In Tennessee, a catalyst being developed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory could overcome one of the key obstacles still preventing automobile engines from running more cleanly and efficiently. The mixed oxide catalyst could solve the longstanding problem of inhibition, in which nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons effectively clog […]
In Connecticut, a UConn researcher has identified a mutant plant that offers insight into how plants produce cell walls, which may ultimately reap applications for agricultural productivity and biofuel production. Developing mutant plants is a common procedure for genetic researchers who want to learn about the activity of genes that are sequenced but whose functions are […]
In Canada, farmers might one day grow sugar corn, or sweet corn, for a potentially huge alternative fuels market through a new project involving University of Guelph researchers. Along with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Western University, the Guelph researchers will study sugar corn […]
In California, Vertimass announced the company has chosen Technip to provide pilot testing, scale-up, and initial plant design for their novel technology for converting alcohol to renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel blend stocks that are compatible with the current transportation fuel infrastructure. The work will be done at the Technip’s Research Center in Weymouth, […]
In the UK, researchers at Cardiff University have devised a way of increasing the yield of biodiesel by using the waste left over from its production process. Using simple catalysis, the researchers have been able to recycle a non-desired by-product produced when biodiesel is formed from vegetable oil, and convert this into an ingredient to produce […]
In Washington, the USDA released its Agricultural Productivity Growth in the United States: Measurement, Trends, and Drivers. This report examines changes and trends in U.S. agricultural inputs (e.g., land and labor), output (e.g., crops and livestock), and productivity over the last six decades and the drivers behind productivity changes. The main findings of the report […]
In Malaysia, researchers from University Malaysia Sabah and the University of Hull in the UK have teamed together to develop efficient new ways to produce biofuel and fertilizers from palm oil waste. Part of the funding comes from the British Council via a Newton Fund grant. The multidisciplinary study will focus on using microwave technology […]
In Michigan, Michigan State University has earned a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to better understand how biofuel crops acquire nitrogen, insights that could help maximize yields while minimizing fertilizer use. The team will conduct the study at six sites in Michigan and Wisconsin. Along with growing plots of switchgrass and […]
In Japan, Hiroyuki Ohta at Tokyo Institute of Technology, together with scientists based at institutions across Tokyo, Japan, have uncovered a way of enhancing the production of fat-based molecules called triacylglycerols in the Nannochloropsis algal strain NIES-2145, thereby increasing oil synthesis from the microalgae. Triacylglycerols, or TAGs, are a class of lipids which form the […]
In Washington state, a five-year, $40 million study is laying the foundation for a Pacific Northwest industry that converts sustainably produced poplar feedstock into fuels and chemicals. The research, led by the University of Washington, will seed the world’s first wood-based cellulosic ethanol production facility. The handful of other cellulosic ethanol factories use agricultural waste […]
