In Wisconsin, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a method of using oxygen to convert lignin into renewable chemicals. Previous methods have used oxidation but the new method very selectively oxidises the lignin under very mild pressure and temperature with a catalyst that is specific for a single structure on the lignin molecule.
The Pew Charitable Trusts has published its clean energy investment report, published annually using data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The report notes that clean energy investment decreased 11% from 2011, plateauing at $269B. The report also notes that the biofuels sector experiencing a drop of 47% in investment from 2011 to 2012, with global […]
In Missouri, Monsanto announced plans to bring together its St. Louis-based industry-leading research and development team on one campus when it completes a more than $400 million expansion at its Chesterfield Village Research Center. The company plans to begin work this summer and expects to add 675 jobs across St. Louis County over the next […]
In Washington, after a briefing by senior White House staff on April 17, following their arrival in the U.S., an Israeli delegation of top academic and industrial biofuels research scientists and innovators, and Israeli government program managers, is participating in two days of deliberations with their American counterparts from the U.S. DOE and USDA, and […]
In the UK, a team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel on demand. While the technology still faces many significant commercialisation challenges, the diesel, produced by special strains of E. coli bacteria, is almost identical to conventional diesel fuel and so does not […]
In Washington state, new University of Washington research shows that in low doses, hydrogen sulfide could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production. The most significant near-term promise is in growing algae and other stock for biofuels. Plant lipids are the key to […]
In California, an algae research project conducted by the University of California and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has utilized a harvest system which processes up to 9000 gallons of algae-laden water per minute at a 95% capture rate, yielding up to 20% algae concentrations. The project utilizes World Water Works’ Algae Harvesting Technology Optimized […]
In France, Carbios, a green chemistry company that specializes in innovative biological and industrial processes for recovering plastic waste and is developing competitive production processes for biosourced plastics and biopolymers, today announced the signature of a pivotal €7-million collaboration with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research at the Toulouse White Biotechnology research center. The […]
In New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories is developing a suite of complementary technologies to help the emerging algae industry detect and quickly recover from algal pond crashes, an obstacle to large-scale algae cultivation for future biofuels. Because of the way algae is grown and produced in most algal ponds, they are prone to attack by […]
