Researchers in Asia have developed the first carbon-negative biobutanol production technology using cellulose biomass feedstock. ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) in Taiwan introduced ButyFi, the first biochemical technology for a biobutanol transportation-fuel production with a negative carbon footprint using cellulosic biomass instead of corn. The total energy content in the lignin-rich biomass has the surplus to cover the energy for …
Butamax Starts Biobutanol Retrofit on Ethanol Plant
Delaware-based Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC has begun work with Highwater Ethanol LLC, to retrofit Highwater’s ethanol plant in Lamberton, Minnesota for the production of biobutanol. This Butamax news release says its cutting edge technology package will include the installation of novel corn oil separation technology, an important part of the full retrofit to biobutanol production. Butamax CEO Paul Beckwith said …
Fungus & Bacteria Join Forces for Better Biofuels
Several University of Michigan researchers have joined together a fungus and E. coli bacteria to turn tough, waste plant material into isobutanol – a product that can be converted into biochemicals and biofuels. A paper based on this research, “Design and characterization of synthetic fungal-bacterial consortia for direct production of isobutanol from cellulosic biomass,” was published in The Proceedings of …
Senator Michael Bennet Visits Gevo
Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently toured and met with Colorado-based Gevo to discuss renewable fuels and chemicals for Colorado and the U.S. economy. Senator Bennet met with Gevo executives including chief executive officer Patrick Gruber, Ph.D. to discuss energy policy and see first-hand the research and development Gevo has done on creating isobutanol to be converted to biochemicals and renewable …
Microvi Awarded USDA Grant for Butanol
Microvi Biotechnologies has been awarded a grant to develop its technology to improve yield and performance of biobutanol processes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to Microvi, their technology overcomes the toxic and inhibitory effects on butanol producing microorganisms, a major bottleneck in scaling existing biobutanol processes. Its butanol technology is based on the their MicroNiche Engineering, a …
Gevo Puts GIFT System Online
Gevo has announced that it has brought its second million liter fermenter and GIFT system online at its Luverne, Minnesota isobutanol facility. “We have been successful in operating full-scale fermentations using our GIFT(R) system — which separates the isobutanol from the fermentation broth — on a second million-liter fermenter and GIFT system,” said Patrick Gruber, Gevo’s chief executive officer. “This …
Gevo Supplies Coast Guard with Isobutanol
Gevo, Inc. has begun supplying the U.S. Coast Guard R&D Center with initial quantities of finished 16.1% renewable isobutanol-blended gasoline for engine testing. The U.S. Coast Guard R&D Center is using the Gevo-blended fuel as part of a 12-month, long-term operational study on marine engines that began during June. The testing is being performed under a Cooperative Research and Development …
Gevo Resumes Isobutanol Production
Gevo has resumed Isobutanol production at its plant in Luverne, Minnesota with the shipment of a single train mode. The fuel was successfully produced using the its Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT). “I am pleased to report that we have been successful in operating our full-scale fermentation and our GIFT® separation system that separates the isobutanol from the fermentation broth. …
Green Biologics Wins Biobutanol Funding
Green Biologics has received funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), based in UK, to engineer a bacterial host for biobutanol production. The project is in collaboration with the Clostridia Research Group (CRG) at the University of Nottingham which is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The goal of the 18 month project is to develop a novel bacterial …
Gevo Awarded Two Patents
Gevo, a company focused on developing biobutanol technology, has been awarded two patents. The first is US Patent No. 8,273,565, entitled “Methods of Increasing Dihydroxy Acid Dehydratase Activity to Improve Production of Fuels, Chemicals, and Amino Acids.” The patent covers suppression of a glutaredoxin protein called GRX3. In combination with other Gevo patented technologies, deletion of GRX3 significantly increases the …