News) ... Plant oils offer great potential to provide much-needed renewable replacements for petroleum-derived fuels and chemicals, due to their natural abundance. To harness this potential, plant oils must be engineered to ensure their structure is appropriate, and that
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Welcome to Aviation Biofuels Math Class with Mr. Mercutio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you were reading BBC’s coverage of the aviation biofuels space yesterday, you would have seen the provocative headline: Wood fuel plan to cut plane CO2 branded as ‘pipe dream’ Then would have looked in vain for
August 31, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Joint Genome Institute Aims to Boost Use of More Yeasts
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In California, so far industry has only harnessed a fraction of the diversity available for biotechnological applications, including biofuel production. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by DOE Joint
August 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol, What Happened, What’s Happening?
by Irshad Ahmed (Lee Enterprises) ... I believe cellulosic ethanol is here to stay for the long haul and it is finally exhibiting real potential to establish a critical-mass commercial base alongside the corn-ethanol industry. Its commercial success will come from the
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Illinois Tech Scientists Receive Patent for Method to Genetically Engineer Bacteria and Yeast to Increase Bioethanol Production
(IIT Today) Scientists from Illinois Institute of Technology received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks and husks, and woodchips. Ben Stark,
July 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Singapore Scientists Mine Butanol from Fats in Food Waste
(The China Post) Scientists in Singapore have found a green, efficient way to deal with the growing amount of food waste that the country produces. They have genetically modified a type of yeast so that it can convert fats in food
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
DuPont Introduces New Yield-Increasing Fermentation System for Ethanol Production
(Biofuels International) DuPont Industrial Biosciences has launched a new fermentation system to help ethanol producers improve their yields and decrease sugar levels in their product. The DuPont Synerxia system, introduced at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, increases yields by up
July 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Verdezyne, CB&I, Albemarle, Dow AgroSciences, Newlight Technologies Land 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA announced that Verdezyne, CB&I, Albemarle, Dow AgroSciences, Newlight Technologies and Princeton Professor Paul Chirik are winners of the 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Awards. Though less well-known than the Presidential Challenge on Fitness,
June 24, 2016 Read Full Article
ICM Has Short List for Its Gen 1.5 Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, ICM said it is is currently in discussion with a short list of those interested in being selected as an early adopter of its Gen 1.5 technology, and they anticipate construction of the
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Advancing the Brewing Process With New Yeasts, Enzymes
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For millennia, the recipe for brewing remained basically the same: add water and yeast to the ground grain and wait. The big innovation of the past century was the addition of enzymes to
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA, DOE Partner to Invest $10 Million in Green Energy Research
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the joint investment of $10 million towards research that will drive more efficient biofuels production
May 09, 2016 Read Full Article
New Coproduct Technology Produces Food-Grade Yeast
by Don McLellan (AFC Yeast/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Typically, in ethanol production the nonfermentable leftovers from the feedstocks and yeast are combined and sold either as wetcake or dried distillers grains for feed. But the yeast included in that sale of animal
April 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Japanese Team Cracks into Biofuel with Crab Shells
by Takuro Kusashio (Nikke) Researchers at Kobe University say they have found a possible way to turn bits of crustaceans and insects into ethanol for about the same cost as producing the fuel from corn. Chitin, the stuff that gives the
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Integrated Bioprocess for Conversion of Gaseous Substrates to Liquids
by Peng Hua, Sagar Chakraborty, Amit Kumar, Benjamin Woolston, Hongjuan Liu, David Emerson, and Gregory Stephanopoulos (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) In the quest for inexpensive feedstocks (cost-effective fuel production), here we show a two-stage integrated bioprocess for
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Awards Grants to 38 Student Teams for Innovative Sustainable Projects
(US Environmental Protection Agency/ForConstructionPros.com) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 38 People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grants to university student teams for proposed projects to develop new, sustainable products and strategies. Each team will receive up to $15,000
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
New Method for Bio-Designing Yeast Could Improve Biofuel Production
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) An assistant research specialist at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) has designed a new strain of yeast that could improve the efficiency of making fuel from cellulosic biomass such as switchgrass. Both the yeast
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
4 Advanced Biofuel Plants for Argentina as Porta, Gevo Announce Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo and Porta are targeting the construction of at least four isobutanol plants in Argentina; first plant to be wholly owned by Porta, with a targeted production capacity of up to five million gallons per year In
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
CRISPR-Cas9 Tool Expedites Production of Biofuel Precursors and Specialty Polymers in Living Systems
by Sarah Nightingale (Phys.Org) A team led by a researcher at the University of California, Riverside has adapted the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system for use in a yeast strain that can produce useful lipids and polymers. The development will lead to
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
One-Stop Shop for Biofuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) ... Led by Seema Singh and Blake Simmons, JBEI researchers have developed a “high-gravity” one-pot process for producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass that gives unprecedented yields while minimizing water use and waste disposal. The
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Purdue Engineer Receives Top Award from Obama
(Purdue University) Nancy Ho, founder and president of Green Tech America Inc. and a research professor emerita in Purdue University's School of Chemical Engineering, will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama. The award, announced Dec. 22,
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
NREL's Min Zhang Keeps Her "Bugs" Happy, Leading to Biofuel Breakthroughs
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Scientist Min Zhang has a special relationship with Zymomonas mobilis, a rod-shaped bacterium that has bioethanol-producing capabilities. Of her 80 peer-reviewed papers and 21 U.S. patents in the field of biochemistry
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels to Bioeconomy Conference Speaker Summaries Published
(Biofuels Digest) In Canada, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association released a 16-page synopsis of more than a dozen addresses at the recent Canadian Bioeconomy Summit. The synopsis team was led by Dr. Jack Saddler, ... READ MORE Download Summaries Excerpt from
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
New Way to Make Yeast Hybrids May Inspire New Brews, Biofuels
by Terry Devitt (University of Wisconsin-Madison News) The makers of beer, wine, biofuels and other products that depend on yeasts may soon have many more strains of the microorganism to work with, thanks to a new method for making interspecies
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
More Biofuel, Using Less Land
by Éanna Kelly (Science|Business) The problem: Finding efficient ways of producing ethanol from cellulose plant material such as corn husks or stalks, is a long-term research objective. The answer: Now scientists at KU Leuven have succeeded in producing what they claim to
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
ICM Aims for Strong Legacy
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry. -- In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of the engineering, manufacturing and marketing
October 27, 2015 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 -- .. JBEI researchers are zeroing in on concepts that others have decided are too difficult or would take too
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
The Isooctene Revolution, Redux: The Digest’s Updated 2015 8-Slide Guide to Gevo
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo has two proprietary technologies that combine to make it possible to retrofit existing ethanol plants to produce isobutanol, a four carbon alcohol which serves as a hydrocarbon platform molecule. They have developed an industrial
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
The Building Block Builders: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to BioAmber
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the company’s IPO Prospectus: “Our proprietary technology platform combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals that are cost-competitive replacements for petroleum-derived chemicals. The development of our
September 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Yeast Cell Factories on the Horizon
by Jens Nielsen (Science Magazine) For thousands of years, yeast has been used for making beer, bread, and wine. In modern times, it has become a commercial workhorse for producing fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals such as insulin, human serum albumin,
September 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Taurus Energy Signs Key Brazilian Material Transfer aAgreement; Wins US Patent for More Ethanol, Xylose; Less Xylitol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, Taurus Energy has signed a material transfer agreement with a leading research and technology center for sugar cane and ethanol producers in Brazil. Work will be performed in both parties’ respective laboratories to
September 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Amyris and the Velocity of Renewables
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What makes Amyris, Amyris? We look at the products, the evolution of the story, the partners, the focus on yield, and deeper into the story of Rate. ... Amyris experienced last month what CEO John Melo
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Boosting Biofuel Production: New MIT Research Finds Supplements Help Yeast Survive.
by Nancy Stauffer (MIT Energy Initiative) Chemical engineers and biologists at MIT have found a simple way to make yeast produce more ethanol from sugars: Spike the mixture they’re growing on with two common chemicals. Adding potassium and an acidity-reducing compound helps
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 2015: Biomass: Challenges and Promises
by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE) held in Vienna 1-4 June was a massive event with nearly 1300 participants from 76 countries and some 800 presentations. The event consisted of multiple parallel
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Mould Unlocks New Route to Biofuels
(University of Manchester) Scientists at The University of Manchester have made an important discovery that forms the basis for the development of new applications in biofuels and the sustainable manufacturing of chemicals. Based at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), researchers
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Taurus Energy Poised to Bring 2nd Generation Yeast to U.S. Market
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A company based in Lund, Sweden, recently received a welcome notification from the U.S. EPA, indicating the company’s 90-day Microbial Commercial Activity Notice review has been completed without objections. This puts Taurus Energy AB
June 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research and Commercial Development in Denmark
(Task 39 Newsletter) General introduction - A fossil free energy supply by 2050 -- In 2012, the Danish parliament decided on a new climate act, which calls for an energy supply totally free of fossil fuels by 2050. This goal
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Taurus Energy, Lallemand Ink XyloFerm Yeast Marketing Agreement
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, Taurus Energy AB, Lund, Sweden and Canadian based Lallemand have signed an agreement for collaboration with respect to the development, marketing, sale and distribution of Taurus’ Gen 2 platform on the U.S. market. READ
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Yields Continue to Improve
(US DOE Energy Information Administration) In 2014, U.S. fuel ethanol production reached 14.3 billion gallons of ethanol fuel, the highest level ever. The growth in U.S. fuel ethanol production has outpaced growth in corn consumed as feedstock—as the industry has
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute Publish Paper Outlining Efficient Synthetic Biology Methods to Genetically Engineer Microalgae
(J. Craig Venter Institute) Results have important implications in developing algae-based products such as biofuels and chemicals -- Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published a paper today (April 21, 2015) outlining new
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Cascades Announces Major Investments in Biorefinery Project at Cabano Plant
(Cascades/PRNewswire) Cascades Inc. (TSX: CAS), a leader in the recovery of recyclable materials and manufacturing green packaging products and tissue paper, is pleased to announce the company's investment in a new technology at its Norampac – Cabano facility. This innovative
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Engineers Develop New Yeast Strain to Enhance Biofuel and Biochemical Production
(University of Texas at Austin) Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have used a combination of metabolic engineering and directed evolution to develop a new, mutant yeast strain that could lead to
April 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Enhancing Microbial Lipid Production
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) By revealing a novel molecular pathway involved in microbial lipid accumulation in the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, this study could lead to strategies for engineering microbes to increase the production of lipid biofuels and chemicals. Lipids derived
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
An Evolutionary Metabolic Engineering Approach for Enhancing Lipogenesis in Yarrowia lipolytica
by Leqian Liu, Anny Pan, Caitlin Spofford, Nijia Zhou, Hal S. Alper (Metabolic Engineering) Lipogenic organisms provide an ideal platform for biodiesel and oleochemical production. Through our previous rational metabolic engineering efforts, lipogenesis titers in Yarrowia lipolytica were significantly enhanced. However,
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Agricultural Waste Could Be Used as Biofuel
(Phys.Org) Straw-powered cars could be a thing of the future thanks to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A new study pinpoints five strains of yeast capable of turning agricultural by-products, such as straw, sawdust and corncobs, into
March 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Step Change for Screening Could Boost Biofuels
( Institute of Food Research/Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the Institute of Food Research have developed a new way of rapidly screening yeasts that could help produce more sustainable biofuels. The new technique could also be a boon in the search for new
March 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Metabolic Path to Improved Biofuel Production
(EurekAlert!/US Department of Energy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Researchers with the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a partnership that includes the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley, have found a way to increase the
March 05, 2015 Read Full Article
UGA Researchers Develop Super Yeast that Turns Pine into Ethanol
(University of Georgia/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a "super strain" of yeast that can efficiently ferment ethanol from pretreated pine, one of the most common species of trees in Georgia and the U.S. Their
February 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Engineered Yeast Turn Three Carbon Compounds Into Ethanol
by Jyoti Madhusoodanan (Chemical & Engineering News) Biofuels: Yeast designed to ferment compounds found in treated biomass could boost biofuel production When biofuel producers turn agricultural waste into ethanol, they start by treating the biomass with acid to hydrolyze complex carbohydrates
February 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Biofuel Production Avoids Competition with Food Resources
(EurekAlert!) The efficient production of both biofuel and animal feed from 1 crop is now possible, and can be done on a farm without the need for off-site processes The efficient production of both biofuel and animal feed from one crop is
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
BP’s Exit from Cellulosic Ethanol: the Assets, the Auction, the Process, the Timing, the Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The complete details on BP’s exit and the considerable physical and intellectual assets available for acquisition, in part or in whole. As BP continues to reel from its oil leak capital calls and the impact
January 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Gevo Issues Plant Update, Transfers Common Stock Listing
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On Jan. 8, Gevo Inc. issued an update of operations at its Luverne, Minnesota, plant, reporting that the facility produced more than 50,000 gallons of biobased isobutanol in December. The company also recently announced the
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
10 Biggest Bioeconomy Blockbuster Stories of 2014 (EU, Middle East and Africa)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aviation biofuels on the rise, in the skies” tops the trend list; drop-in and cellulosic ethanol projects; M&A and cap raises, and action from strategic investors and customers dominate the headlines this year. You might know
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
WARF Grants License, Takes Stake in Biotech Company Xylome
by Kathleen Gallagher (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the technology transfer arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has granted a license to and taken a stake in Xylome Corp., a privately-held Madison biotech company. The agreement between WARF
November 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Mascoma Catches Its Wascaly Wabbit, as Lallemand Acquires the Mascoma Yeast Business
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Mascoma Corporation announced that it has completed the sale of its yeast business to Lallemand Inc., a privately owned company that researches, develops, produces and markets yeasts, bacteria, and related products. As part of
November 05, 2014 Read Full Article
4 minutes with… Lars Welin, CEO, Taurus Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Taurus Energy is a company working to develop the best possible yeast for fermentation of c5 sugars ... We work with customers and their hydrolysate and try to provide a yeast that can ferment the hydrolysate in a
November 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Transforming Toxic Waste into Green Energy
by Christian Durand (Concordia University) Emerging graduate research at Concordia seeks to turn pulp mills into dynamic biorefineries How can a struggling industry like pulp and paper in Canada be revived? According to Damien Biot-Pelletier, a Concordia PhD candidate in biology, the
November 03, 2014 Read Full Article
EPA Honors the Winners of the 19th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards/ Winning Technologies Tackle Climate Change and Promote Energy Efficiency
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development. “From academia to business, we congratulate
October 16, 2014 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with…Ray W. Miller, Chief Business Officer, Verdezyne
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Our technology is based on a proprietary yeast that is selectively engineered to use a variety of plant oil by-products, such as fatty acids, to produce dodecanedioic acid (DDDA), adipic acid and sebacic acid. ... Most important
October 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Thermotolerant Yeast Can Provide More Climate-Smart Ethanol
(Science 20) The yeast has not been gene modified by the researchers; rather, they have used adaptive laboratory evolution to produce it. The method allows new characteristics to be produced without knowing which mutations are required to achieve them. Three yeast
October 15, 2014 Read Full Article
New Approach to Boosting Biofuel Production
by Anne Trafton (MIT News Office) Different environment helps yeast tolerate high levels of ethanol, making them more productive. Yeast are commonly used to transform corn and other plant materials into biofuels such as ethanol. However, large concentrations of ethanol
October 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Clariant’s Demonstration Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in Germany: The Complete Facility, in Pictures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Producing enzymes and yeasts on site, as part of the complete biomass-to-fuels manufacturing process. ... In recent years — the region around Straubing turned to biotech to access the high returns in high tech for its
September 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Cellulosics and the EU: Chasing Higher Rates, Yields, and More Value from Lignin
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The cellulosic scene in the EU is lively and well — greatly cheered by news of commercial-scale openings by POET-DSM, and Beta Renewables and the impending openings at Abengoa Bioenergy and DuPont. This week, the 4th
September 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Dyadic, CIMV to Collaborate on Second Generation Biofuels
(Dyadic International Inc./Biomass Magazine) Dyadic International Inc., a global biotechnology company whose patented and proprietary technologies are used to develop, manufacture and sell enzymes and other proteins for the bioenergy, bio-based chemical, biopharmaceutical and industrial enzyme industries, recently announced that
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production, Plagued by Yogurt Bacteria, Getting Viral Cure
by Elizabeth Summer (livescience.com/Phage Biocontrol, Inc.) The beneficial microbes that convert milk into yogurt and act in people's guts to promote digestive health cause big problems in ethanol fermentation tanks. When fermenting corn to create ethanol, lactic acid bacteria can contaminate the
August 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Producers Presented with Options for Coproduct Diversification
by Ron Kotrba (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Diversifying ethanol coproduct streams is big business in today’s market as producers seek to add value to their product portfolios, a major focus of discussion at the 2014 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Obama, Malaysia, Verdezyne, and Business as Unusual in the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How a small, development-stage industrial biotech company, making chemicals you never heard of, landed $48M in new investment and a $100M valuation from investors like BP. And how they got so hot that figures like President
April 29, 2014 Read Full Article
First Functional 'Designer' Chromosome in Yeast Is Synthesized
(NYU Langone Medical Center/Biomass Magazine) An international team of scientists led by Jef Boeke, director of NYU Langone Medical Center’s Institute for Systems Genetics, has synthesized the first functional chromosome in yeast, an important step in the emerging field of synthetic biology,
April 04, 2014 Read Full Article
New Sugar Platform Shows Promise
(Biomass Magazine) Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a process that uses gamma valerolactone (GVL) to deconstruct plants and produce sugars that can be chemically or biologically upgraded into biofuels. The team is expected to begin scaling up
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Lesaffre Announces Leaf Technologies
(Lesaffre) Through its business unit Fermentis launched in 2003 Lesaffre has successfully served the fuel ethanol industry with yeast, yeast products and technical support. Aiming to concentrate their efforts on offering more specialized services and products to theirpartners in the first
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
The Next Generation of Biodiesel Coproduct Research
Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The uses of glycerin - crude, USP-grade or otherwise - and other byproducts from biodiesel production are virtually limitless. Profiled here is the glycerin and coproduct research of three Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel. READ MORE
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Why the Promise of Cheap Fuel from Super Bugs Fell Short
by Martin LaMonica (MIT Technology Review) The sell-off of synthetic biology pioneer LS9 goes to show that making biofuels from genetically engineered microbes has yet to deliver economically. ... LS9 had hoped to be selling diesel to refineries at least two years
February 06, 2014 Read Full Article
UT Austin Engineer Converts Yeast Cells into ‘Sweet Crude’ Biofuel
(University of Texas at Austin) Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a new source of renewable energy, a biofuel, from genetically engineered yeast cells and ordinary table sugar. This yeast produces oils and fats, known
January 31, 2014 Read Full Article
DSM, DONG Energy Report Improved Cellulosic Ethanol Yield
(Royal DSM/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Royal DSM, together with DONG Energy, announced it has demonstrated the combined fermentation of C6 and C5 sugars from wheat straw on an industrial scale. The combined fermentation results in a 40 percent increase in ethanol
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Brown Algae Being Engineered for Food and Bio-Ethanol
(Algae Industry Magazine) European Biotechnology News reports that researchers, together with Norwegian and Chilean bioethanol producers, have developed advanced techniques to produce food and bio-ethanol from brown algae, which does not require arable land, fresh water or fertilizers. Until now, cultivation
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Team Uses a Cellulosic Biofuels Byproduct to Increase Ethanol Yield
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Scientists report in Nature Communications that they have engineered yeast to consume acetic acid, a previously unwanted byproduct of the process of converting plant leaves, stems and other tissues into biofuels. The innovation increases ethanol yield from
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Reshaping American Energy—A Look Back at BETO’s Accomplishments in 2013.
(US Department of Energy) BETO recently published a new two-page overview document that highlights significant Office achievements from 2013. One noteworthy success was the demonstration of two cellulosic ethanol production processes at a cost of $2.15 or less per gallon.
November 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Lemons Fly as Jet Fuel of the Future
(University of Queensland) A University of Queensland researcher hopes to use a chemical found in lemons and other citrus fruits to make clean, renewable jet fuel. Dr Claudia Vickers is modifying baker's yeast to produce a synthetic form of the natural
October 18, 2013 Read Full Article
What Happened to Biofuels?
(The Economist) Energy technology: Making large amounts of fuel from organic matter has proved to be more difficult and costly than expected ...As well as being available to countries without tar sands, shale fields or gushers, biofuels can help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions
September 06, 2013 Read Full Article
More Efficient Production of Biofuels from Waste with the Help of Modified Yeasts
(Phys.Org) ... Researchers from VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) who are associated with KU Leuven have developed yeast strains that produce bio-ethanol from waste with an unprecedented efficiency. As a result, they are well placed to become important players on a
August 30, 2013 Read Full Article
CALL FOR PAPERS: 36th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals April 28-May 1, 2014 DEADLINE: November 17, 2013
Abstract submission is now open for the 36th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (SBFC). The 36th SBFC will be held April 28-May 1, 2014 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The deadline for abstract submissions
August 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Gevo Reports Q2 Results; Expanding Production; Cap Raise Looms
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) In Colorado, Gevo announced a net loss for Q2 2013 of $15.2 million compared to $16.2 million for the second quarter of 2012. Revenues were $1.9 million compared to $7.0 million in Q2 2012. The
August 07, 2013 Read Full Article
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