by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Upstream, downstream, processing, policy, finance – opportunities and challenges abound in the bioeconomy – but
biomass recalcitrance
Back TO HOMEWant Better Biofuels? Get the Wood Out
(Science Magazine) Addition by subtraction. By removing a specific gene, researchers reduced the amount of lignin (stained red) by 36% in
August 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Leaf-Cutter Ants May Reveal Secrets to Creating Biofuels
by Jennifer Laaser (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) Look at a leaf-cutter ant colony, and it's a bustle of activity, with ants
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
NSF Grant Boosts Promising Biofuels Research
(JustMeans.com/Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology) Promising biofuels research at a Wisconsin biotech company and a partner university is getting a
July 05, 2013 Read Full Article
The Next Fleet of Automobiles Powered By… Termites?
(Wall Street Daily) ...Meet the gribble. Essentially, gribbles are the termites of the sea. That is, they’re marine pests that feed
June 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Increased Enzyme Binding to Substrate Is Not Necessary for More Efficient Cellulose Hydrolysis
by Dahai Gao, Shishir P. S. Chundawat, Anurag Sethi, Venkatesh Balana, S. Gnanakaran, and Bruce E. Dale (Proceedings of the National
June 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Makeover Puts CHARMM Back in Biofuels Business
by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Biofuels scientists are asking more complex questions about how molecules spin, bond, and
May 07, 2013 Read Full Article
NREL Researchers Use Enzyme Combination to Break Down Biomass
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Enzymes could break down cell walls faster – leading to less expensive biofuels for
May 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Enzymes from Horse Feces Could Hold Secrets to Streamlining Biofuel Production
(Science Daily) Stepping into unexplored territory in efforts to use corn stalks, grass and other non-food plants to make biofuels,
April 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Making Do with More: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Engineer Plant Cell Walls to Boost Sugar Yields for Biofuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) When blessed with a resource in overwhelming abundance it’s generally a good idea
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels: Good, But How Good?
by Thomas W. Kerlin (ISA Interchange) ...Plants convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar via photosynthesis using energy from the
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Biomass Analysis Tool Is Faster, More Precise
by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) A screening tool from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable
March 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Newly Discovered Plant Structure May Lead to Improved Biofuel Processing
by James Hataway (University of Georgia) When Li Tan approached his colleagues at the University of Georgia with some unusual
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Research Targets Cells to Reduce Lignin, Boost Fermentable Sugar
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute are exploring new ways to meet the challenge
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Garbage Bug May Help Lower the Cost of Biofuel
(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) One reason that biofuels are expensive to make is that the organisms used to ferment the biomass
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
NREL Researchers Use Imaging Technologies to Solve Puzzle of Plant Architecture
(US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Breakthrough could help optimize capture of sugars for biofuels Scientists at the U.S. Department
November 30, 2012 Read Full Article
A Better Route to Xylan
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Find New Access to Abundant Biomass for Advanced Biofuels After
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Wood Completely Broken Down into Its Component Parts
(Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes) Crude oil is getting scarce. This is why researchers are seeking to substitute petroleum-based products
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Innovation Depends on a Good Pitch
by Kari Lydersen (Midwestern Energy News) Purdue University associate professor Richard Meilan is striving to develop a poplar tree that grows more quickly
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
UMass-Amherst Team Solves Mystery of Cellulose Chains Breakdown
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What exactly happens in depolymerization, as hydrogen bonds break down? How could that revolutionize the
September 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Enzymatic Digestibility of Corn Stover Fractions in Response to Fungal Pretreatment
by Zhifang Cui, Caixia Wan, Jian Shi, Robert W. Sykes, and Yebo Li (Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research) Corn stover fractions (leaves, cobs, and stalks) were
September 14, 2012 Read Full Article
World First: A DEINOVE Bacteria Transforms Biomass Into 2nd Generation Bioethanol
(PR NewsWire/DEINOVE) This breakthrough using Deinococcus could be the solution to a global issue: replacing fossil fuel with a
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Functional Characterization of the Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor PvMYB4 for Improvement of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang, Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A.
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Genetic Manipulation of Lignin Reduces Recalcitrance and Improves Ethanol Production from Switchgrass
by Chunxiang Fu, Jonathan R. Mielenz, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Choo Y. Hamilton, Miguel Rodriguez, Jr., Fang Chen, Marcus Foston, Arthur Ragauskas, Joseph Bouton, Richard A. Dixon,
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Salicylic Acid Mediates the Reduced Growth of Lignin Down-Regulated Plants
Lina Gallego-Giraldo, Luis Escamilla-Trevino, Lisa A. Jackson, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Down-regulation of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Mutation of WRKY Transcription Factors Initiates Pith Secondary Wall Formation and Increases Stem Biomass in Dicotyledonous Plants
Huanzhong Wang, Utku Avci, Jin Nakashima, Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Discovery of Plant Gene Lays Groundwork for Improved Biofuel Processing
by James Hataway (UGA Today) Since 2007, researchers at the BioEnergy Science Center, one of three Department of Energy-funded research
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research: Possibilities Still Growing at University of Georgia
(Ledger-Enquirer) ...Researchers at the University of Georgia may be close to finding it. A report by Susan Mittleman on Georgia
August 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Designing Microbes that Make Energy-Dense Biofuels without Sugar
(R&D Magazine) With metabolically engineered microorganisms hungry for levulinic acid rather than sugar, a University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) chemical and
July 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Patent Issued For Lignin-Solvent Process
(JustMeans.com) A patent that opens the door for the creation of biofuels from abundantly available plant fiber has been issued
July 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Heat-Loving Bacteria Could Lead to Next-Generation Microbe
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Key proteins have been identified in a family of bacteria that help the microbes
July 05, 2012 Read Full Article
New Early Career Awards Support Biofuels Research
by Jill Sakai and Renee Meiller (University of Wisconsin-Madison) A young generation of researchers are seeking biofuels in some unlikely
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae Is Not Endive: The Future of Biofuels in the United States
by Dan Morgan (The Globalist) The plant world has a curious way of providing fodder for Republicans in the midst
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Trillium FiberFuels, Oregon State University Get Grant for Advanced Biomass Enzymes
(Trillium FiberFuels Inc./Biorefining Magazine) A team of scientists from Trillium FiberFuels and Oregon State University has been awarded a Small
April 26, 2012 Read Full Article
The Promise of Biotechnology Is Here Today, and Dyadic Is Determined to Make a Difference
(CFOCEO Magazine) ...Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published - April 20, 2012 ...C1 is a very unique
April 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Plant Strength Key to Cracking Biofuels?
(ScienceAlert/Ecos Magazine) Cellulose in plant cell walls contains sugars used to manufacture biofuels. However, this cellulose also resists decomposition, making
March 22, 2012 Read Full Article
Finding a Way to Put a Zebra in Your Tank
by Guy Gugliotta (New York Times) ...Dr. (David A.) Mullin (a professor of molecular biology at Tulane University)was collecting manure
January 10, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Production Technologies: Overview of These Expanding Sectors and the Challenges Facing Them
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
How Virent Is Using Plants To Replace Oil
by Rachel Z. Arndt (FastCompany) ...(W)e speak with Mary Tilton, VP of plant operations at Virent, which is using
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Face a Reality Check
by Lauren Sommer (KQED) ...The idea behind biofuels is pretty simple. Plants take sunlight and use that energy to make
December 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Toward More Cost-Effective Production of Biofuels from Plant Lignocellulosic Biomass
(Science Daily) ...However, technologies are being developed to generate bioethanol from non-food sources, such as the lignocellulosics present in switchgrass
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
First-of-a-kind Tension Wood Study Broadens Biofuels Research
(Physorg.com) Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Potential Key for Unlocking Biomass Energy
(Department of Energy/Los Alamos National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) LANL molecular model helps expose cellulose weakness Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Los
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
No Eureka Moments in Long U.S. Campaign to Crack Cellulosic Code
by Paul Voosen (New York Times/Greenwire) ...For eons, plants have locked the sun's energy into complex strands of sugar, used
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Unlocking the Structure of Lignin, and Feasible Pathways to Cellulosic Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Research from ORNL reveals new details of bioenergy’s most daunting technical barrier ...Lignin, for those newer
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Cadillac Sugars, Chevrolet Prices
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new generation of technologists aim high in value, low in cost, as the race
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Biofuel Research beyond Ethanol is Crucial to Developing Alternative Sustainable Energy Resources
(KQED/Quest/Planet Forward) For years there’s been buzz — both positive and negative — about generating ethanol fuel from corn. The
April 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Key Plant Traits Yield More Sugar for Biofuels
(University of California, Riverside) Research by UC Riverside's Charles Wyman could lead to less expensive production of biofuels New clues about
March 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Advancing Next-Generation Biofuels
by Blake Simmons (Vice-President, Deconstruction Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute) Simmons provides an overview of Joint Bioenergy Institute (JBI) and their
January 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Rediscovering Genes Related to Biomass Recalcitrance Using a Combination of High Throughput and High Resolution Plant Cell Wall Characterization Methods
by Dr. Mark Davis (BioEnergy Science Center, National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Dr. Davis discusses a multidisciplinary approach
January 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Neutrons Helping Researchers Unlock Secrets to Cheaper Ethanol
(Science Daily) New insight into the structure of switchgrass and poplars is fueling discussions that could result in more efficient
September 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Mascoma’s Magic World for Magic Bugs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...This is the Rome Labs site, which does quite a bit of intelligence-related R&D. The
September 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Mascoma: Inside the SunOpta Acquisition
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Hampshire, Mascoma reported yesterday that it had acquired SunOpta BioProcess, a division of
September 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Is There a Road Ahead for Cellulosic Ethanol?
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) Much of the optimism surrounding cellulosic ethanol has faded because of the ongoing economic
August 16, 2010 Read Full Article
New Microbial Genetic System Dissects Biomass to Biofuel Conversion
by Margaret Broeren (University of Wisconsin) A research team at the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) has developed
June 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Gene Discovery Potential Key to Cost-Competitive Cellulosic Ethanol
(Oak Ridge National Lab) Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are improving strains of microorganisms used to
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment Awards over $5.1 Million to 24 Energy Projects at the University of Minnesota
(University of Minnesota) The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) recently awarded over $5.1 million to 24 renewable
April 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Using Ionic Liquids Without Acids for Biomass Conversion into Biofuel Saves Time, Energy, Colorado State University Professors Discover
(Colorado State University) Dissolving plant biomass in “green” solvent ionic liquids - salts that melt at low temperatures - converts
April 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Fermentable Sugars by Chemical Hydrolysis of Biomass
by Joseph B. Binder and Ronald T. Raines (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Abundant plant biomass has the
March 16, 2010 Read Full Article
Evolution Resources Signs Testing Services Agreement With North Carolina State University
Evolution Resources, Inc., an advanced biofuels production company focused on the production of cellulosic ethanol using the latest in modern
January 15, 2010 Read Full Article
An Integrated Strategy to Understand and Overcome Biomass Recalcitrance
Martin Keller, Ph.D. (BioEnergy Science Center) Presentation details biomass recalcitrance and various methods being researched to break down cellulose, hemicellulose,
December 28, 2009 Read Full Article
Research Shows Promise of Low-Cost Biofuel Production from Sugar Beets
(Atlantic Biomass) Research reported in the December issue of the American Society of Microbiology’s journal Applied and Environment Microbiology on
December 09, 2009 Read Full Article
POET Releases Video Summarizing State of Cellulosic Ethanol Development
Focusing on its work with corn cobs as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock, POET's latest video provides a basic look at
October 07, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuel-Producing Bacteria, Insect Gut Microbes, ~ 70 other Projects Fill DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Pipeline
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has selected 71 new genomic sequencing projects for its 2010
August 11, 2009 Read Full Article
New Technique Can Fast-track Better Ionic Liquids for Biomass Pre-treatments
(Renewable Energy World) ... The use of ionic liquids — salts that are liquids rather than crystals at room temperature
July 17, 2009 Read Full Article
The Bioenergy Science Center's Efforts to Overcome Biomass Recalcitrance Described
"Without overcoming biomass recalcitrance, cellulosic biofuels will be more expensive than corn biofuels. Improved sugar conversion is not enough." From
July 02, 2009 Read Full Article
Atlantic Biomass Conversions Proposes "Follow-the-Crop" System
Instead of bringing sufficient supplies of biomass to processing facilities, Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., proposes taking decentralized enzymatic conversion units
June 23, 2009 Read Full Article
Enzymatic Deconstruction of Xylan for Biofuel Production
by Dylan Dodd and Isaac K. O. Cann (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) The combustion of fossil-derived fuels has a significant impact on
February 27, 2009 Read Full Article
Biomass Recalcitrance: Engineering Plants and Enzymes for Biofuels Production
by Michael E. Himmel, Shi-You Ding, David K. Johnson, William S. Adney, Mark R. Nimlos, John W. Brady and Thomas D. Foust (Science Magazine) Lignocellulosic biomass has long