In the US, the Union of Concerned Scientists recently scored the palm oil sourcing commitments of 30 companies in the packaged food, fast food, and personal care sectors. 24 of the 30 companies have inadequate commitments or lack commitments altogether to sustainable sourcing. The fast food sector in particular is lagging behind, with only two […]
In Michigan, a new fuel-cell concept, developed by an Michigan State University researcher, will allow biodiesel plants to eliminate the creation of hazardous wastes while removing their dependence on fossil fuel from their production process. The platform, which uses microbes to glean ethanol from glycerol and has the added benefit of cleaning up the wastewater, […]
In Virginia, the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has selected Drexel University to perform research that will monitor and quantify the composition of waste greases to improve knowledge about the feasibility of grease-to-biodiesel processes. A key outcome of the Extraction of Lipids from Wastewater to Produce Biofuels (U3R13) project is an evaluation of the economic […]
In Texas, researchers at Texas A&M are developing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems that can be used as high-throughput screening tools to quickly evaluate the growth and oil production characteristics of numerous algal strains under various growth conditions. Their paper describes how the team demonstrated the development of 10s or 100s of pico-liter sized photobioreactors on a […]
In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is promoting a new vehicle engine that incorporates anti-emissions technology. The new engine boosts fuel economy by 20 percent while cutting nitrogen oxide (NOx) and soot emissions by record margins. Called reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI), the base technology uses multiple injections of differing fuel types, including […]
In Colorado, the state has awarded $2 million in matching funds to the Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory, made up of The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, the Colorado Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion, the Center for Research and Education in Wind, and the Center for Carbon Management. Eligible projects will include researchers from at […]
In New York, Cornell University has received two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to research the interactions between crops and biofuel policies worldwide, as well as their impacts on U.S. agriculture’s international competitiveness. As part of a $12 million program, researchers will examine the links between biofuel […]
In Washington, The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory has developed a faster, cleaner refining technology to combine processes and reduce costs for producing biofuel. Ames Laboratory scientists have created a nanoparticle that can perform two processing functions simultaneously to produce green diesel from algae. Instead of reacting fats and oils with alcohols to produce traditional […]
In Brazil, Boeing and Embraer S.A. have announced plans to create a joint research center for sustainable aviation biofuel. In addition to joint research, the partnership will also fund research with Brazilian universities and other institutions in order to fill gaps in the sustainable aviation biofuel chain in Brazil. Located in Sao Jose dos Campos […]
In Indiana, Indiana University biologists will receive over $6.2 million from the U.S. Army Research Office to study how bacteria evolve in response to both their internal, population-influenced environments and their external natural environment. With repeatable, predictable results, the work would be expected to have important practical applications related to a number of issues including […]
