Biofuel News

Algae enzyme converts cooking oil into ready-to-use biofuel By Tim Sandle A rare algae enzyme has been shown to be able to convert waste cooking oil, via a photo-bio-catalytic continuous flow system, into a ready-to-use biofuel.

Q&A: Monitoring algal health is key to biofuel development Special By Tim Sandle New methods are being applied to identify new and improved algae strains for the production of biofuels. An example is with fluorescence-based, high-throughput flow cytometry, which is being pioneered at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

New process turns carbon dioxide into eco-plastics By Tim Sandle Scientists have developed a means by which they can manipulate bacteria to generate biofuel and degradable bioplastics by utilizing airborne carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen, via a light-initiated biochemical reaction

Q&A: Creating ‘smart’ microbial bionsensors Special By Tim Sandle New research shows that protein-based biosensors can detect the presence of a desired enzyme target and respond by physically lighting up, and enabling researchers to immediately identify cells with increased overall enzyme yield.

Quebec-based Agrisoma and Qantas Airlines sign bio jet fuel deal By Karen Graham Sydney - Qantas Airlines has announced it will operate the world’s first biofuel flight between the United States and Australia early in 2018 in collaboration with World Fuel Services and Altair Fuels, using a jet biofuel made with carinata seeds.

Florida aims to become regional alternative jet fuels hub By Karen Graham Florida wants to establish a biofuel supply chain based around Brassica carinata, a non-edible plant that has already been used to produce 100 percent bio-derived jet fuel.

Sustainable agriculture's tractor of the future unveiled By Karen Graham A sustainable vision for the future of farming was unveiled on Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, in the form of a methane powered concept tractor from New Holland Agriculture, a global agricultural equipment brand of CNH Industrial.

Recycled foil becomes catalyst for biofuel By Tim Sandle An intrepid researcher has successfully taken some used, dirty tin foil and used the material as the basis for a biofuel catalyst. The solution is environmentally-friendly, effective, and cheaper than current technology.

Essential Science: Making more efficient biofuels By Tim Sandle Are biofuels the answer to the world’s energy needs or do the problems, including diverting food crops for fuel, carry an unnecessary level of social and economic problems? If biofuels are the answer, how can they be made for efficient?

Scientists look at panda poo for biofuel clues By Owen Weldon Researchers in Belgium are looking at excrement of giant pandas in hopes to find clues on how to develop new generations of biofuel.

Tweaking fungi to boost biofuel enzyme production By Tim Sandle Researchers have used mutant variants of a fungus to double the production of endoxylanase enzymes. These enzymes are used to bleach wood in chlorine free processes and for biofuels.

Using fungi to create jet fuel By Tim Sandle Scientists have devised a method to create fuel for aircraft using a black fungus. The fungus is commonly found in decaying leaves and vegetation. The biofuel is predicted to be economically viable within five years.

New plant cell structure leads to new renewable materials By Tim Sandle Plants are increasingly being considered for renewable materials, energy and for building construction. The utilization of bio-materials has been advanced by a new understanding about the structure of wood.

Algae from waterways could serve as a biofuel By Tim Sandle Detroit - Water-borne algal blooms from farm fertilizer runoff cause environmental pollution and potential health concerns. Scientists have a new solution: collecting up the algae to make biofuels.

Op-Ed: Vegetable oil: a DiY solution to fossil fuel pollution Special By Victoria N. Alexander The fossil fuel industry has an enormous impact on politics, the economy, and our health. This pollution Goliath is just too powerful to fight with government regulations. Take matters into your own hands and put vegetable oil in your fuel tank.

Militarization and alternative biofuel drives Ethiopian land-grab By Karen Hardison Ethiopia buys military weapons and claims advance on Millennium Goal objectives while India and others gain large scale alternative biofuel crops and claim advance on reduction of fossil fuel dependency.

Generating bioethanol with starch and yeast By Tim Sandle A new class of enzymes can degrade previously resistant forms of starch, according to a new study. The resultant product is a source of material for making biofuels.

Turning whisky waste into fuel By Tim Sandle A small independent company in Scotland is turning the waste products from the whisky industry into alcohol for use as a biofuel.

Search for biofuels leads to the human gut By Tim Sandle The search for microorganisms to use in biofuel generation has led to the human lower intestine. A new study demonstrates how such microorganisms could be effective candidates for organic fuel production.

New renewable fuel alternative using bacteria By Tim Sandle London - Scientists have genetically altered a strain of the common the gut bacteria E.coli in a way so that the bacterium can generate renewable propane.

'Whisky powered' cars being considered By Tim Sandle Glasgow - The company Celtic Renewables has partnered with a Belgian pilot plant to bring its bio-fuel made from whisky production residue to an industrial scale.

Efficient way of making raw ingredient for biofuel Special By Tim Sandle Biochemists have begun building a one-hectare pilot unit for the production of microalgae in Portugal. The aim is to produce microalgae biomass for biodiesel production in a sustainable manner.

Duckweed makes for a good biofuel source By Tim Sandle Duckweed is a tiny floating plant and often seen as an unwanted weed. Now it seems as if the plant could have an economic value: as a source for biofuels.

Table sugar used to make a ‘sweet biofuel’ By Tim Sandle A research team has developed a new source of renewable energy: a biofuel made from genetically engineered yeast cells and ordinary table sugar. This yeast produces oils and fats, known as lipids, that can be used in place of petroleum-derived products.

Algae converted to crude oil in less than one hour By Tim Sandle Scientists have replicated the process whereby fossil fuels were created. Instead of this taking several millennia the process has been completed in under sixty minutes.

Making low-cost hydrogen from bacteria By Tim Sandle The goal of making cheap hydrogen fuel has been often discussed. Given that some bacteria make hydrogen as a by-product, scientists have looked towards microbes for some answers.

Biofuel production becomes more complicated By Tim Sandle Scientists trying to understand how the castor oil plant produces some very fatty beans from which oil is refined into biodiesel have found the plan to be more complex than previously realized.

Super yeast increases ethanol yield By Tim Sandle A research team have engineered a yeast to consume acetic acid, a previously unwanted by-product of the process of converting plant leaves, stems and other tissues into biofuels.

Scientists produce gasoline by fat conversion By Tim Sandle Scientists have managed to create 580 mg of gasoline per liter of cultured broth by converting in fatty acid. The process uses microorganisms.

Panda poop may provide basis of new biofuels By Tim Sandle Giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le, located at the Memphis Zoo, could provide a solution for biofuel production. Scientists are searching the feces from the pandas for useful microbes.

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