Category: Research

ORNL researchers find way to significantly reduce amount of enzymes used in cellulosic biofuel production

July 5, 2017 | Meghan Sapp

In Tennessee, scientists using neutron scattering have identified the specifics of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction that could significantly reduce the total amount of enzymes used, improving production processes and lowering costs. Researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and North Carolina State University used a combination of X-ray and neutron crystallography to determine […]

TU Munich researchers reduce energy requirements for biofuel production with zeolite crystals

July 4, 2017 | Meghan Sapp

In Germany, using a novel catalyst concept, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now managed to significantly reduce the temperature and energy requirements of a key step in the chemical process. The trick: The reaction takes place in very confined spaces inside zeolite crystals. In the laboratory, the scientists demonstrated that the temperature […]

Arizona State University researchers make breakthrough on breaking down xylose

July 3, 2017 | Meghan Sapp

In Arizona, researchers at Arizona State University wanted to squeeze out more energy from xylose sugars. To do so, they challenged E. coli bacteria that could thrive comfortably on glucose — and switch out the growth medium broth to grow solely on xylose. The bacteria would be forced to adapt to the new food supply […]

UPM tests Carinata sequential cropping concept for biofuels

July 2, 2017 | Jim Lane

In Finland, UPM Biofuels is developing a new feedstock concept by growing Brassica Carinata as a sequential crop in South America. The Carinata crop produces non-edible oil suitable for biofuels’ feedstock and protein for animal feed. The sequential cropping concept enables contract farmers to take agricultural land into use outside the main cultivation period, in […]

Penn State researchers looking to boost aviation biofuel efficiencies

June 29, 2017 | Meghan Sapp

In Pennsylvania, slowed as much by extremely low oil prices as supply-chain and technological challenges, the effort to integrate biofuels into the nation’s aviation fuel supply is nonetheless progressing, according to a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Researchers are examining fuel-production pathways, feedstock and infrastructure requirements, and commercial fuel demand to create […]

Xylogenics advances GX-1 Yeast Technology

June 28, 2017 | Jim Lane

In Indiana, Xylogenics released a new strain design for its patented GX-1 yeast production and fermentation process. The efficiencies created by the newest strain design will have an immediate impact on industries that rely on micro-organism technologies, most notably the ethanol industry wherein individual production plants are planning to invest upwards of $350 million annually […]

Genetics roadmap to develop more resilient farmed fish

June 27, 2017 | Jim Lane

In Scotland, researchers at WorldFish will embark on new research to create more resilient fish with characteristics such as disease resistance and more effective feed utilization, using advanced techniques such as genomic selection to introduce these characteristics into its improved tilapia strains. Use of genomic selection tools, which enable the selection of animals based on […]

Ethanol from thin air advances with catalyst breakthrough

June 26, 2017 | Jim Lane

In California, Stanford University scientists reported on a promising technology to make renewable ethanol from water, carbon dioxide and electricity delivered through a copper catalyst. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). For the PNAS study, the Stanford team chose three samples of crystalline copper, known as copper […]

US ethanol production drops to 15.38B gallon annual rate

June 25, 2017 | Jim Lane

In Washington, according to EIA data as analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, US ethanol production averaged 990,000 barrels per day (b/d)—or 41.58 million gallons daily. That is down 12,000 b/d from the week before and the lowest in seven weeks. The four-week average for ethanol production decreased to 1.003 million b/d for an annualized […]

UK researchers unlock genetic secrets of plant cell walls

June 22, 2017 | Meghan Sapp

In the UK, Researchers from the University of York and the Quadram Institute have unlocked the genetic secrets of plant cell walls. Recent developments in genome sequencing technology have provided detailed information about the genetics of crop plants, but what has been lacking to date is the technology needed to collect comparable cell wall data […]

Free Subscription

The Biofuels Digest newsletter

The most widely-read biofuels daily — 20,000+ organizations subscribe — why not you too?