In California, Calysta has announced that its FeedKind protein nearly eliminates the need for water and agricultural land for production of fish feed for the aquaculture industry, according to a study from the Carbon Trust. The report provides a detailed analysis of FeedKind protein taking into account a variety of environmental sustainability criteria, and concludes […]
In Tennessee, a pair of doctoral candidates in the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, which is run jointly by UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a process to turn that lignin into a product that would aid both the earth and the people who work it, quite literally turning one […]
In Hawaii, at the Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant pathologist Lisa Keith has spent the past 5 years fine-tuning conditions under which Chlorella protothecoides algae can be coaxed into producing oil from discarded papayas and other unmarketable crops or byproducts, like glycerol. The effort […]
In South Dakota, researchers from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology have successfully converted tomato waste into electricity, paving the way for an efficient low-cost new alternative energy source. The research findings of Venkataramana Gadhamshetty, Ph.D., and his team were presented at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in […]
In Texas, an enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons has been discovered by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists studying a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications, could enable scientists to use the enzyme in a plant to make large amounts of fuel-grade oil, according to […]
In Minnesota, a recent study from the American Lung Association in Minnesota (ALAMN) has demonstrated the use of biodiesel’s significant positive impact on air quality. The study demonstrated that the summer (B10) and winter blends (B5) used in Minnesota prevent 130 tons of particulate matter, 319 tons of hydrocarbon, and 2,634 tons of carbon monoxide […]
In Japan, researchers at Kobe University have found a potential biofuel feedstock in a very unlikely place—crab shells—and they believe it can be done for the same price as producing ethanol from corn. Chitin, found in exoskeletons and considered to be the second most widely available natural polymer in the world after plant cellulose, can […]
In Washington, the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office has released its multi-year plan of work for the next five years with a focus on terrestrial feedstocks, algal feedstocks, conversion technologies, and demonstration while looking at crosscutting issues such as sustainability, strategic analysis and strategic communications. Detailed life-cycle analysis of environmental, economic, and social impacts will continue […]
In Denmark, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a natural process they describe as reverse photosynthesis. In the process, the energy in solar rays breaks down, rather than builds plant material, as is the case with photosynthesis. The sunlight is collected by chlorophyll, the same molecule as used in photosynthesis. Combined with a […]
In Illinois, most prime agricultural land is used to produce food crops, leaving biofuel producers to establish crops on marginal land. The soil on marginal land is often salty, making crop production difficult. But University of Illinois researchers have found several varieties of perennial grasses that can withstand high salt concentrations. The researchers subjected six […]
