In Italy, researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) has created the first ever prototype of a soft, biodegradable and soluble velcro inspired by the micro-hook structure of leaves on the “catchweed” plant (Galium aparine), for use in devices for the monitoring and safeguarding of the environment and in precision farming. The […]
In Sweden, researchers at Stockholm University have developed a resource-efficient method to produce new lignin-based materials that can be thermally reprocessed and used to substitute thermosetting resins and adhesives. Researchers at Stockholm University have developed a resource-efficient method to produce a material that behaves like thermosets but can be thermally reprocessed. The team used lignin […]
In Colorado, the Bioenergy Technologies Office has awarded an additional $350,000 in funding to scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop a pilot scale system for turning biomass into sustainable aviation fuel and is based on the NREL team’s latest research on using its fully integrated process to produce a fuel precursor, in […]
In California, carbon dioxide (CO2), a product of burning fossil fuels and the most prevalent greenhouse gas, has the potential to be sustainably converted back into useful fuels. A promising route for turning CO2 emissions into a fuel feedstock is a process known as electrochemical reduction. But to be commercially viable, the process needs to […]
In Alabama, Auburn University has been awarded $1.6 million in research grants from the state of Alabama through the Alabama Research Development and Enhancement Fund. The grants, administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, are earmarked for research and development of four different sustainability projects housed in the Samuel Ginn College of […]
In Brazil, researchers affiliated with the Phycology Laboratory at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo have discovered a new species of green microalga in a reservoir located in the northwest of the state. As a result of the discovery, microalgae of the genus Nephrocytium have been moved to an order […]
In Oregon, alternative-energy research at Oregon State University is charting a path toward the mass adoption of clean cars powered by direct-ethanol fuel cells. Researchers have developed a catalyst that solves three key problems long associated with DEFC, as the cells are known: low efficiency, the cost of catalytic materials and the toxicity of chemical […]
In Colorado, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is helping unlock the full potential of the U.S. feedstock supply for biofuels after receiving over $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) for two projects that will study how to best grow photosynthetic algae and efficiently sort municipal solid waste, important steps […]
In Illinois, scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Peoria, Illinois, have developed a way to make a better jet biofuel from soybean oil. Fatty acids from soybean oil can be turned into an array of industrial products normally made from petroleum, including fuel, ink and paints. One appeal of plant-based products is that […]
In Italy, Eni and the BF Group partner to develop sustainable agricultural products for biofuel production. Through an equal joint venture (50% Eni, 50% BF), projects will be developed to research and experiment with agricultural seeds from oil plants to be used as feedstock at Eni’s bio-refineries. Furthermore, the agreement between the companies provides for […]
