Category: Top Stories

MEGA-BIO and the Three Amigos: DOE hands out $11.3M — who for, and whyfor?

MEGA-BIO and the Three Amigos: DOE hands out $11.3M — who for, and whyfor?

August 7, 2016 |

In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $11.3 million for three projects that support the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that, as the DOE remarked, “can produce variable amounts of fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand.” That’s DOE code for — “it’s OK to produce chemicals […]

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Ants! Run for your lives! Or, perhaps, are ants the key players in the Hydrogen Economy?

Ants! Run for your lives! Or, perhaps, are ants the key players in the Hydrogen Economy?

August 4, 2016 |

Although they will not know it, when the world finally moves off petroleum completely, we may have the ants to thank. Formica, as ants were known by the Romans (yes, formica, but not the flooring material) — when squashed, emit a characteristic odor and that’s formic acid. That we know so much about it is thanks to […]

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KiOR: The inside true story of a company gone wrong. Part 3, “You’ve Cooked the Books”

KiOR: The inside true story of a company gone wrong. Part 3, “You’ve Cooked the Books”

August 3, 2016 |

Our story so far KiOR was hanging by a thread as the summer of 2010 commenced. In a few days, the first recorded visitors to Pasadena demo unit, representatives of the Mississippi Development Authority, were expecting to see the demonstration unit in action. The company was beginning to hurtle towards an IPO. But the fuel […]

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We band of brothers: Crisp, CRISPR, Crispin’s Day and the democratization of crop R&D

We band of brothers: Crisp, CRISPR, Crispin’s Day and the democratization of crop R&D

August 2, 2016 |

At the critical juncture of Shakespeare’s Henry V, on St. Crispin’s Day, 1415, when the French forces looked ready to overwhelm the small band of knights that are with the English King at Agincourt, the young King Henry says: This day is call’d the feast of Crispian …And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From […]

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$26/gallon to $2.05 in 42 months: The Inside True Story of the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet

$26/gallon to $2.05 in 42 months: The Inside True Story of the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet

August 1, 2016 |

In Florida, the Digest and BioChannel.TV released “Sustainable Fuels on Troubled Waters”, the Inside True Story of the US Navy’s Great Green Fleet — a documentary profile on the US Navy’s success in driving down the costs of renewable fuel — up to and including the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 exercises near Hawaii. The story […]

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White House releases “Federal Alternative Jet Fuel Research and Development Strategy”

White House releases “Federal Alternative Jet Fuel Research and Development Strategy”

July 31, 2016 |

In Washington, a new White House report, titled “Federal Alternative Jet Fuel Research and Development Strategy,” sets out prioritized federal research and development goals and objectives to address key scientific and technical challenges that inhibit the development, production, and use of economically viable alternative jet fuels at commercial scale. The Alternative Jet Fuel Interagency Working […]

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The Digest’s 9th Birthday Special Issue

The Digest’s 9th Birthday Special Issue

July 28, 2016 |

9 years ago, The Digest debuted with two subscribers and a guess. This week, The Digest turns nine,. We thought back in 2007 that the industry needed a concise, 5-Minute daily summary of “news you can use” for the advanced bioeconomy. That a vast audience out there was as interested in the convergence of biotechnology, national defense, climate […]

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The Hot 40 and Hot 50 for 2016-17: Nominations open for annual Advanced Bioeconomy rankings

The Hot 40 and Hot 50 for 2016-17: Nominations open for annual Advanced Bioeconomy rankings

July 28, 2016 |

Who will be #1 – who will get your vote? Photo Voting expanded – special bonus votes for most original artwork. In Florida, The Digest announced the official opening of nominations for the 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy and the 40 Hottest Early-Stage Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy. Nominate companies here. Voting Rules Voting […]

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The Top 25 Advanced Bioeconomy Stories of the Year

The Top 25 Advanced Bioeconomy Stories of the Year

July 28, 2016 |

What were the hot reads, the must-sees, the stories that readers rewarded with their most important and non-renewable commodity: time? We looked at the past year, and these are the 25 Top Stories of the Year, as measured by the number of readers. 25 The Pyromaniax, Class of 2015: The Top 10 Pyrolysis projects in […]

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Taxing virtue as sin: US tax rate on E85 renewable fuel soars past 100%

Taxing virtue as sin: US tax rate on E85 renewable fuel soars past 100%

July 27, 2016 |

The US passed a dubious and historic milestone this week. The tax rate on E85 renewable fuels now exceeds 100% in some formulations. By comparison, the tax rate on E10 renewable fuel is running at an estimated 41% and the tax rate on straight gasoline is running at an estimated 35%. As Shakespeare observed in […]

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