Category: Top Stories

Hemp product of the year, BASF’s sun protection, saving kiwi with algae, biodegradable polyester fashion, renewable surfactants, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of June 19th

June 19, 2019 | Jim Lane

As summer gets hotter, bioeconomy inventions and changes are getting hotter too. Here are the top innovations for the week of June 19th – from hemp face cream and hemp protein powder to saving the kiwifruit industry from a devastating bacteria outbreak with algae. In today’s Digest, hemp product of the year, BASF’s sun protection, […]

If rice is nice, rice trash is cash: Gevo, Praj working to convert rice straw to products

June 18, 2019 | Jim Lane

In our three-part series this month on utilizing waste resources, we’ll turn to rice straw, which is a major headache for Chinese and Indian emissions. Praj and Gevo are working hard on perfecting a technology to address this. Specifically, in the past month, Gevo also executed an agreement with Praj to develop jet fuel and […]

ANA and LanzaTech Sign Offtake Agreement for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

June 16, 2019 | admin

In the land of the rising sun, things are looking a whole lot brighter for All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, and for LanzaTech and their sustainable aviation fuel. ANA and LanzaTech signed an offtake agreement for sustainable aviation fuel – a big step in ANA’s efforts to minimize its environmental impact and meet […]

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

June 12, 2019 | Jim Lane

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 […]

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 | Jim Lane

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 […]

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

June 11, 2019 | Jim Lane

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 […]

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

June 10, 2019 | Jim Lane

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 […]

Where is NEXT Renewable Fuels going next and why we want them as a neighbor

June 9, 2019 | admin

NEXT Renewable Fuels, Inc. is leading the way in turning recycled organic materials, like used cooking oil – white and brown grease, animal tallow and a variety of vegetable oils – into renewable transportation fuels, like second-generation advanced green diesel and other products, with their Oregon facility. Representing an […]

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

June 6, 2019 | Jim Lane

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 […]

Miscanthus BBQ fuel, microalgae, new bioreactor for fermentation, cacao bean waste to beer, soy shoes, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of June 7th