In California, researchers at the University of California-Berkeley have designed a catalyst composed only of edges, that can catalyze the production of hydrogen from water as readily as the edges and defects in regular catalysts. In an article appearing in this week’s edition of Science, the team has created materials with billions of active sites […]
In Belgium, the ISAAA released a report on the use of biotech crops, stating that approximately 160 million hectares of biotech/GMO crops were planted. According to the EurActive article, this represents an 8% increase, and the work of 16.7 million farmers spread over 29 countries. ISAAA also reported a more than four-fold increase by farmers […]
In the UK, researchers from the University of Cambridge and Rothamsted Research have discovered a series of genes that will help them to develop grass breeds where it is easier to tap energy in fibrous parts of the plant without risking the plant’s structure. The genetic manipulation revolves around the xylan molecule that makes up […]
In Germany and the US, researchers have independently discovered that using a zeolite known as ZSM-5 impregnated with metal nanoparticles can reduce the catalysts needed to transform bio-oil into useful hydrocarbons to just one. Johannes Lercher at the Technical University of Munich in Germany used nickel nanoparticles, while George Huber from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst […]
In Belgium, Friends of the Earth Europe and ActionAid have put out a study condemning the EU’s biofuel policy, claiming it could cost European motorists up to $166 billion by 2020. The European Commission does not deny the facts, but claims it’s “reasonable” for motorists to pay more for biofuels than fossil fuels. More on […]
In Ecuador, the national association of African oil palm producers in conjunction with the production ministry have teamed together to analyze the possibility of producing palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock. The country is the largest oil palm producers in the Americas with 160,000 metric tons of annual oil production from 231,000 planted hectares.
In Brazil, researchers from the University of Sao Paolo have successfully developed a new fermentation process with 63% efficiency for producing ethanol from xylose using the yeast Pichia stipitis. Pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124 was able to grow and produce ethanol from xylose in a stirred tank bioreactor under different aeration and agitation conditions.
In Switzerland, University of Neuchâtel researchers have demonstrated that stimulating a plant’s natural defenses also increases the capacity for disease resistance in its descendants. Instead of working on the DNA of their model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, the researchers worked instead on molecules located close to the DNA, and primed them with either β-amino-butyric acid or […]
In California, researchers at the Bio Architecture Lab have engineered a strain of E coli to digest the sugars in brown seaweed and produce ethanol. This bacteria, unlike others produced previously, attacks the primary sugar constituent in seaweed, making the process much more efficient. According to Daniel Trunfio, BAL’s CEO, the progress “makes the biomass […]
In the UK, Professor Will Zimmerman and his team at Sheffield University have found that their microbubble system can be used to float algae particles to the surface of the water, making harvesting easier, and saving biofuel-producing companies time and money. The team reports that their system uses up to 1000 times less energy to […]
