US – Page 56 – TechConnect Briefs

Development of a Renewable Fuel Nanotechnology

Klausmeier V., Sylvatex Inc., US

The authors have developed a technology to blend biomass-derived oxygenates - alcohols, free fatty acids, neutralizer, and water – together to form a renewable blendstock. When blended into diesel, the resulting microemulsion fuel has been [...]

The Unbeatable Beet: Biorefining Of Sugar Beet Pulp

Nolles R., Staps F., van Engelen G., Cosun Biobased Products, US

ABSTRACT (max. 500 words) Introduction There are many definitions of biorefining, like the one provided by the US Department of Energy in 1997 “A biorefinery is an overall concept of a processing plant where biomass [...]

Regulatory Impediments to Commercializing Biofuel and Other Biobased Products

Roberts K.M., Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group, US

As renewable fuel and biobased chemical companies successfully make the leap from research and development to market, they face another set of underappreciated regulatory challenges in order to lawfully commercialize their products. Under the Toxic [...]

Systems biology and pathway engineering enable Saccharomyces cerevisiae to utilize C-5 and C-6 sugars simultaneously for cellulosic ethanol production

Liu Z.L., Moon Jaewoon., ARS-USDA, US

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a traditional industrial workhorse for ethanol production. However, conventional ethanologenic yeast is superior in fermentation of hexose sugars (C-6) such as glucose but unable to utilize pentose sugars (C-5) such as xylose [...]

Lower-cost cellulosic ethanol production using cellobiose fermenting yeast Clavispora NRRL Y-50464

Liu Z.L., Weber S.A., ARS-USDA, US

For ethanol production from cellulosic materials, there are generally two major steps needed including enzymatic hydrolysis to break down biomass sugars and microbial fermentation to convert available simple sugars into ethanol. It often requires two [...]

Tolerant yeast in situ detoxifies major class of toxic chemicals while producing ethanol

Liu Z.L., ARS-USDA, US

Renewable lignocellulosic materials contain abundant sugar source and biofuels conversion including cellulosic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass provides a sustainable alternative energy resource for a cleaner environment. In order to release the biomass sugars from [...]

Environmental impact and Scalability of utilizing Coal Fired Power Plant Flue Gas in Microalgal Biofuel Production

Hess D., Napan K., McNeil B., Quinn J.C., Utah State University, US

Large scale biodiesel production from microalgae is expected to be integrated with point source CO2 sources, such as coal fired power plants. Flue gas integration represents a required nutrient source for growth while concurrently providing [...]

Regulatory Developments Regarding Algae Biomass

Beregson L.L., Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., US

To ensure that algae biomass as a commercial feedstock is considered appropriately by federal regulators under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) [...]

Biodiesel Co-product Utilization: Glycerol-derived Films for use in Commercial Applications

Wyatt V., Strahan G., Liu C-K., Jin T., United States Department of Agriculture, US

Developing new outlets for glycerol would have a significant impact on the economics of biodiesel production if value-added products made from glycerol can be identified. Glycerol is the major co-product produced from the process used [...]

Production Optimization of E. Coli Fermented Synthetic Spider Silk for Commercial Viability

Edlund A., Lewis R., Jones J., Quinn J., Utah State University, US

While spider silk has been known for its impressive physical properties including strength to weight ratio, biocompatibility, elasticity and toughness, the commercial production has been limited. The ability to manufacture synthetic spider silk on an [...]