In California, researchers led by Jay Keasling at the Joint Bioenergy Institute have developed a new technique called a dynamic sensor-regulator system (DSRS) – that can detect metabolic changes in microbes during the production of fatty acid-based fuels or chemicals and control the expression of genes affecting that production. The result in one demonstration was a […]
In Iowa, Cenusa Bioenergy has received a five-year, $25 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to grow native perennial grasses such as big bluestem, Indian grass and switchgrass on marginal lands as feedstock for bio-oil via. The project is based on a holistic approach that will lead to the development […]
In Washington, the White House announced up to $35 million over three years to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products. The projects funded through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) – a joint program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Energy Department – will help […]
In Delaware, researchers at the University of Delaware are studying a tiny micro-algae as a potential feedstock for biofuel. The Heterosigma akashiwo can potentially neutralize nitric oxide often found smokestack emissions, feeding on the carbon dioxide and then can later be processed into biofuel. Typically, nitric oxide kills algae, but not this one, while its […]
From Denmark, Danielle Spiegel Feld of the Copenhagen University Faculty of Law writes: “I’d like to announce the launch of a new biofuels research initiative here in Copenhagen: the Copenhagen Biofuels Research Network. Established in January of 2012, COBREN provides a forum for biofuels researchers to share their findings, insights and perspectives on this complex […]
In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association has released an “E15 Retailer Handbook,” designed to provide fuel retailers with regulatory and technical guidance in order to legally store and sell E15 ethanol blends. The Handbook provides sample checklists and questions that all potential E15 retailers should contemplate before moving forward with offerings of E15. The 44-page […]
In California, JBEI researchers have engineered an E.Coli bacteria to generate significant quantities of methyl ketone compounds from glucose. In subsequent tests, these methyl ketones yielded high cetane numbers (a diesel fuel rating comparable to the octane number for gasoline) making them strong candidates for the production of advanced biofuels. Harry Beller, a JBEI microbiologist […]
In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicated that the model Misfueling Mitigation Plan for E15 as submitted by the Renewable Fuels Association meets the requirements of EPA’s E15 waiver decision. In January 2011, EPA expanded upon its October 2010 decision and approved the use of E15 for light duty passenger vehicles Model Year 2001 and […]
In California, researchers at NASA Ames’ Algae for Exploration (ALEX) group have teamed with engineers from the Mission Development Division at Ames and students from Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif. Together; they designed and constructed two prototypes of a device called RoboAlgae. These RoboAlgae sensors float in algae-growing systems, where they wirelessly transmit chemical […]
In Texas, researchers at West Texas A&M in conjunction with Texas AgriLife Research have determined that crude glycerin is a good alternative as a feed ingredient for cattle thanks to its good flowability in low temperatures, as opposed to molasses, and its non-corrosiveness in agricultural equipment. Studies showed that using up to 7.5% glycerin in […]
