Author Archive: Jim Lane

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Potential to decarbonize long distance transport: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Drop-in Biofuels

Potential to decarbonize long distance transport: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Drop-in Biofuels

June 13, 2019 |

IEA Bioenergy Task 39, with the help of the National Renewable Energy Lab and University of British Columbia, has been working facilitating the commercialization of conventional and advanced liquid biofuels from biomass drop-in biofuels for quite some time. They are looking at various technologies for drop-in biofuel production and how they can decarbonize long distance […]

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Demise of the Diva: The new organisms are workhorses not show ponies, but they do the most amazing tricks.

Demise of the Diva: The new organisms are workhorses not show ponies, but they do the most amazing tricks.

June 12, 2019 |

And so, the Fuel Ethanol Workshops have come and gone again with their dizzying array of technology updates from our friends in the world of enzymes and yeast. Reports from the floor indicate that the mood was surprisingly optimistic given the slew of small refinery waivers from EPA that have gut-punched the industry. In the […]

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Stone-based toilet paper, greener goblets of liquor, algae footwear, biobased paint, fungus headphones, barley, rice, tapioca straws, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of June 13th

Stone-based toilet paper, greener goblets of liquor, algae footwear, biobased paint, fungus headphones, barley, rice, tapioca straws, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of June 13th

June 12, 2019 |

As June brings lots of celebrations and company announcements, the pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of June 13th – from things you never thought would exist like “RockRoll” toilet paper, to things you wish you had thought of like biobased vodka […]

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Biomanufacturing 2.0 Cell-Free: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Invizyne Technologies

Biomanufacturing 2.0 Cell-Free: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Invizyne Technologies

June 12, 2019 |

Invizyne Technologies is making chemicals the cell-free way using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. By inputting sugar and using engineered microbes, they can result in useful compounds and commodity chemicals, biofuels, fuel additives, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals. James Bowie from UCLA/Invizyne Technologies offered this illuminating presentation on the steps involved using synthetic biochemistry to create commodity […]

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All I Need is the Air That I Breathe: The search for better sources for octane and better uses for aromatics

All I Need is the Air That I Breathe: The search for better sources for octane and better uses for aromatics

June 11, 2019 |

In Washington, a new report concludes that emissions from petroleum-based gasoline “are one of the biggest health threats facing the American public”. The report links a wide range of respiratory and even neurological diseases to toxic carcinogenic compounds refiners used to increase octane in gasoline. A fact book — entitled “What’s in Our Gasoline Is […]

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Commercializing Low Carbon Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis

Commercializing Low Carbon Biofuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis

June 11, 2019 |

The Digest’s “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Aemetis. Aemetis is implementing the first biomass-to-biofuels plant using the LanzaTech process. They also have a 12 mgy cellulosic ethanol plant project being developed in Riverbank, California that is of interest. Eric […]

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It’s a Yeast Feast, Enzyme Showtime: The Majors break through with new cost-busting solutions for ethanol production

It’s a Yeast Feast, Enzyme Showtime: The Majors break through with new cost-busting solutions for ethanol production

June 10, 2019 |

Three big product announcements just in… DSM (e) breaks through on yield, efficiency with new yeast, enzyme offerings for corn fiber conversion. Novozymes launches breakthrough techs “Fortiva” and “Innova Force”. Dupont extends with corn oil extraction tech. In Indiana, DSM leads the news out of the Fuel Ethanol Workshops with their latest yeast and enzyme […]

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Promising start to 2019: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Stora Enso

Promising start to 2019: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Stora Enso

June 10, 2019 |

The Digest’s “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Stora Enso. Stora Enso celebrated some positive Q1 2019 financials including sales that went up, operational EBIT that went down, and overall profit protection program that helped them out so far this […]

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Diesel engines CAN be friends with ethanol!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ClearFlame Engines

Diesel engines CAN be friends with ethanol!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ClearFlame Engines

June 9, 2019 |

ClearFlame Engines spoke at a recent Biofuels Digest webinar about diesel fueled engines and how they can be running on ethanol via ClearFlame engines that can be easily integrated into existing designs. They’ve already demonstrated a 10% savings in fuel by retrofitting their work truck to use ethanol, and their technology can allow ethanol to […]

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It’s Genomatica! Renowned San Diego bioeconomy hotshop to acquire REG Life Sciences

It’s Genomatica! Renowned San Diego bioeconomy hotshop to acquire REG Life Sciences

June 6, 2019 |

In Iowa, we’ve learned that Renewable Energy Group has completed the sale of substantially all assets of REG Life Sciences’ to Genomatica. REG acquired the Life Sciences business in 2014, when it was known as LS9. Since then the team has successfully advanced the technology development over several years including through key strategic partnerships with […]

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