In Brazil, researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have genetically engineered a fungus to produce a cocktail of enzymes that break down the carbohydrates in biomass, such as sugarcane trash (tops and leaves) and bagasse, into fermentable sugar for industrially efficient conversion into biofuel. The development of low-cost enzyme […]
In California, optimize catalyst performance, a team of scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and collaborators has developed a detailed understanding of the effect of pretreatment-induced nanoscale structural and compositional changes on catalyst activity and long-term stability. The research could make the production of the important industrial feedstock chemical acetaldehyde more efficient. Improvements in […]
In Germany, in an interdisciplinary study by the Universities of Göttingen, Hohenheim and Indonesian partner universities, examines the environmental, social and economic consequences of land-use transitions in a tropical smallholder landscape on Sumatra, Indonesia and the economic-ecological conflicting goals of developments for the oil palm landscapes. Land-use transitions can enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers […]
In Kentucky, dual-purpose industrial hemp cultivars show the best potential for coproduction of biofuel and bioproducts, according to University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment study. Researchers evaluated 11 hemp cultivars from all over the world. They planted cultivars at UK’s Spindletop Farm and at Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability under the […]
In Japan, researchers at the Japan Science and Technology Agency succeeded in promoting plant growth and increasing seed yield by heterologous expression of protein from Arabidopsis (artificially modified high-speed motor protein) in Camelina sativa, which is expected as a useful plant for biodiesel. In this study, the research group showed that the increase of seed […]
In Pennsylvania, flavonoid compounds—produced by the roots of some sorghum plants—positively affect soil microorganisms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a frost-resistant line of the valuable crop for North American farmers. That is important because sorghum is a crop that can respond to climate change because […]
In Illinois, a research team, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory in collaboration with Northern Illinois University, has discovered a new electrocatalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into ethanol with very high energy efficiency, high selectivity for the desired final product and low cost. Ethanol is a particularly […]
In Germany, a research team from the Ruhr University Bochum and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion showed for the first time that the zinc component of the active center is positively charged and that the catalyst even has two copper-based active centers, giving insight into methanol production. “The condition of the zinc […]
In Nigeria, researchers at the University of Ilorin have developed a biodiesel production process from used cooking oil using waste-iron-filling as the building blocks for a nano-catalyst. Scientists used UCO containing 6.1% free fatty acid as feedstock for the trials. The catalysts showed the effectiveness and relative stability for UCO transesterification over three cycles, demonstrating […]
In California, Stanford researchers conducted the first comprehensive analysis of India’s sugar industry and its impact on water, food and energy resources through the lens of its political economy – that is, how entrenched political interests in sugar production threaten food, water and energy security over time. The results show that a national biofuel policy […]
