By simply altering the composition of the medium in which the yeast are grown, engineers…
Browsing: Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of energy derived from biological materials, such as plants, algae, or animal waste, rather than fossil fuels. It is considered a renewable resource because its sources can be replenished more quickly than traditional fossil fuels. Biofuels are commonly categorized into three types: first-generation biofuels made from food crops like corn and sugarcane; second-generation biofuels produced from non-food plant materials such as switchgrass, wood chips, and agricultural residues; and third-generation biofuels derived from algae and other microbial sources. Biofuels are used primarily in transportation, for example, ethanol (a type of alcohol made from corn or sugarcane) is often blended with gasoline to power vehicles, while biodiesel (produced from vegetable oils and animal fats) can replace or be mixed with diesel. The use of biofuels is promoted to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and boost energy security. However, the production and use of biofuels also raise concerns related to land use, food prices, and overall environmental impact.
Researchers have developed “bionic liquids” from lignin and hemicellulose, two by-products of biofuel production from…
A team of scientists from Stanford University has created a copper-based catalyst that produces large…
An international team of scientists has created a new nickel-gallium catalyst that could be used…
Using genetically engineered yeast cells and ordinary table sugar, engineers from the Cockrell School of…
By metabolically engineering a “knock-down” of fat-reducing enzymes called lipases, UC San Diego researchers have…
UCLA scientists have developed a new synthetic glycolytic pathway that converts all six glucose carbon…
A new study from scientists at the Wyss Institute details engineered bacteria that can make…
A newly published study describes a new approach to converting non-food-based biomass into fuels, allowing…
Using an ultrahigh-precision visible light microscopy technique called PALM, scientists at the Berkeley Lab have…
A new study details how researchers genetically manipulated secondary cell walls in plants to reduce…
Scientists at the University of Georgia have discovered a way to transform carbon dioxide trapped…
Brazil experienced a biofuel boom in March 2007, topping out at second in world output…
Using a fermentation process used in World War I to make cordite for bullets and…
In an effort to replicate the cellulose-destroying capabilities of anaerobic fungi in yeast and create…
By removing a few genes, inserting a gene from another organism and tinkering with the…
Using bacteria to breakdown and ferment agricultural waste into ethanol, MSU microbiologists have developed bioelectrochemical…
A team of scientists at the Berkeley Lab has discovered the mechanism behind the RNA-guided…