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[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”.
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POET Reduces Cellulosic Ethanol Production Cost from $4.13 to $2.35/Gallon in First Year of Pilot Operation; <$2.00/Gallon Target for Commercial Start
November 18, 2009
Over the first year of operations of its pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in South Dakota (earlier post), POET has reduced its per gallon production cost from $4.13 to $2.35, exceeding its expectations. Cost reduction came via reductions in energy usage, enzyme costs, raw material requirements and capital expenses. The pilot plant uses corn cobs for feedstock.
The company’s goal is to be below $2 per gallon by the time of the commercial start-up of its Project LIBERTY (Launch of an Integrated Bio-refinery with Eco-sustainable and Renewable Technologies in Y2009) plant, a planned 25 million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa. (Earlier post.)
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DOE and USDA Select Projects for More Than $24M in Biomass Research and Development Grants
November 13, 2009
The US Departments of Agriculture and Energy selected projects for more than $24 million in grants to research and develop technologies to produce biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products. Of the $24.4 million announced today, DOE plans to invest up to $4.9 million with USDA contributing up to $19.5 million. Advanced biofuels produced through this funding are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% compared to fossil fuels.
Projects selected must contribute a minimum of 20% of matching funds for research and development projects and 50% of matching funds for demonstration projects. Funding is provided through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and DOE’s Biomass Program.
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Accenture Reports Identifies 12 Disruptive Technologies Most Likely to Transform Supply and Demand of Transport Fuels and Cut Emissions Within Next 10 Years
November 10, 2009
| Accenture timeline for evolution of electrification technologies, the “game-changing” subset of the disruptive technologies. Source: Accenture. Click to enlarge. |
Accenture has identified 12 technologies that it concludes have the potential to disrupt the current views of transport fuels supply, demand and GHG emissions over the next 10 years. In a report comparing advances in combustion engines, biofuels, electrification and other technologies, Accenture warns that the commercial viability of those disruptive technologies will be delayed unless regulators more proactively support the transformation of science into applied technologies.
“Betting on Science – Disruptive Technologies in Transport Fuels” selected 12 innovations in electrification and genetically modified biofuels, as well as existing fuel sources that will have the most immediate impact on emissions and on the gasoline and diesel markets. The study profiled 25 companies that aim to commercialize these technologies in the next five (i.e., by 2014) and also examines different global markets.
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Ceres $5M ARPA-E Project to Focus on Increasing Biomass Yields of Energy Grasses by Up to 40%
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.
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INEOS Bio Begins Advanced Waste-to-Ethanol Plant Feasibility Study
November 09, 2009
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| The INEOS Bio waste-to-ethanol process, originally developed by BRI. Click to enlarge. |
INEOS Bio, a subsidiary of INEOS, the world’s third-largest chemicals company, has started a feasibility study for a plant in the UK to convert locally generated biodegradable household and commercial wastes into carbon neutral road transport fuel and clean electricity, using the INEOS Bio technology process. (Earlier post.)
The £3.5-million (US$5.9 million) feasibility study, which includes detailed engineering design work for a plant at the company’s Seal Sands site in the Tees Valley, is being supported by a £2.2-million (US$3.7 million) grant from the Regional Development Agency One North East and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. When completed, the feasibility study will inform an investment decision in 2010 for a commercial INEOS Bio bio-ethanol and bio-energy plant. Subsequent expansion could turn the initial plant into a fully integrated bio-refinery by 2015.
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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.
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ArborGen LLC and Clemson University Form Research Cooperative on Woody Biomass for Biofuels
October 16, 2009
Clemson University and ArborGen LLC are partnering to develop purpose-grown woody biomass as feedstock for the biofuels industry. The cooperative will support South Carolina’s ethanol industry based on existing cellulose conversion technology, foster multi-agency collaboration and engage students in research and internships.
ArborGen and Clemson will identify areas of joint research, including plant genetics and development, field trials, equipment engineering, material handling and woody biomass pretreatment.
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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.
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Qteros and Applied CleanTech Partner to Produce Ethanol from Cellulose Extracted from Sewage Sludge
October 06, 2009
Biofuels company Qteros has entered into a joint development project with Applied CleanTech (ACT), a commodities recycling company based in Israel, to use ACT’s Recyllose-based feedstock, produced from municipal wastewater solids (sewage sludge), for more efficient and lower-cost ethanol production by Qteros’ Q Microbe technology. Qteros’ system converts a wide array of cellulosic biomass directly into ethanol in a single step, consolidating enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation, largely eliminating enzymes and associated pretreatment, and simplifying the production process.
Qteros and ACT’s researchers have found that an ethanol production plant could produce 120-135 gallons of ethanol per ton of Recyllose with the Q Microbe technology.
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Forecast: Global Biofuels Use to Double by 2015, Second-Gen Biofuels to Lag Expectations
October 01, 2009
Despite a number of key issues such as land use and competition for feedstocks supplies for traditional food and feed uses, global use of biofuels is excepted to more than double from 2009 to 2015, according to a new global analysis released by Hart Energy Publishing’s Global Biofuels Center (GBC).
Hart’s “Global Biofuels Outlook to 2015” (GBO 2015) concludes that the US will see a growth of total biofuels use of more than 35%. Brazil will grow domestic supplies by 30% and more than double export volume. Indonesia and Malaysia will more than double production of palm oil biodiesel, while Germany will remain the largest producer of biofuels in Europe, according to the analysis. Major new contributors to the growth of global biofuels between 2009 and 2015 include Indonesia, France, China, India, Thailand, Colombia, Malaysia, Philippines and Argentina.
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US DOE Awards POET Additional $6.85M for Feedstock Infrastructure for Cellulosic Ethanol
September 28, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $6.85 million funding increase to an existing grant to ethanol producer POET. This is the first of two funding increases from DOE to help establish a market for corn cobs. The second, expected next year, is estimated to provide an additional $13.15 million. Cobs are the feedstock for POET’s effort to commercialize cellulosic ethanol, Project LIBERTY, which will be built in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
The grant increases will play a key role in establishing corn cobs as a viable commodity and setting the stage for corn cob harvesting across the United States, according to POET.
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Mascoma Announces Feedstock Processing and Lignin Supply Agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures; Chevron Working on Converting Lignin to Hydrocarbon Fuel Components
September 14, 2009
Mascoma Corporation has entered into a feedstock processing and lignin supply agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), a division of Chevron USA, Inc. Under terms of the agreement, CTV will provide various sources of lignocellulosic feedstock to Mascoma. Mascoma will then convert the feedstock to cellulosic ethanol through its proprietary process, which produces lignin as a by-product.
Mascoma will provide this lignin to CTV for evaluation. CTV is developing proprietary technology and catalysts for the conversion of lignin into hydrocarbon components for transportation fuels. Chevron has filed applications for two patents on processes to convert lignin to a hydrocarbon feedstock via hydroprocessing; both applications were published on 3 September 2009.
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Study Concludes That Use of Cellulosic Feedstocks to Meet US Biofuel Requirements Will Still Likely Result in Expansion of the Gulf Dead Zone
September 10, 2009
| Nitrate output within the MARB (colored bars, lefthand y-axis) and mean areal extent of hypoxia in the NGOM with “No Buffer” and “50% Buffer” (gray scale bars, righthand y-axis). Nitrate output columns represent mean values and the 80% credible intervals from modeling. Credit: ACS, Costello et. al. Click to enlarge. |
A study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh found that while moving from corn to cellulosics to meet the biofuel goals specified by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) for ethanol production may result in a 20% decrease (based on mean values) in NO3- (nitrate) output from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) relative to corn, this will still result in increased nitrate loadings, contributing to the expansion of the hypoxic “Dead Zone” in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). (Earlier post.)
The findings suggest that an aggressive nutrient management strategy will be needed to reach the goal of a 5,000 km2 areal extent of hypoxia set forth by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force even in the absence of biofuels, given current production to meet food, feed, and other industrial needs. Their paper was published online 13 August in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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FuturaGene to Develop Enhanced Poplar for the Chinese Biofuel and Biopower Markets
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.
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DOE Selects High-Tonnage Biomass Feedstock Projects for up to $21M in Funding
August 31, 2009
The US Department of Energy will award up to $21 million to five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high-tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production. The selection of the projects is in response to a funding opportunity announcement issued by DOE back in March.(Earlier post.)
The chosen awards were selected as the best projects to stimulate the design and demonstration of a comprehensive system to handle the harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transport, and storage of sufficient volumes of sustainably produced feedstocks. Feedstocks or combinations of feedstocks that were considered include: agricultural residues, energy crops (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, energycane, sorghum, poplar, willow), forest resources (e.g., forest thinnings, wood chips, wood wastes, small diameter trees), and urban wood wastes.
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VTT Launches European NEMO Project for Cellulosic Ethanol
August 26, 2009
| NEMO will focus on novel enzymes for hydrolysis and novel microorganisms for cellulosic ethanol production to identify the most eco-efficient and economic process options for cellulosic ethanol. Source: Universita Degli Studi di Milano. Click to enlarge. |
The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has launched, as co-ordinator, the NEMO project (Novel high performance enzymes and micro-organisms for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol), a collaborative research effort involving European research institutes and companies to develop technologies for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
The NEMO project, which has received funding of €5.9 million (US$8.4 million) from the EU’s FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme), is aimed at developing technologies to produce cellulosic ethanol from agricultural and forestry waste, such as straws and wood chips, via a fermentation pathway. Total cost of the project will be €8.2 million (US$11.7 million).
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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.
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Study Finds Water Use for Switchgrass Ethanol Production Approximately the Same as for Gasoline
August 23, 2009
| Consumptive freshwater use for ethanol and petroleum gasoline production. Data: Wu, ANL/ESD/09-1. Click to enlarge. |
In the US, producing one gallon of ethanol from switchgrass consumes approximately the same net amount of water as does producing a gallon of gasoline from conventional crude or oil sands oil, according to a study by Argonne National Laboratory researchers presented at the 238th national meeting of the American Chemical Society last week.
The production of both bio and petroleum feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Biofuel feedstocks such as corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol; petroleum feedstocks such as crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. In many cases, the Argonne team noted, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent.
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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.
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National Research Council Report on America’s Energy Future Highlights Vehicle Efficiency Technologies, Conversion of Biomass and Coal-to-Liquids Fuels, and Electrifying the Light Duty Fleet with PHEVs, BEVs and FCVs
July 31, 2009
| Estimates of potential for gasoline consumption reduction in the US light duty fleet in 2020 and 2035 relative to 2007. Projected consumption assumes efficiency improvements in powertrain and vehicle are offset by increases in performance, size and weight. Improvements result from an optimistic scenario achieving doubling of new vehicle fuel economy in 2035 from today’s value. Source: America’s Energy Future, Fig. 2.4. Click to enlarge. |
With a sustained national commitment, the United States could obtain substantial energy-efficiency improvements, new sources of energy, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through the accelerated deployment of existing and emerging energy technologies, according to the prepublication copy of the capstone report of the America’s Energy Future project of the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering.
However, the report concludes, initiating deployment of these technologies is urgent; actions taken—or not taken—between now and 2020 to develop and demonstrate several key technologies will largely determine the nation’s energy options for many decades to come. For the transportation sector, these key technologies include a focus on improving vehicle efficiency; developing technologies for the conversion of biomass and coal-to-liquid fuels; and electrifying the light-duty vehicle fleet through expanded deployment of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs).
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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:
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Researchers Outline Consensus Position on “Beneficial Biofuels”
July 19, 2009
Noting that society “cannot afford to miss out” on the multiple benefits of biofuels “done right”, but that society also “cannot accept the undesirable impacts of biofuels done wrong,” eleven researchers suggest what they describe as a consensus position on beneficial biofuels in a paper published 17 July in Science.
Lead author is David Tilman of the University of Minnesota. Co-authors include the U of M’s Jonathan Foley and Jason Hill; Princeton’s Robert Socolow, Eric Larson, Stephen Pacala, Tim Searchinger and Robert Williams; Dartmouth’s Lee Lynd; MIT’s John Reilly; and the University of California, Berkeley’s Chris Somerville.
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JBEI Researchers Develop Dynamic Visualization Technique to Assess Performance of Ionic Liquid Pretreatments of Biomass
July 11, 2009
| Fluorescence images of a stem of switchgrass treated with EmimAc ionic liquid showing the section (a) before treatment (b) 20 minutes after treatment (c) 50 minutes after treatment and (d) two hours after treatment when the organized plant cell wall structure has been completely broken down. Source: JBEI. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a US Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a technique, based on the natural auto-fluorescence of plant cell walls, that enables researchers for the first time to visualize dynamically solubilization during an ionic liquid pretreatment of a biomass sample (pristine switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, in the study).
Cellulosic biomass must be pretreated prior to adding enzymes for saccharification of cellulose or hemicelluloses to release sugars for processing into fuel as yields are too low otherwise to be economically competitive. The use of ionic liquids—salts that are liquids rather than crystals at room temperature—to dissolve lignocellulose and later help hydrolyze the resulting liquor into sugars for processing into biofuels, shows promise as a pre-treatment method (e.g., earlier post).
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Researchers Demonstrate Potential for Co-Production of Hydrogen from Cellulosic Ethanol Byproducts Via Gasification in Supercritical Water
June 20, 2009
| Concept for hydrogen gas coproduction from cellulosic ethanol byproduct streams. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Oregon State University have demonstrated the gasification of water-soluble biomass constituents in supercritical water in a microchannel reactor under isothermal, continuous flow condition at short residence times to produce a hydrogen-rich gas. This could potentially lead to a process for the co-production of hydrogen with certain cellulosic ethanol systems.
A paper on their work, which, according to the authors, is the also the first reported study on the gasification of xylose by supercritical water, was published online 19 June in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
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Ceres National Switchgrass Field Trials Show Average 2008 Biomass Yields 50% Higher Than Federal Projected Yields for 2022
May 20, 2009
Yield results from energy crop company Ceres, Inc.’s nation-wide network of field trials showed that average biomass yields among switchgrass seed varieties tested last season were as much as 50% higher than the government’s projected yields for 2022.
Proprietary varieties sold under the company’s Blade Energy Crops brand were consistently the highest yielding varieties across multiple trial locations, with average yields reaching nearly 10 tons.
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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.
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President Obama Establishes Biofuels Interagency Working Group; Push on Biofuel Development/Commercialization and Flex-Fuel Vehicle Use
May 05, 2009
US President Barack Obama has established a Biofuels Interagency Working Group, to be co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to further the research, development and commercialization of biofuels.
The announcement came in conjunction with the EPA’s release of its notice of proposed rulemaking for the Renewable Fuel Standard (earlier post), and the Department of Energy’s announcement of $787.5 million in funding to be awarded to advanced biofuels research and commercialization projects (earlier post).
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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.
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Ceres and University of Georgia Researchers Focus on High-Yielding Switchgrass for Southeast US
April 13, 2009
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc., will work with University of Georgia researchers to develop new high-yielding switchgrass seed varieties and improved crop management techniques for the southeastern United States. Switchgrass, which can reach yields of 6 to 10 dry tons or more in the Southeast, is being widely considered as a raw material for next-generation biofuels and biopower.
The multi-year project will bring together plant breeders, agronomists and support scientists at Ceres and the University of Georgia to develop improved seed varieties.
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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.
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SCOPE Biofuels Project Releases Assessment on Environmental Effects of Biofuel Technologies
April 03, 2009
The SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment) International Biofuels Project, has published the full proceedings of its Rapid Assessment workshop on the environmental effects of biofuel technologies, 22-25 September 2008. SCOPE is part of the International Council for Science.
While noting that most recent studies based on lifecycle analysis show that even first generation biofuels can result in “a substantial reduction” in net greenhouse gas emissions (80% to greater than 100% for sugarcane ethanol, 30% to 50% for corn ethanol), papers in the study express concerns over what they contend are potentially undercalculated N2O greenhouse gas effects; the exacerbation of hypoxia from run-off; the need for inclusion of indirect land use effects in greenhouse gas assessments; water use and quality; and other environmental and social effects.
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Caltech Researchers Create Group of Synthetic, Thermostable Enzymes for Cellulosic Biofuel Production
March 24, 2009
| Portions of three natural fungal cellulase enzymes that have been recombined to produce a synthetic, thermostable cellulase are denoted by blue, green and red coloring. The recombined cellulase enzyme modeled here functions at higher temperatures than any of the three parents. Source: Caltech. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) led by Frances H. Arnold, the Dick and Barbara Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry at Caltech, and gene-synthesis company DNA2.0 have developed a new group of 15 highly stable fungal enzyme catalysts that efficiently break down cellulose into sugars at high temperatures for conversion into a variety of renewable fuels and chemicals.
Previously, fewer than 10 such fungal cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II) enzymes were known. In addition to their remarkable stabilities, Arnold’s enzymes degrade cellulose over a wide range of conditions. A paper on the work was published 23 March in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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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.
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DOE to Award Up to $15M for High-Tonnage Supply Systems for Biomass Feedstocks for Cellulosic Biofuels
March 19, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $15 million to stimulate the design and demonstration of a comprehensive system to handle the harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transport and storage of sufficient volumes of high-impact feedstocks required to achieve the rapid expansion of the commercial domestic cellulosic biofuels industry.
For the purposes of awards under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000060), high-impact feedstocks must have the ultimate sustainable potential of providing at least 100 million dry metric tonnes per year.
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Shell and Codexis Expand Collaboration to Hasten Commercialization of Iogen Cellulosic Ethanol Process; Work on Biohydrocarbons Continues
March 10, 2009
Royal Dutch Shell plc and Codexis, Inc. have expanded their collaboration to develop better biocatalysts that could accelerate commercialization of next-generation biofuels. Shell also increased its equity stake in Codexis and will take an additional seat on the company’s board.
As part of the agreement, Codexis will work closely with Shell and Iogen Energy Corporation to enhance the efficiency of biocatalysts used in the Iogen cellulosic ethanol production process. The Iogen demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada currently produces hundreds of thousands of liters of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residue, such as wheat straw. In 2008, Shell increased its stake in Iogen to 50%. (Earlier post.)
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Study Finds Integrated Biorefinery Processes Could Be Highly Competitive With Petroleum Fuels on Efficiency and Costs, While Offering Substantial Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
March 08, 2009
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| Processing efficiencies for biorefinery scenarios (energy out as percent of feedstock lower heating value). Laser et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
Biomass refining technologies integrating biological and thermochemical processing to produce biofuels and/or power could offer similar, if not lower, efficiencies and costs and very large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum-derived fuel, according to a comparative analysis of 14 mature technology biomass refining scenarios.
The paper results from the “The Role of Biomass in America’s Energy Future (RBAEF)” project and is published in a special issue of the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining which presents a collection of papers with technology-oriented analysis resulting from the RBAEF project.
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EU Awards €1.6M Contract to Novozymes to Support Development of Cellulosic Ethanol from Sugarcane Bagasse
March 02, 2009
The European Commission is supporting a Novozymes project to convert sugarcane by-products into bioethanol with a €1.6 million (US$2 million), 2-year contract. Sugarcane is already used to make bioethanol in Brazil, but the residue material from the crushed sugarcane (bagasse) has so far only been used for generating steam for heating or distillation internally in the sugar production.
In connection with this project (earlier post), Novozymes is establishing a research unit in Curitiba, Brazil, supported by research colleagues in both the US and Denmark. Novozymes has been working to develop enzymes to convert agricultural by-products into bioethanol since 2001. The research effort is the largest in Novozymes’ history, with about 150 employees working towards the conversion of biomass to ethanol on different projects throughout the world.
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Study Concludes That Large-Scale Transport of Ethanol Could Negate Its Economic and Environmental Benefits Compared to Gasoline
February 26, 2009
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| Emissions from ethanol transport in the CMU study applied to ethanol life cycle emissions from other studies. Emissions from transport are recalculated using the CMU results. Click to enlarge. |
A new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) concludes that the emissions associated with the transport of ethanol could negate its potential economic and environmental benefits compared to gasoline. Emissions from ethanol transport estimated in the new work are up to two times those for ethanol transport in previous life cycle analysis studies.
To reduce economic and environmental costs, the CMU team recommends regional concentration of E85 blends for future ethanol production and use. An open-access paper on the study was appeared online 25 February in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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Honda to Build New Cellulosic Ethanol R&D Facility to Accelerate Commercialization
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will build a new research facility to work toward the establishment and practical application of bioethanol production technology from non-edible cellulosic material such as the stems and leaves of plants.
Honda is continuing its collaborative research on bioethanol production technology with RITE (Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth) which began in 2006 (earlier post). Honda has been conducting research on the bio-ethanol conversion process using an experimental plant built within the Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Fundamental Technology Research Center (Wako, Saitama) since April 2007.
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Study Concludes That an Aggressive Global Cellulosic Biofuels Program Could Have Unintended Consequences
February 24, 2009
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| Carbon balance associated with all land use change and that directly associated with biofuels over the period 2000-2050 as simulated by the deforestation (a) and intensification (b) scenarios. Melillo et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
An aggressive global cellulosic biofuels program could contribute substantially to future global-scale energy needs, but could have significant unintended environmental consequences, according to a recent report by the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.
Using simulation modeling, the researchers explored two scenarios for cellulosic biofuels production: the clearing of large swathes of natural forest, or the intensification of agricultural operations worldwide. The greenhouse gas implications of land-use conversion differ substantially between the two scenarios, but in both, numerous biodiversity hotspots suffer from serious habitat loss, the study found.
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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.
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BP and Verenium Form Cellulosic Ethanol Venture to Deliver Advanced Biofuels
February 18, 2009
BP and Verenium Corporation have formed a 50-50 joint venture to develop and commercialize cellulosic ethanol from non-food feedstocks such as energy cane and energy grasses. The joint venture company will act as the commercial entity for the deployment of cellulosic ethanol technology being developed and proven under the first phase of the BP-Verenium partnership, announced last August. (Earlier post.)
Together the companies have agreed to commit $45 million in funding and assets to the joint venture company. This collaboration is intended to progress the development of one of the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities, located in Highlands County, Florida and to create future opportunities for leveraging cellulosic ethanol technologies. (Earlier post.)
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Sandia Labs/GM Biofuels Systems Study Concludes Large-Scale Production of Advanced Biofuels is Achievable and Sustainable
February 10, 2009
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| Among the study’s findings is that the capex required for developing 60 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol is equivalent to or less than that required for new long-term petroleum production. Source: Sandia. Click to enlarge. |
A joint biofuels systems analysis project conducted over nine months last year by Sandia National Laboratories and GM’s R&D Center concluded that the large-scale production of advanced biofuels produced from plant and forestry waste and dedicated energy crops in volumes well beyond the level required by the Renewable Fuel Standard is achievable and sustainable by 2030.
The study, said Robert Carling, Director, Transportation Energy Center at Sandia, represents the first true value-chain approach to assessing the feasibility, implications, limitations, and enablers of large-scale production of biofuels in the United States.
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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
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| 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).
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University of Minnesota Study Finds Cellulosic Ethanol Carries Lower Human Health Economic Costs Than Gasoline or Corn Ethanol
February 03, 2009
A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota finds that cellulosic ethanol has fewer negative effects on human health because it emits smaller amounts of fine particulate matter. Other earlier work has shown that cellulosic ethanol and other next-generation biofuels also emit lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The study will be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in February and will be posted online this week.
The study is the first to estimate the economic costs to human health and well-being from gasoline, corn-based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol made from biomass. The authors found that depending on the materials and technology used in production, cellulosic ethanol’s environmental and health costs are less than half the costs of gasoline, while corn-based ethanol’s costs range from roughly equal to about double that of gasoline.
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Novozymes, COFCO and Sinopec to Partner on Cellulosic Ethanol from Corn Stover in China
February 02, 2009
Novozymes and its Chinese partner COFCO have entered a new partnership with major Chinese oil and energy company Sinopec to develop a commercial-scale process for producing cellulosic bioethanol from corn stover.
Together, the three partners cover the entire value chain of bioethanol production and distribution.
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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.
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UK Launches £27M Bioenergy Research Center
January 28, 2009
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| 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.
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USDA to Advance Development of Advanced Biofuels and Other Renewables; Provide Support for Struggling Corn-Ethanol Industry
January 26, 2009
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will advance R&D and pursue opportunities to support the development of advanced biofuels, wind power, and other renewable energy sources, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Vilsack was discussing his priorities as Secretary of Agriculture during a teleconference call with the media.
Vilsack said that the USDA needs to make sure that the existing biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive the current challenging market. For example, the USDA will research, develop and promote best practices to improve the efficiency of corn ethanol plants, Vilsack said. USDA also will promote policies to accelerate the development of next-generation biofuels.
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AFEX Pre-treatment Process Can Reduce Cost of Cellulosic Ethanol
January 21, 2009
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| The AFEX process. Click to enlarge. |
A patented pre-treatment process developed by Michigan State University professor Bruce Dale can reduce the cost of fermenting cellulosic biomass to ethanol by reducing pre-treatment processing steps and eliminating the need to add additional nutrients to support fermentation. A paper on the work is published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion) pretreatment process uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75% more efficient than when conventional enzymes alone are used. Cellulose in plants must be broken down into fermentable sugars before they can be turned into biofuel.
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USDA Awards $80M Loan Guarantee to Range Fuels; First Loan Guarantee to a Commercial-Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
January 19, 2009
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| Overview of the Range Fuels two-step process. Source: Range Fuels. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Range Fuels, Inc. a conditional commitment for an $80 million loan guarantee to assist construction of Range Fuels’ commercial cellulosic ethanol plant near Soperton, Georgia, the first phase of which is under construction and on track to begin production in 2010.
This is the first loan guarantee to a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. The $80 million loan comes from the Section 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, which provides loan guarantees for commercial-scale biorefineries and grants for demonstration-scale biorefineries that produce advanced biofuels—defined as fuels that are not produced from food sources.
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Protéus and Syngenta to Collaborate to Develop Enzymes for Cellulosic Biofuel Production
January 16, 2009
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| 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.
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Verenium Announces First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Project; 36M Gallons per Year
January 15, 2009
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| Overview of the Verenium production process. Source: Verenium. Click to enlarge. |
Verenium Corporation will build its first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility in Highlands County, Florida. The Company has entered into long-term agreements with Lykes Bros. Inc., a multi-generation Florida agri-business to provide the agricultural biomass for conversion to fuel. Verenium also announced that the Highlands Ethanol project has been awarded a $7 million grant as part of Florida“s “Farm to Fuel” initiative.
Verenium’s planned commercial facility will be the first in the State of Florida to use next-generation cellulosic ethanol technology to convert renewable grasses to fuel, rather than processing food crops. The plant will be constructed on fallow land, and is expected to produce up to 36 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year.
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BioGasol Boosts Cellulosic Ethanol Yield by 7.5%
January 09, 2009
BioGasol, a spin-off from Danish Technical University (DTU) in Lyngby, Denmark (earlier post), has improved the C5 sugar processing capability of the thermophilic anaerobic bacterium used in its cellulosic ethanol production process, thereby increasing the ethanol yield by 7.5%.
The BioGasol process focuses on the full consumption of available carbohydrates in the biomass feedstock to produce a range of products and thus make the entire process much more cost-effective. The primary product is cellulosic bioethanol, but the process also delivers bio-methane via anaerobic digestion and hydrogen (from xylose fermentation) as well as other valuable by-products from the parts of biomass not suitable for ethanol production.
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ZeaChem Raises $34M for Indirect Ethanol Process Biorefinery
January 08, 2009
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| Elements of the ZeaChem process. Click to enlarge. |
ZeaChem Inc., the developer of an indirect process for the production of cellulosic ethanol, raised $34 million in initial Series B financing. The funding round was co-led by venture capital investors Globespan Capital Partners and PrairieGold Venture Partners with follow-on investment by MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures, Firelake Capital and Valero Energy Corporation, the largest petroleum refiner in the United States.
ZeaChem’s process combines the outputs of two traditional ethanol production pathways (fermentation of sugars and gasification of biomass) into a third catalytically-driven step—hydrogenation—to produce ethanol. (Earlier post.) Zeachem now says that it can produce 40% more ethanol per ton of biomass over any known competitor. The company will use the new funds to build its first cellulosic biorefinery this year.
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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.
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Swedish Research Collaboration to Develop and Commercialize Cellulosic Ethanol Process
November 24, 2008
Researchers at Lund, Sweden-based Taurus Energy, Swedish ethanol company SEKAB, Chalmers Technical University and Lund University (Lunds Tekniska Högskola, LTH) have signed an agreement on development and large scale implementation of an improved process for production of ethanol from lignocellulose feedstocks. The development is based on Taurus’ yeast technology for fermentation of both six- (hexose) and five-carbon (pentose) sugars.
The cooperation is to verify that Taurus’ pentose technology, a field in which the company already has several patents and patent applications, works in an industrial environment.
