In Wisconsin, The Badger Herald reported that the Wisconsin Energy Institute is researching methods to convert biological matter into fuel and plastics, with intentions to replace fossil fuels. Biofuels are created using biological material to convert their sugars into a fuel compound — many having diverse renewable energy applications, associate director of the Wisconsin Energy […]
In Illinois, scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more […]
In Ohio, engineers at the University of Cincinnati created a more efficient way of converting carbon dioxide into valuable products while simultaneously addressing climate change. Researchers found that a modified copper catalyst improves the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into ethylene, the key ingredient in plastic and a myriad of other uses. The electrocatalytic conversion […]
In Spain, Hydrogen Central reports that researchers from Horizon Europe-funded GH2 Project estimated they can produce 87 liters of ethanol from 1 kilogram of green hydrogen, which can then be converted into 72 liters of acetal. Findings from the project’s researchers was recently published in Global Challenges. Although the discovery may not be a major […]
In Texas, already valued for its resilience, biomass production and ability to improve soil fertility, bioenergy sorghum has another attribute that researchers have recently characterized: high wax production. Plant waxes are useful across a wide scope of commercial products like cosmetics, inks and candles, and as edible food coatings and biofuels. Bioenergy sorghum’s production of […]
In Minnesota, the University of Minnesota said that Cargill has awarded $2.5 million to the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota to support research into two novel oilseed crops—winter camelina and domesticated winter pennycress—that can produce seed-based oil for low-carbon transportation fuels. “Winter camelina and pennycress could be truly transformative for farmers, the […]
In New York state, biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have demonstrated a new way to boost the oil content of plant leaves and seeds. As described in the journal New Phytologist, the scientists identified and successfully altered key portions of a protein that protects newly synthesized oil droplets. The […]
In California, a new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the pretreatment step can finally make next-generation biofuel production both cost-effective and carbon neutral. To overcome the lignin hurdle, researchers led by the UC Riverside invented CELF, which stands for co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation. It is an innovative biomass pretreatment technology. A […]
In Germany, researchers asked, how can e-fuels and biosurfactants for industry be produced from exhaust gases and wastewater? An interdisciplinary consortium coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT is addressing this question in the newly launched BEFuel project. The focus is on coupled bioelectrochemical production – i.e. the combination of electrochemical synthesis and biotechnological synthesis using microorganisms. Two […]
In Belgium, a study by the Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS) demonstrates how glycerol carbonate, a biosourced industrial additive, can be produced in record time using CO2 and a by-product of the cooking oil recycling industry. This study, conducted in collaboration with a team from the Center for Studies and Research on […]
