Genomics of wood for biofuels production investigated
A team of Virginia Tech researchers is working to characterize the genes involved in wood formation in poplar trees with the goal of improving the quality and quantity of wood as a feedstock for...
View ArticleChemicals and biofuel from wood biomass
(PhysOrg.com) -- A method developed at Aalto University in Finland makes it possible to use microbes to produce butanol suitable for biofuel and other industrial chemicals from wood biomass. Butanol is...
View ArticleAlgae for your fuel tank: New process for producing biodiesel from microalgae...
The available amount of fossil fuels is limited and their combustion in vehicle motors increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The generation of fuels from biomass as an alternative is on the...
View ArticleChemical engineers boost petrochemical output from biomass by 40 percent
Chemical engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, using a catalytic fast pyrolysis process that transforms renewable non-food biomass into petrochemicals, have developed a new catalyst...
View ArticleProducts of biotechnological origin using vegetable and fruit by-products...
More than 192 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable waste is produced in Europe every year. The continued use of oil as a raw material is a serious obstacle in the way of sustainable industrial...
View ArticleNew uses for diesel by-products
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new catalytic process discovered by the Cardiff Catalysis Institute could unleash a range of useful new by-products from diesel fuel production.
View ArticleEnvironmental benefit of biofuels is overestimated, new study reveals
Two scientists are challenging the currently accepted norms of biofuel production. A commentary published today in GCB Bioenergy reveals that calculations of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from...
View ArticleDenmark can triple its biomass production and improve the environment
The industry is interested in establishing a biorefinery sector in Denmark that can replace oil-based products with biofriendly materials, chemicals, energy and fuel. But this requires a larger biomass...
View ArticleTrade-offs between water for food and for curbing climate change
Earth's growing human population needs fresh water for drinking and food production. However, fresh water is also needed for the growth of biomass, which acts as a sink of carbon dioxide and thus could...
View ArticleEcosystems cope with stress more effectively the greater the biodiversity
Ecosystems with a high degree of biodiversity can cope with more stress, such as higher temperatures or increasing salt concentrations, than those with less biodiversity. They can also maintain their...
View ArticleFinding suitable sites for large-scale algal biofuel plants
(Phys.org)—Scientists have for the first time identified a number of WA sites capable of producing large quantities of commercial biofuel from microalgae.
View ArticleNew twist on using biomass for perfume, cosmetic, personal care products
In a new approach for tapping biomass as a sustainable raw material, scientists are reporting use of a Nobel-Prize-winning technology to transform plant "essential oils"—substances with the...
View ArticleThe limits of the productive capacity of ecosystems
In a letter to Science published last week, Karl-Heinz Erb from the Institute of Social Ecology Vienna and a number of co-authors discuss how the measurement of biomass production and consumption can...
View ArticleMarginal lands are prime fuel source for alternative energy
Marginal lands – those unsuited for food crops – can serve as prime real estate for meeting the nation's alternative energy production goals.
View ArticleResearchers show ionic liquids effective for pre-treating mixed blends of...
(Phys.org)—Winemakers have long known that blending different grape varietals can favorably balance the flavor characteristics of the wine they produce. In the future, makers of advanced biofuels might...
View ArticleCan simple measures of labile soil organic matter predict corn performance?
Organic matter is important for soil health and crop productivity. While an indicator of soil quality, a lot of organic matter is in extremely stable forms, and the nutrients in such forms are...
View ArticleSetting the standard for sustainable bioenergy crops
Bioenergy crops, such as Miscanthus and switchgrass, appear to be promising resources for renewable energy, but these new crops did not come with a manual on how to measure details on their...
View ArticleNo-win situation for agricultural expansion in the Amazon, research says
The large-scale expansion of agriculture in the Amazon through deforestation will be a no-win scenario, according to a new study. Published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, it shows...
View ArticleMass-production of high-performance surfactants from non-edible biomass using...
Researchers at AIST have established the technology to mass-produce naturally-derived high-performance surfactants called "biosurfactants" from non-edible biomass.
View ArticleExotic plant species alter ecosystem productivity
In their joint publication in the journal Ecology Letters German and American biologists have reported an increase in biomass production in ecosystems colonised by non-native plant species. In the face...
View Article
