In California, biofuel scientists used an oddball molecule made by bacteria to develop a new class of biofuels predicted to have greater energy density than any petroleum product, including the leading aviation and rocket fuels, JetA and RP-1. “This biosynthetic pathway provides a clean route to highly energy-dense fuels that, prior to this work could […]
In North Carolina, when heat waves hit, they don’t just take a toll on people — the plants we depend on for food suffer too. That’s because when temperatures get too high, certain plant defenses don’t work as well, leaving them more susceptible to attacks from pathogens and insect pests. Now, scientists say they have […]
In Colorado, on a drizzly day in July 1920, a Colorado scientist named Junius Henderson was hiking around the Dakota Hogback, a sandstone ridge north of Boulder. There, he spotted a group of Rocky Mountain snails (Oreohelix strigosa) oozing across the ground. Henderson scooped up the mollusks and brought them back to his lab at […]
In Malaysia, the Borneo Post reports the government is currently leading research into algae-based biofuels, the outcomes of which are expected in the next six months. Algae-based biofuels are likely to be used for sustainable aviation fuel if the research proves the feedstock to be commercially viable for the country. Currently, the country’s biofuel production […]
In Colorado, a CU Boulder-led research team has figured out a way to make cement production carbon neutral—and even carbon negative—by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air with the help of microalgae. The CU Boulder engineers and their colleagues at the Algal Resources Collection at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and the […]
In Illinois, Argonne National Laboratory’s newest study shows how new practices can help American farms prosper while capturing more carbon than they produce, specifically looking at corn and soy farming in Iowa, and helping the U.S. reach its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Scientists who specialize in agroecosystems modeling and life-cycle analysis (LCA) […]
In Finland, a new hydrogen research forum has been established with the aim to promote Finnish hydrogen expertise via common visions for the future and to represent academic actors alongside other fields. VTT is launching the Hydrogen Research Forum Finland together with several research and education institutions in the field. The goal is to build […]
In Sweden, microalgae can recover greenhouse gases and nutrients from industrial waste. This technology can be used to reduce climate footprint and eutrophication. A PhD candidate’s dissertation in ecology shows that microalgae can also be used in the Nordic climate, which has previously been considered a challenge as the algae are dependent on heat and […]
In Germany, a team of microbiologists from Goethe University Frankfurt has found an enzyme in bacteria that live in the absence of air and bind hydrogen directly to CO2, in this way producing formic acid. The process is completely reversible – a basic requirement for hydrogen storage. These acetogenic bacteria, which are found, for example, […]
In North Carolina, USDA-NIFA is investing $1.92 million to establish an Agriculture Business Innovation Center at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a Historically Black College and University in Greensboro, North Carolina. The new innovation center will serve as a technical assistance hub to enhance agriculture-based business development opportunities nationwide, The FY 2021 Consolidated […]
