In Switzerland, the production of synthetic methane from hydrogen and CO2 – so-called methanation– has its pitfalls. This is because methane produced by such a catalytic process still contains hydrogen, which prevents it from being fed directly into the gas grid. Empa researchers have therefore developed a new reactor concept, in which the formation of […]
In Iowa, a new hybrid catalyst converts carbon dioxide into ethylene in one pot. The catalyst was developed by scientists from Ames National Laboratory, Iowa State University, University of Virginia, and Columbia University. This catalyst supports the world net-zero carbon initiative by using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock for efficient ethylene production powered by […]
In Washington state, Washington State University scientists are working to more precisely understand how plants use nutrients from soil at the level of single cells, with the goal of helping crop plants used for biofuels be more sustainable. A team of WSU researchers was awarded one of 20 exploratory grants to access state-of-the-art equipment at the Environmental […]
In Michigan, Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels. Among switchgrass’s attractive features are that it’s perennial, low maintenance and native to many states in the eastern U.S., including Michigan. But it also […]
In Washington D.C, The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) said that a collaborative team of BETO-funded scientists from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are searching for carbon utilization technologies that can make better use of the carbon dioxide generated by industry, transportation, and agriculture by transforming it […]
In Australia, University of Queensland researchers have found a way to more efficiently convert sugarcane into a building block of aviation fuel and other products. By zeroing in on a specific enzyme, a UQ team working in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has sped up the slowest step in processing sugar into […]
In Canada, a new catalyst design created by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering could significantly improve the practicality of an electrochemical process that converts captured carbon dioxide into multi-carbon molecules—some of the key building blocks of the chemical industry. One way to upgrade carbon involves electrochemistry—electricity used to […]
In Illinois, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have successfully demonstrated precision gene editing in miscanthus, a promising perennial crop for sustainable bioenergy production. Biologists edited the genomes of three miscanthus species using CRISPR/Cas9 — a far more targeted and efficient way to develop new varieties than prior methods. The results will accelerate […]
In Virginia, researchers in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech received a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create bioplastics from food waste diverted from landfills. The three-year grant will test the scalability and feasibility of the conversion of these wastes into bioplastics on a national […]
In Germany, HELLA said it is researching in collaboration with industry partners how headlights can be designed more climate friendly. To this end, the automotive supplier has now started the NALYSES research project, in which the BMW Group, Covestro, geba, Miele, the Heinz Nixdorf Institute of the University of Pa-derborn, the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronics […]
