Twitter headlinesBiotech
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Delft Researchers Create New Metabolic Pathway in Yeast to Boost Ethanol Yield from Biomass Waste
November 20, 2009
Researchers from Delft University of Technology have engineered the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase ethanol yield from biomass waste by eliminating production of glycerol (glycerol production is essential to reoxidize NADH produced in biosynthetic processes), reoxidizing NADH instead by the reduction of acetic acid to ethanol. A paper on their work was published online 13 November in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Significant amounts of acetic acid are released upon hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass—a pre-treatment for fermentation—and, in fact, acetic acid is studied as an inhibitor of yeast metabolism in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, the authors note. This new metabolic engineering strategy is thus a triple win, says principal researcher Jack Pronk: “no glycerol formation, higher ethanol yields and consumption of toxic acetate”.
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
UCLA Researchers Engineer Cyanobacterium to Produce Fuel and Chemicals Precursor from CO2
November 16, 2009
Researchers at UCLA led by Dr. James Liao have genetically engineered the common photosynthetic cyanobacterium—Synechococcus elongatus—efficiently to produce isobutyraldehyde and isobutanol directly from CO2. Isobutyraldehyde is a precursor for the synthesis of other chemicals, and isobutanol can be used as a gasoline substitute.
A paper on their work was published online in Nature Biotechnology 15 November. In December 2007, biofuels company Gevo acquired an exclusive license for a method developed by Dr. Liao for modifying the metabolic pathway of E.coli bacteria for the non-fermentative synthesis of higher alcohols including isobutanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol from glucose. Dr. Liao is on Gevo’s scientific advisory board. (Earlier post.)
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Bio-Platinum Hybrid Catalyst for Solar Hydrogen Production Can Deliver Up to 25x Greater Energy Yield Than Current Biomass-to-Fuel Strategies
November 11, 2009
| Schematic of the electron flow in the photosystem I catalytic nanoparticle. Source: Iwuchukwu et al., Nature Nanotechnology. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville have shown that a combination of photosystem I from a thermophilic bacterium and cytochrome-c6 can, in combination with a platinum catalyst, generate a stable supply of hydrogen in vitro upon illumination. A paper on their work was published online 8 November in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
The system produces hydrogen at temperatures up to 55 °C (131 °F) and is temporally stable for >85 days with no decrease in hydrogen yield when tested intermittently. The maximum yield is ~5.5 mmol H2 h-1 mg-1 chlorophyll and is estimated to be ~25-fold greater than current biomass-to-fuel strategies. If scaled linearly, a solar collector 1 acre in size with a solution depth of 10 cm operating at 55 °C would be capable of producing hydrogen with an energy yield equivalent to that of 300 litres of gasoline per hectare per day (gross yield, ignoring production separation and distribution energy costs).
More... | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)
Ceres $5M ARPA-E Project to Focus on Increasing Biomass Yields of Energy Grasses by Up to 40%
November 10, 2009
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. plans to expand an advanced trait development project to increase biomass yields of several energy grasses by as much as 40% in coming years, while simultaneously decreasing the use of inputs such as nitrogen fertilizers. The project will be funded in part by a $5 million ARPA-E grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE). (Earlier post.)
Projections indicate that the Ceres traits alone could displace 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 58 million tons of coal over a ten-year period. Depending on cropping practices, 1.2 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer could be eliminated (about the amount of nitrogen needed for 24 million acres of cotton), among other benefits.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
UC Riverside Researchers Create First Synthetic Cellulosome in Yeast; Potential to Make Renewable Fuel Production More Efficient and Economical
October 29, 2009
A team of researchers led by University of California, Riverside (UCR) Professor of Chemical Engineering Wilfred Chen has constructed for the first time a synthetic cellulosome in yeast which is much more ethanol-tolerant than the bacteria in which these structures are normally found.
The yeast cellulosome could enable efficient one-step consolidated bioprocessing by maximizing the catalytic efficiency of cellulosic hydrolysis with simultaneous fermentation. The process of using these engineered yeasts can potentially make the production of bioethanol from biomass more efficient and economical.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
BNL Researchers Identify Enzyme That Could Help Biofuel Crops Grow In Harsh Environments
October 20, 2009
| These images show that seeds deficient in HHT (right), an enzyme needed to synthesize an important component of plant cell walls, are more permeable to a red dye than normal plant seeds (left). Controlling the level of this enzyme may offer scientists a new way to alter plant growth for improved biofuel production. Source: BNL. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have identified a novel enzyme responsible for the formation of suberin—the woody, waxy, cell-wall substance found in cork. While effective at keeping wine inside a bottle, suberin’s most important function in plants is to control water and nutrient transportation and keep pathogens out.
Adjusting the permeability of plant tissues by genetically manipulating the expression of this enzyme could lead to easier agricultural production of crops used for biofuels. The research, led by Brookhaven biologists Chang-Jun Liu and Jin-Ying Gou, will be published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of October 19, 2009.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Sequence Genome of Sugarcane Ethanol Yeast; Potential for Cellulosic Ethanol
October 14, 2009
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center, the University of North Carolina, and Brazil have sequenced the genome of PE-2, a strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that thrives on turning sugarcane into ethanol. An open access paper on the work was published in the journal Genome Research.
When oil prices rose to new highs in the 1970s, Brazil invested in ethanol created from the its sugar cane crops. Commercially available baker’s yeast was used to break down the sugar cane into ethanol, but genetic tests showed that this yeast quickly disappeared in the harsh environment of industrial fermentation vats. However, a yeast that grows naturally on the sugar cane was still viable in the vats and lasted through many more generations: PE-2.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Gevo Biobutanol Retrofit Plant Starts Up; Gevo Launches Development Company to Retrofit Ethanol Plants
September 30, 2009
Gevo, Inc., a biobutanol and renewable hydrocarbons company, announced the start up of its first biobutanol demonstration plant designed from retrofitting an existing demonstration scale ethanol plant to produce biobutanol. (Earlier post.) In successfully producing biobutanol at the 1 million gallon per year pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri, Gevo is demonstrating the viability of its technology for retrofitting existing ethanol plants to make biobutanol.
Gevo’s biobutanol can be blended directly into gasoline. Gevo’s technology also enables using the biobutanol for the production of renewable hydrocarbons such as isooctene and isooctane for the gasoline market, renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel blendstocks. In addition, Gevo’s technology enables the production of a wide variety of chemicals such as isobutylene and paraxylene from renewable resources.
More... | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
LS9 Closes $25M Round; Chevron Takes a Stake
September 24, 2009
| LS9 modifies the ACP pathway in bacteria to produce renewable hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals with optimized properties. Source: LS9. Click to enlarge. |
LS9 Company, a synthetic biology company producing renewable fuels and chemicals directly by fermentation, has successfully completed a $25 million round of funding. Participating investors included CTTV Investments LLC, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures LLC; Flagship Ventures; Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
LS9 has engineered a one-step process using to convert fatty acid intermediates into petroleum replacement products via fermentation of renewable sugars. LS9 has also discovered and engineered a new class of enzymes and their associated genes to efficiently convert fatty acids into hydrocarbons.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Develop Bacterial Enzyme-Based Catalyst for Water-Gas Shift Reaction at Ambient Conditions; New Thinking About Catalyst Design
September 22, 2009
| Researchers used coupled enzymes for the WGS reaction at ambient temperature. Source: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
A team of researchers from the UK and US have developed a coupled bacterial enzyme-based catalyst for the important water-gas shift reaction (WGS) for the production of hydrogen from syngas. A paper on the work was published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on 15 September.
The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction for the production of hydrogen from carbon monoxide and water (CO + H2O ↔ CO2 + H2) typically requires high temperatures typically in excess of 200 °C and a metal catalyst. The team, led by Fraser Armstrong at Oxford, separated the WGS process into two half-cell electrochemical reactions (H+ reduction and CO oxidation), catalyzed by bacterial enzymes attached to a conducting particle.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
FuturaGene to Develop Enhanced Poplar for the Chinese Biofuel and Biopower Markets
September 10, 2009
Israel-based FuturaGene PLC, a plant genetic researcher and developer for global forestry, biofuel and agricultural markets, has entered into an agreement with the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF) to develop new enhanced poplar variants that feature increased yield, processability and abiotic stress characteristics for the Chinese domestic market. This is the second collaboration between FuturaGene and CAF; the first agreement was signed in 2007 and aimed at improving yield processability and disease resistance of eucalyptus trees.
Futuragene will provide proprietary genes and technical assistance to Professor Liwang Qi, Chief Expert on Silva Genetics at CAF in Beijing. The program aims at improving yield, drought and salt tolerance of short-rotation poplar for the biofuel and biomass markets.
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Two Genomic Research Projects in British Columbia Tackle Issues in Emerging Forestry Biofuels Industry
August 24, 2009
| Cumulative percentage (in 2008) of lodgepole pine killed by the pine beetle infestation in British Columbia. Source: BC Ministry of Forests and Range. Click to enlarge. |
Two new genomic research projects in British Columbia (Canada), largely funded by Genome British Columbia, are investigating two separate aspects of forestry biofuels in the province: how to convert efficiently the mass of dead, unmarketable lodgepole pine resulting from the mountain pine beetle infestation to fuel, and how to optimize the poplar tree as a replacement biofuel feedstock for a BC biofuel industry once the dead lodegpole pine runs out.
Genome British Columbia is a research organization that invests in and manages large-scale genomics and proteomics research projects and science and technology platforms focused on areas of strategic importance such as human health, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, bioenergy, mining, and the environment.
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
TMO Closes £11M Funding Round for Cellulosic Ethanol Technology; Targeting US Entry With Novel Thermophilic Bacterium
August 06, 2009
UK-based TMO Renewables Ltd, the developer of a novel thermophilic bacterium and process for converting biomass into fuel ethanol (earlier post), completed an £11 million (US$18 million) financing round from a range of institutional shareholders and private investors. The funds will be used as working capital, primarily to support TMO’s entry into the US market.
The US is the key geographic area of focus for TMO; its board sees many opportunities in this marketplace for the bacterial ethanologen, whether it is retro-fitted to improve existing corn ethanol plant yields by 10% to 15%, or applied to new-build, ‘non-food’ cellulosic biofuel facilities.
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Joule Biotechnologies Introduces Its Technology for Producing Renewable Transportation Fuels
July 27, 2009
| Joule Biotechnologies uses proprietary, highly-engineered product-specific organisms to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. Click to enlarge. |
Joule Biotechnologies, Inc., a bioengineering startup, unveiled its Helioculture technology—a system that leverages highly engineered photosynthetic organisms to catalyze the conversion of sunlight and CO2 to usable transportation fuels and chemicals. Among the co-founders of Joule Biotechnologies is Harvard Medical School Professor of Genetics George Church, who also co-founded LS9.
Joule’s SolarFuels meet today’s vehicle fuel specifications and infrastructure; the company expects to achieve widespread production at the energy equivalent of less than $50 per barrel. The company’s first product offering, SolarEthanol fuel, will be ready for commercial-scale development in 2010. Joule has also demonstrated proof of concept for producing hydrocarbon fuel and expects process demonstration by 2011.
More... | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
New Cell Programming Method Could Significantly Boost Biotech and Synthetic Biology Work
| MAGE enables the rapid and continuous generation of sequence diversity at many targeted chromosomal locations across a large population of cells through the repeated introduction of synthetic DNA. Wang et al., Nature. Click to enlarge. |
A new cell programming method called Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering (MAGE) promises to give biotechnology, in particular synthetic biology, a powerful boost. MAGE was developed by a team led by a pair of researchers in the lab of Harvard Medical School Professor of Genetics George Church. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Church co-founded Joule Biotech (solar fuels), LS9 (bio-petroleum), and Knome (full human genome sequencing).
Using the platform, the team rapidly refined the design of a bacterium by editing multiple genes in parallel instead of targeting one gene at a time. They transformed E. coli cells into efficient bio-factories that produced a desired compound in three days—a feat that would take most biotech companies months or years. A paper on their work was published online in the journal Nature on 26 July.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
DOE and USDA Award $6.3M for Genomics-Enabled Biofuels Research
July 23, 2009
The US Departments of Energy and Agriculture jointly selected seven projects for awards of up to $6.3 million towards fundamental genomics-enabled research leading to the improved use of plant feedstocks for biofuel production.
These grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program begun in 2006 that is committed to fundamental research in biomass genomics, providing the scientific foundation to facilitate use of lignocellulosic materials for bioenergy and biofuels. (Earlier post.) DOE will provide $4 million in funding for four projects, while USDA will award $2.3 million to fund three projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years. Awards have been selected for:
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Genome Alberta Announces Funding for Genomics Project to Reduce Environmental Impact of Oil Sands Production
May 21, 2009
Genome Alberta announced C$25.2 million (US$22.2 million) in public/private funding over four years for two new genomic research projects, one targeted at enhanced recovery of fossil hydrocarbon resources from oil sands and coal beds through biological processes, the other focused on discovering plant genes that can be sequenced and used in yeast to produce industrial-scale volumes of biologically derived chemicals including pharmaceuticals, food products, and insecticides.
Major funding for the projects came from Industry Canada through Genome Canada and the Government of Alberta through Alberta Advanced Education and Technology. Genome Alberta is a not-for-profit organization based in Calgary which initiates, funds, and manages large-scale projects in genomics and other related areas. It is one of 6 similar Genome Centers across Canada funded in part by Industry Canada through Genome Canada.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Mascoma Achieves Set of Research Advances with Cellulosic Biofuels; Proof of Concept for Consolidated Bioprocessing
May 08, 2009
Mascoma Corporation has made major research advances in consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, a low-cost processing strategy for production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass. (Earlier post.) Presented by Mascoma Chief Technology Officer Dr. Mike Ladisch at the 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals in San Francisco, the advances, which provide proof of concept for CBP, include developments with both thermophilic bacteria to produce ethanol and recombinant cellulolytic yeasts to break down the cellulose.
CBP avoids the need for the costly production of cellulase enzymes by using engineered microorganisms that produce cellulases and ethanol at high yield in a single step. Pre-treatment opens up the structure of the biomass by disrupting the lignin seal and exposing cellulosic plant cell wall components. This gives the CBP microorganisms—which generate the enzymes to hydrolyze cellulose into fermentable sugars and also ferment the sugars to ethanol—access to the cellulosic constituents.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals; Some New Approaches for Producing Butanol
May 04, 2009
The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, a special conference of the Society for Industrial Microbiology, began yesterday in San Francisco with its largest group of conferees yet—approximately 850.
The academic conference, hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), runs through Wednesday and features a large technical program, comprising fourteen dual sessions for the presentation of papers and approximately 400 posters. Technical topics range from plant, enzyme and microbial science and technology to biomass pretreatment to biorefinery deployment and sustainability issues. A great deal of the focus of the event is on optimizing different aspects of cellulosic ethanol production.
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Glycos Biotechnologies and Eureka Genomics Sequence the Genome of a Proprietary Bacterium for Emerging Biorefinery Industry
April 28, 2009
Glycos Biotechnologies, Inc. (GlycosBio), a pioneer in metabolic engineering, and Eureka Genomics, a leader in analysis of next-generation genomic sequencing data, have sequenced the genome of a proprietary bacterium that could initially increase the ethanol yield from corn ethanol plants and will support the growth of an emerging biorefinery industry.
The new bacterial strain is targeted at producing ethanol from the thin stillage byproduct of the fermentation process. GlycosBio’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Paul Campbell said that the company is targeting a 5 - 7.5% yield increase at an existing ethanol facility via the fermentation of the thin stillage, at a target cost of around $1.00 - $1.25 per gallon.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Total Invests in Series D Round of Butanol and Renewable Hydrocarbons Company Gevo
Oil and gas major Total has invested an undisclosed amount in the series D round of advanced biofuels company Gevo.
Gevo was founded in 2005 by Drs. Frances Arnold, Matthew Peters and Peter Meinhold of the California Institute of Technology. The company is focused on the development of advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals based on isobutanol and its derivatives. Gevo’s technology enables the cost-effective, practical production of renewable hydrocarbons such as isooctene and isooctane for the gasoline market, renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel blendstocks. Gevo has already produced renewable gasoline and jet fuel that meet or exceed all ASTM specifications.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Engineer Yeast to Produce Methyl Halides from Biomass; Precursors for Biohydrocarbon Fuels
April 22, 2009
| CH3I production from cellulosic feedstocks using a microbial co-culture. A. fermentans ferments cellulosic feedstocks to acetate and ethanol, which the modified S. cerevisiae uses to produce methyl halides. Adapted from Bayer et al. (2009). Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have engineered the industrial yeast S. cerevisiae to convert biomass to methyl halides with good yield. As end products, methyl halides (CH3X, X = Cl, Br or I) are used in a variety of applications. They can also be used as intermediates for the chemical synthesis of more complex carbon compounds such as fuel hydrocarbons.
Zeolite catalysts (e.g., ZSM-5 and SAPO-34) have been used to convert methyl halides to products including gasoline, olefins, aromatics, alcohols and ethers. A method to convert biomass to methyl halides thus enables the transformation of biomass into drop-in chemicals and liquid fuels—e.g., bio-gasoline—in a two-step process. A paper on the work was published online 20 April in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Analysis of Superfamily of Plant Genes Yielding Insights to Assist in Optimizing Plants for Biofuel Production
April 12, 2009
By studying a superfamily of genes in Populus and Arabidopsis, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are gaining insights that may assist in engineering plants to be more tractable for biofuel production. The study, published online 3 April in the journal Plant Molecular Biology, also lays a foundation for understanding these genes’ evolutionary and structural properties and for a broader exploration of their roles in plant life.
The team, led by Dr. Chang-Jun Liu, is studying the large specific protein superfamily BAHD, which comprises plant acyl-CoA dependent acyltransferases. Acyl groups attached to cell-wall fibers can act as barriers to hinder the conversion of plant biofibers to sugar. Acyl groups can also form cross-linked networks that make cell walls extra strong.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Genomes of Two Strains of Micromonas Algae Show Surprising Diversity
April 10, 2009
| Transmission electron micrograph of one of the smallest known eukaryotic algae, Micromonas. Credit for TEM: A.Z. Worden, T. Deerinck, M. Terada, J. Obiyashi and M. Ellisman (MBARI and NCMIR). Click to enlarge. |
Scientists from two-dozen research organizations led by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have decoded the genomes of two strains of the photosynthetic algal genus Micromonas, highlighting the genes enabling them to capture carbon and maintain their delicate balance in the oceans.
The analysis of the genomes, sequenced by a team led by Alexandra Z. Worden of MBARI and published in the 10 April edition of the journal Science, offers insights into ecological differentiation and the dynamic nature of early plant evolution with relevance for work on climate change and cellular processes related to algae-derived biofuels being pursued by DOE scientists.
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Energy Biosciences Institute Adds Microbially Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery Project
April 01, 2009
A combined effort of all three academic partners in the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) will seek to increase the amount of oil that can be extracted from existing wells by using microbes within their geological habitat to help recover residual oil and enhance production. They will also research methods of in situ biorefining to improve oil field life cycle costs and reduce environmental impacts.
The process is called “Microbially Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery,” (MEHR) and the program to investigate it is the 51st research effort in the EBI, which is funded by BP, the global energy company. More than two dozen scientists from the University of California at Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will participate in the investigations.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
New JBEI Methodology Speeds Search for Cellulosic Biofuel Microbes
March 20, 2009
A new analytical technique developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) promises to speed up greatly the search for microbes that can ferment complex cellulosic sugars under the harsh conditions of biofuels production, such as high temperature, and do not become inhibited by the fuel being produced.
One potential candidate—Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius—has already emerged and JBEI researchers have made important determinations about its metabolism via the novel experimental route.
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Genetically Modified Yeast Can Ferment 5-carbon Sugars from Biomass to Ethanol
February 20, 2009
Professor Eckhard Boles at the Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany and his colleagues have genetically modified the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to express a newly identified enzyme to enable the fermentation of xylose (a 5-carbon sugar) as well 6-carbon sugars (e.g., glucose). A paper on their work appeared online 13 February in the journal Applied Environmental Microbiology.
Cellulosic biomass, when treated, releases a mixture of hexose (6-carbon) and pentose (5-carbon) sugars, including glucose, galactose, mannose, D-xylose and L-arabinose. S. cerevisiae, the standard industrial yeast, offer fast sugar consumption, high yields and ethanol tolerance&mash;but is unable to ferment pentose sugars.
More... | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Genetic Analysis of Brown Rot Fungus Reveals Unique Enzyme Systems for Breaking Down Cellulose; Possible Application for More Efficient Cellulosic Biofuels Processes
February 05, 2009
|
| Scanning electron micrograph showing the thread-like fungus ramifying through wood cells. Photo: Tom Kuster (FPL). Click to enlarge. |
An international team led by scientists from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) has analyzed the genome, transcriptome, and secretome of Postia placenta, a brown rot fungus, and found unique extracellular enzyme systems, including an unusual repertoire of extracellular glycoside hydrolases.
P. placenta rapidly deconstructs the cellulose in wood, but does so using different mechanisms than used by cellulolytic microbes; the genes encoding exocellobiohydrolases and cellulose-binding domains, which are typical of cellulolytic microbes, are absent in Postia. The research, conducted by more than 50 authors, is reported in the 4 February online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Scientists Publish Complete Genetic Blueprint of Sorghum
January 29, 2009
Scientists at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and several partner institutions have published the sequence and analysis of the complete genome of sorghum, a major food and fodder plant with high potential as a bioenergy crop. The genome data will aid scientists in optimizing sorghum and other crops not only for food and fodder use, but also for biofuels production. The comparative analysis of the sorghum genome appears in the 29 January edition of the journal Nature.
Prized for its drought resistance and high productivity, sorghum is currently the second most prevalent biofuels crop in the United States, behind corn. Grain sorghum produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as corn while utilizing one-third less water.
More... | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
UK Launches £27M Bioenergy Research Center
January 28, 2009
 |
| The Gribble, a marine wood borer with efficient gut enzymes for breaking down woody material, is the focus of one of the research hubs in the new Bioenergy Center. Source: BBSRC. Click to enlarge. |
The UK&rsauo;s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has launched the £27-million (US$38.5 million) BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre, marking the biggest yet single UK public investment in bioenergy research.
The BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre is focussed on six research hubs of academic and industrial partners, based at each of the Universities of Cambridge, Dundee and York and Rothamsted Research and two at the University of Nottingham. Another 7 universities and institutes are involved and 15 industrial partners across the hubs are contributing around £7 million of the funding.
More... | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Identify Endophytic Bacteria That Increase Poplar Tree Growth; Implications for Increasing Biomass for the Production of Biofuel
January 26, 2009
 |
| Sample effects of two different endophytes (Enterobacter sp. 638, left; P. putida W619, right) on the rooting and shoot formation of poplar DN-34 after 10 weeks. Taghavi et al. (2009) supplemental material. Click to enlarge. |
Through work originally designed to remove contaminants from soil, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their Belgium colleagues at Hasselt University have identified a number of endophytic (living within a plant) microbes that can improve poplar tree growth on marginal land. Two strains in particular showed an increase in biomass production of up to 50%.
The findings, published in the 1 February issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, may help scientists design strategies for sustainable biofuel feedstock production that does not use food crops or agricultural land.
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)
Protéus and Syngenta to Collaborate to Develop Enzymes for Cellulosic Biofuel Production
January 16, 2009
 |
| Directed evolution through gene shuffling. Source: Protéus. Click to enlarge. |
Protéus, a France-based biotechnology company, will collaborate with global agribusiness company Syngenta on the development of novel high-performance enzymes for cellulosic biofuel production.
Both diversity screening and directed evolution methods will be used for the discovery and the optimization of such targeted enzymes for the conversion of biomass into biofuels. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.
More... | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Monsanto Moves Closer to Launch of First Drought-Tolerant Corn Product
January 07, 2009
|
| Five years of field trials have shown yield improvements delivered by the drought-tolerant corn. Source: Monsanto. Click to enlarge. |
Monsanto Company’s first-generation drought-tolerant corn product has moved to the fourth and final phase of development before an anticipated market launch early in the next decade, according to Monsanto’s annual update of its Research and Development (R&D) pipeline. Monsanto has submitted the product to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for regulatory clearance.
Drought-tolerant corn is designed to provide farmers yield stability during periods when water supply is scarce by mitigating the effects of drought—or water stress—within a corn plant.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Modifying Poplar Tree Lignin Structure to Facilitate Processing for Cellulosic Biofuels
December 23, 2008
Researchers at Penn State University are modifying the structure of lignin—a polymer that is a major component of woody plant material—in poplar trees to facilitate its degradation for the subsequent processing of the woody biomass into liquid fuels. Lignin is woven in with cellulose and provides plants with the strength to withstand strong gusts of wind and microbial attack. However, this protective barrier also limits hydrolytic enzyme access to the cellulose and hemicellulose.
Researchers have previously tried to get around the problem by methods including treatment with lignin-degrading fungi and genetically decreasing the lignin content in plants. The first is at an early stage of development, and the second can lead to a variety of problems such as limp plants unable to stay upright, and plants more susceptible to pests.
More... | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Optimizing Algae for Biofuels Production by Genetically Truncating Their Chlorophyll Arrays
December 18, 2008
 |
| Photosynthetic O2-production with C. reinhardtii wild type and tla1 mutant as a function of Chl concentration. Note the greater rates of O2-production in the tla1 than in the wild type under conditions of high cell density (high Chl concentration). Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are developing an approach to improving the solar-to-biofuels energy conversion efficiency of algae in mass culture by genetically truncating the size of the light-harvesting chlorophyll arrays that serve to absorb sunlight in the photosynthetic apparatus. A paper on their work appears in a special energy issue of the open-access journal Optics Express.
Researchers have calculated, based on a quantum yield of 0.103 O2 per photon absorbed, that the productivity of microalgae under bright sunlight could be up to 75 g dry weight m-2 d-1. However, small-scale cultures of microalgae grown under full sunlight show maximal photosynthetic productivity of about 20-30 g dw m-2 d-1. The reason for this discrepancy, the Berkeley team of Mautusi Mitra and Anastasios Melis notes, is that green algae assemble large arrays of light absorbing chlorophyll (Chl) antenna molecules in their photosystems.
More... | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Researchers Engineer Bacteria to Produce Nonnatural Alcohols with Higher Energy Density
December 10, 2008
 |
| Schematic representation of the biosynthetic pathway of the 6-carbon alcohol 3-methyl-1-pentanol. The engineered nonnatural metabolic pathway is shaded in lavender. Click to enlarge. Credit: PNAS |
Researchers at UCLA have developed a nonnatural biosynthetic pathway enabling the bacteria Escherichia coli to produce various long-chain alcohols with carbon numbers ranging from 5 to 8. Higher carbon alcohols are attractive biofuel targets because they have higher energy density and lower water solubility. By way of comparison, ethanol has two carbons; butanol has four.
To demonstrate the feasibility of their approach, they optimized the biosynthesis of a 6-carbon alcohol: 3-methyl-1-pentanol. A paper on the work by Dr. James Liao and colleagues was published online 8 December in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
More... | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)
JBEI Researchers Engineer Yeast to Produce n-Butanol
December 06, 2008
 |
| n-butanol production by the different strains. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Dr. Jay Keasling at UC Berkeley, have engineered the common industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an n-butanol biosynthetic pathway, resulting in a ten-fold improvement in n-butanol production from one of the strains to 2.5 mg/L. An open access paper on their work was published online 3 December in the journal Microbial Cell Factories.
Butanol has a number of advantages over ethanol for use as a biofuel—it is more hydrophobic; has a higher energy density; can be transported through existing pipeline infrastructure; and can be mixed with gasoline at any ratio.
More... | Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)
J. Craig Venter Institute Researchers Publish Significant Advance in Genome Assembly Technology; Yeast as a Genetic Factory
December 05, 2008
Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) have published a paper describing a significant advance in genome assembly in which the team can now assemble the whole bacterial genome, Mycoplasma genitalium, in one step from 25 fragments of DNA. Lead author Dr. Daniel G. Gibson and his team published their results in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The work was funded by the company Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI).
The new paper represents major improvements in the methods that the team developed and described in their January 2008 publication of the first synthesis of a bacterial genome, M. genitalium. (Earlier post.) That publication outlined how the team synthesized in the laboratory the 582,970 base pair M. genitalium genome using the chemical building blocks of DNA: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T).
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (2)
USDA Seeks Public Comment on Deregulating Corn Genetically Modified to Facilitate Ethanol Production
November 27, 2008
The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a petition submitted by Syngenta Seeds, Inc. to deregulate corn genetically engineered (GE) to express high levels of a novel alpha-amylase enzyme—a thermal-tolerant digestive enzyme that turns the corn’s starch into sugar for ethanol. (Earlier post.)
Microbially produced alpha-amylases are commonly used commercially in the starch-processing step during corn dry-grind and wet milling processing for ethanol production. Syngenta’s concept for its engineered corn, designated as transformation Event 3272, is that the grain will serve as the source of amylase enzyme in the dry-grind ethanol process, replacing the addition of microbially produced enzyme.
