http://www.biofueldaily.com/index.html Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST en-us Researchers are turning to plants and solar power in the search for new sources of renewable and sustainable energy that can support the transition from rapidly depleting fossil fuels to a bio-based society. An article published by Cell Press in Trends in Plant Science discusses innovative strategies for harnessing and re-routing the chemical reactions associated with photosynthesis to efficient]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST President Obama's emphasis in last night's State of the Union address on the expansion of clean energy and economic growth is attainable with the help of the one source that literally drives the U.S. and global economy - clean diesel technology. "In his State of the Union address, President Obama focused on a few energy sources - some of which are in developmental stages or won't be functi]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST The technique builds on previous research in which microbubbles were used to improve the way algae is cultivated. Algae produce an oil which can be processed to create a useful biofuel. Biofuels, made from plant material, are considered an important alternative to fossil fuels and algae, in particular, has the potential to be a very efficient biofuel producer. Until now, however, there has]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his annual State of the Union Address, leaders of some of the top biofuels companies in the country are offering their thoughts on the state of America's biofuels industry in a special episode of the Advanced Biofuels Association's Better Fuels Moment online video series. The episode features Joel Velas]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST As President Barack Obama prepares his annual State of the Union Address and Congress returns to work on Capitol Hill, many in America's renewable energy industry are asking themselves, does Washington really know biofuels? In its second episode released today, Biofuel STAT, continues to give Washington an exclusive peek into the C-Suite of the nation's top advanced biofuels companies. ]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, American Petroleum Institute and Western States Petroleum Association jointly filed a petition requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency waive the 2011 cellulosic biofuel volume mandate in its entirety, because it appears no cellulosic biofuel was actually produced last year. The petition notes that EPA's monthly summary of ava]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Husqvarna has launched the Ethanol Challenge, an animated, online quiz designed to help educate consumers on the effects of ethanol as well as prevention of ethanol-related product issues. Husqvarna has issued the Ethanol Challenge in order to provide the tools for consumers to gain awareness about ethanol, in hopes that education can help them maintain and care for their Husqvarna equipme]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Since the global increase in energy use is showing few signs of slowing down, sustainable energy solutions have to be developed. For this reason, the energy of biomass has to be used more widely and more efficiently. In forests all over the world a huge amount of logging residue is left lying idle and the bioenergy unused. This could be changed by using Obey, a procedure for optimising bioenergy]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Concerns about the worldwide energy supply and national, environmental and economic security have resulted in a search for alternative energy sources. A new University of Illinois study shows Miscanthus x giganteus (M. x giganteus) is a strong contender in the race to find the next source of ethanol if appropriate growing conditions are identified. M. x giganteus is a bioenergy crop that c]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST A team of scientists from Bio Architecture Lab (BAL), has developed breakthrough technology that expands the feedstocks for advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals production to include seaweed (macroalgae). The team engineered a microbe to extract the all the major sugars in seaweed and convert them into renewable fuels and chemicals, thus making seaweed a cost-effective, renewable sour]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Prices for woody biomass in the US, whether sawmill byproducts, forest residues or urban wood waste, have been sliding for most of the past three years but were still higher in the 4Q/11 in most regions than they were five years ago, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The price drop seen in 2010 and 1H/2011 was mainly the result of lower prices for fossil fuels, particularl]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Research into biofuel crops such as switchgrass and Miscanthus has focused mainly on how to grow these crops and convert them into fuels. But many steps lead from the farm to the biorefinery, and each could help or hinder the growth of this new industry. A new computer model developed at the University of Illinois can simplify this transition, researchers say. The model can run millions of]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Researchers from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC) have discovered a family of genes that could help us breed grasses with improved properties for diet and bioenergy. The research was carried out by a team from the University of Cambridge and Rothamsted Research, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC. Their finding]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST In order to breed new varieties of corn with a higher yield faster than ever before, researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and other institutions are relying on a trick: early selection of the most promising parent plants based on their chemical and genetic makeup, as well as on new statistical analysis procedures. The work has now been published in the authoritative ]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST Raw algae can be converted into a crude oil that can be processed at existing petroleum refineries before distribution as a substitute for gasoline and other processed fuels, new research has found. The innovative use of algae, including the common seaweed, for large-scale renewable fuel production takes the quest for economically feasible environmentally friendly fuel a few steps furth]]> Tue, 07 FEB 2012 11:42:29 AEST