Will pursuing bioenergy require trade-offs? This question served as the basis from research out of North Carolina State University (NC State) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that finds that choosing how to meet bioenergy goals means making trade-offs about the impact on ecosystems and wildlife. The study primarily focused on the southeastern U.S. but the researchers believe the results …
CYCLALG to Develop Algal Biorefinery
A European research and development (R&D) consortium is seeking to develop an algal biorefinery. The three-year project, estimated to cost 1.4 million euros, of which 65 percent is being provided by ERDF funds, is a partnership of six organizations in the Basque Autonomous Community including Navarre and France -NEIKER-Tecnalia, National Centre of Renewable Energies (CENER), Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Association …
Texas A&M AgriLife Receives $2.5M DOE Grant
Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research have received a $2.5 million grant to conduct a three-year study to find ways to use a biorefinery waste to make new products. Dr. Joshua Yuan, a biotechnologist, is the lead scientist on the project that will primarily focus on ways to make plastic materials from the lignin waste. “In the biorefinery field, we …
IIT Researchers Receive #Bioethanol Patent
Two scientists from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Ben Stark and Tony Sanny, have received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production. During the development process, the team focused on cellulosic biomass from twigs, branches, plant stalks, husks and woodschips. This patent is Stark’s, who is a professor of biology, and Sanny’s, …
Bioenergy Crop Modeling Predicts Soil Carbon Increases
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory are using computational modeling to predict which counties in Illinois could see increases in soil organic carbon from crops such as switchgrass for biofuels. Increasing carbon stored in soil is one way to help mediate the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) …
The Ecology of a New Crop
Researchers at the UConn Plant Science Farm are studying the ecology of camelina as a high-tech crop. The research team is led by professor emerita Carol Auer and she and her team have been working with Camelina sativa, an oilseed crop that has never been grown commercially in the state. The feedstock has been subject to genetic modification for use …
E20 Would Reduce Europe’s GHGs in Transport Sector
Ricardo Energy & Environment has found that a higher use of ethanol blends in Europe would contribute to a 14.1 percent greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) reduction in the continent’s transportation sector even after taking into account possible land use change (ILUC) emissions. The new study was commissioned by ePURE and looks at the potential contribution ethanol could play in reducing …
GRFA: #Ethanol Blame Reports Mislead Public
A new article published in the journal of Global Change Biology – Bioenergy, argues that “good science is essential to inform decisions” and that the simplistic global analyses used in some studies “obscure the main drivers of local food insecurity and ignore opportunities for bioenergy to contribute to solutions.” “Reconciling Food Security and Bioenergy: Priorities for Action,” challenges previous studies …
#USDA Study Examines Land-Use & Ethanol in Brazil
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new report, “Brazil’s Agricultural Land Use and Trade: Effects of Changes in Oil Prices and Ethanol Demand“. The study looked at the issue of land-use changes in Brazil as westward expansion of agriculture, especially in the Cerrados Savannah region, continues in an effort to grow more food and produce more fuels …
Brookhaven Nat’l Lab Engineers Plants with Less Lignin
Brookhaven National Laboratory is working on the challenge of converting lignin into biofuels and other bioproducts. A research team is looking at the possibility of engineering plants with less lignin. The idea is not new – other research teams have tried but their work resulted in weaker plants and stunted growth, reducing the plants ability to be used as a …