In Brazil, researchers from Kansas State University, University of Texas at Austin and Michigan State University have statistically linked the loss of forest area as the indirect effect of changing pastureland into space for soybean and biofuel crops in counties bordering the Amazon. By reducing soybean production by 10 percent in these pasture areas could […]
In New York, researchers at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have been awarded funding to create out of many separate streams of biological information a single, integrated cyber-“knowledgebase” that will focus on a specific assortment of plants and microbes that the DOE hopes to exploit to produce biofuels, to sequester carbon in the ecosystem, and […]
In Colorado, researchers from Colorado State University and the University of Illinois have released a report suggesting the production of biofuels from grasses is a more economical and better environmental option than corn. The researchers found that growing a grass species, such as switchgrass, on the same land area as used to grow corn increase […]
In Brazil, data from Brazilian derivatives clearing house BM&F Bovespa shows that ethanol prices may have already reached bottom for 2011/12, based on the swap curve for hydrous ethanol. Cash settles have reached $786.85/cu m vs $743 for July 2011, when the current season hits its peak and should demonstrate the lowest prices available.
In California, U.C. San Diego researchers have discovered a protein complex that regulates plant growth, which they call the “evening complex”, as it regulates they rhythmic growth of plants during the night. The biologists can now show how this protein complex is intricately coordinated through the biological clock with the genes that promote stem elongation […]
In the UK, researchers at the University of Bath are studying seven different strains of algae found in Roman baths to try to find ones that will survive at higher temperatures while producing high levels of fats for biodiesel production. Most algae grows best in temperatures of around 25c, the same as food crops, so […]
In Illinois, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne have found that growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality while slashing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.
In France, a team of researchers have developed a novel catalyst which enables continuous production of biodiesel. The team developed a new method that generates the cellular hybrid biocatalyst in situ inside a chromotography column. This novel approach makes it possible to carry out continuous, unidirectional flow synthesis over long periods, since catalytic activity and […]
In Washington, a new report from USDA examines the rise in food commodity prices, including factors such as demand, weather, energy prices, trade and monetary policies, and biofuels. The report, noting the continuity in biofuels demand both before and after recent food price swings, states: “While the expansion of biofuels was an important factor underlying […]
In California, LS9 announced a collaboration with MAN Latin America in Brazil, to test LS9’s renewable diesel in both stationary engines and operational fleet vehicles in Brazil. The project will include performance, emissions, fuel consumption and engine durability testing, as well as field testing of LS9’s biofuel in Volkswagen trucks and buses. Roberto Cortes, president […]
