Scientists just discovered a key ingredient that could help propel the production of biofuel: horse poop. Converting corn stalks and grass to biofuel requires removing lignin and breaking down cellulose, which is a complicated and expensive process. But thanks to an enzyme that lives in fungi in horse manure, scientists were able to drastically reduce costs, inching biofuel closer to becoming a viable and cost-effective energy source.

Read the rest of Horse Poop Could Be the Key to Commercial Biofuel Production

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternative energy, biofuels, commercial production of biofuels, eco design, green design, horse manure fuel, horse poop biofuel, Poo Power!, sustainable design

The news that the Pacific Ocean is polluted with coffee, or rather, caffeine in general, was pretty baffling. But one research team has developed a solution that may be even stranger than the problem. The team genetically engineered E. coli to be “addicted” to caffeine, and as such the bacteria is able to decontaminate wastewater. In addition, the team believes that these hopped-up bacteria could assist in other applications, such as the bioproduction of some medications.

Read the rest of Caffeine-Addicted E. Coli Bacteria Could Decontaminate Coffee-Ridden Wastewater

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: asthma medication, biofuels, bioproduction, Caffeine Pollution, Caffeine water, coffee grounds, coffee pollution, e.coli, modified bacteria, pharmecutical pollution, university of iowa, university of texas, waste water, wastewater, water decontamination, water pollution

The quick rise and depressing downward spiral of the ethanol industry proved that using food to make biofuel is both wasteful and costly. Non food-based biofuels, such as those derived from grasses, trees, or algae, are far more sustainable but harder to produce. In order to access the sugars in plant biomass that will eventually become fuel, scientists must find a way to break down lignin, a polymer that forms the thick, woody cell walls of most plants and trees. Now researchers at Brown University have identified a type of bacteria that loves to digest lignin, and it might be able to act as a tiny biorefinery for sustainable fuel production.

Read the rest of Brown University Identifies Hungry Microbe That Could be Key to Turning Biomass Into Biofuel

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: algae, alternative fuels, bacteria, biofuels, brown university, cellulose, ETHANOL, grasses, lignin, microbes

A team of engineers from MIT has created genetic circuits in bacterial cells that can not only perform logic functions, but also remember the results. These functions can then be encoded within the cell’s DNA and can be passed on in other cells for dozens of generations. The research, which was outlined in the Feb. 10 online edition of Nature Biotechnology, states that this breakthrough could allow for more efficient controls in biomanufacturing, as well as the programming of stem cells into other cell types.

Read the rest of MIT Team Creates Genetic Circuits From Bacteria That Remember Logical Functions

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: bacterial cells, biodiesel, biofuels, Biological engineering, Boolean logic, Circuits, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), genetic circuits, Logic gate, MIT, stem cells, Synthetic biology

Scientists have developed a technique to “trick” common iron-eating bacteria into capturing electrons, which the bacteria use to grow. Typically the bacteria contribute to the corrosion of steel pipelines, bridges and ships, but researchers at the University of Minnesota’s BioTechnology Institute used electrons from an electrode to make the bacteria “breathe.” It’s hoped that the method could be combined with renewable energy sources to developed sustainable biofuels.

Read the rest of Scientists Trick Iron-Eating Bacteria into “Breathing” Electrons in Effort to Create Biofuels

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", bacteria biofuels, biofuels, biotechnological study, biotechnology, BioTechnology Institute University of Minnesota, electricity to biofuels, green technology, iron eating bacteria, iron-oxidizing bacteria, renewable energy sources, US scientific study

Scientists at MIT have genetically engineered a soil bacteria that can create fuel for cars. The bioengineered Ralstonia eutropha converts carbon into isobutanol—an alcohol that can replace or blend with gasoline used by vehicles. The new technology could help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and significantly decrease our carbon footprint.

Read the rest of MIT Turns Carbon Dioxide from Bioengineered Soil Bacteria into Clean Biofuel

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", Advanced Research Projects Agency ARPA-E, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, bioengineered bacteria, biofuels, biotechnology, carbon emissions, green technology, isobutanol fuel, MIT Research, Ralstonia eutropha bacteria, scientific research, soil bacteria fuel, U. S. Department of Energy

Fungus might ruin your bread but its invasive nature could also lead to a new source of renewable energy. Scientists at Montana State University made a surprising discovery while conducting a recent study that tracks the unique products of endophytes — fungi or bacteria — that can live inside a plant for at least part of its life without causing disease. It’s believed that endophytes produce bioactive products that are potentially beneficial for medicine, industry and energy uses, replacing less attractive biofuels like ethanol.

Read the rest of Plant-Invading Fungi Could Be the Key to Creating the Next Sustainable Biofuel

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Alternative Fuel, biofuels, ETHANOL, fungi, fungus, hydrocarbons, mold, Montana State University, plants, VOCs, volatile organic compounds

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have engineered blue-green algae that could help replace fossil fuels as raw materials for the chemical industry. The researchers engineered algae, or cyanobacteria, can be used to convert carbon dioxide into a chemical used to make paint, solvents, plastics and fuels.


Read the rest of UC Davis Researchers Engineer Blue-Green Algae to Make Fuel From Sunlight

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Asahi Kasei Corp, Atsumi lab UC Davis, biofuels, chemical feedstocks, chemical industry, cyanobacteria, green energy, green technology, lab grown biofuels, scientific research, sun-powered bacteria, university of california davis

Ghana’s parliament recently set a mandate to derive 10% of the nation’s energy from alternative sources by 2020 – and the country is turning to poo power to meet the quota! Called into action by green energy advocate Kwabena Otu-Danquah, the poo power will be harvested from the tons of sewage that the nation reportedly dumps into the ocean. The methane produced by the sewage will be converted into clean—if stinky—energy.

Read the rest of Ghana to Utilize Poo Power in Quest to Boost Renewable Energy Use to 10% by 2020

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: biofuels, eco design, Ghana renewable energy, green design, Kwabena Otu-Danquah, methane power, Poo Power!, poop energy, renewable energy, sustainable design

Announced just less than a month ago, the European commission will seek to impose a limit of 5% on the use of crop-based biofuels. The initiative comes as part of a larger plan to raise the share of renewable energy to 10% by 2020. EU climate commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, and the energy commissioner, Güenther Oettinger, made a joint statement, acknowledging that the use of agricultural land for fuel production is problematic and ultimately bad for the environment. The draft proposals, which aim to limit the consumption level of food-based biofuels, are expected to be published this month, but will require the approval of EU governments to become law.

Read the rest of New EU Plan Limits Food-based Biofuels Used for Transport

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: algae fuel, Announcements, biofuel plan proposal, biofuels, cellulosic ethanol, connie hedegaard, crop-based biofuels, european commission biofuel rules, food production, food vs fuel, Güenther Oettinger, Oxfam Campaign group, second generation biofuels, Sustainable Transport

Feeling the pinch of high gas prices every time you fill up your car? Be thankful you’re not the U.S. Military. Tired of wasting so much of its budget on fossil fuels, the US Navy has led the quest for greener alternatives – and scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have developed a process that can transform abundant seawater into fuel for Navy jets. If the technology is rolled out their efforts could have a huge impact; in 2010 alone the Department of Defense shelled out approximately $11 billion on “operational energy,” the energy used by military forces in the execution of their field missions. That’s the equivalent of the entire budget of the state of Tennessee. And that doesn’t even include all the energy needed to power vehicles and military bases here at home.

Read the rest of US Navy Scientists Develop Process to Transform Seawater into Green Jet Fuel

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternative energy, alternative fuels, biofuels, department of defense, fossil fuels, fuel consumption, fuel efficiency, jet fuel, Naval Research Laboratory, seawater, US Navy

Read the rest of NEW PHOTOS: Spectacular Solar Supertrees Open this Month at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: bay south garden, biofuels, gardens by the bay, jason mraz, photovoltaics, Singapore, solar, solar technology, supertrees, vertical gardening

Yesterday Africa’s first bio-ethanol cooking fuel plant opened in central Mozambique. The partnership between Novozymes and CleanStar Mozambique, NDZiLO, will provide cleaner, safer and cheaper cooking biofuel for families in Mozambique who generally rely on charcoal for cooking. At full capacity the plant will produce 8000 gallons of ethanol a week, which the company will then transport from the province of Dondo to a neighborhood in the capital of Maputo.

Read the rest of Africa’s First Ethanol Cooking Fuel Plant Opens in Mozambique

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Africa, agroforest, bio ethanol, biofuels, cassava, charcoal, cleanstar mozambique, cook stoves, dondo, ETHANOL, mozambique, NDZiLO, novozymes, permaculture

At airports, the usable space is limited to a few areas: runways, terminals and storage facilities. Much of the rest of the land is left fallow, requiring maintenance from airport operators (mowing the grass, keeping wildlife from interfering with planes, etc). But what if that land could be used to generate energy? US Department of Agriculture researchers have been exploring alternative uses for unused airport land with the goal of reducing wildlife hazards, and in a new study they’ve shown that much of this land could be converted for solar, wind or biofuel production.

Read the rest of USDA Researchers Want Airports To Double as Renewable Energy Farms

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", airports, biofuels, Dr. Travis DeVault, National Wildlife Research Center, renewable energy, solar farms, Solar Power, switchgrass, US Department of Agriculture, usda, Wildlife, wind energy

China’s pig population is approaching one billion, so you can imagine how much pig poo the nation has at its disposal. One Australian firm, CRC CARE, thinks it can turn all of that waste into much-needed energy. Partnering with Hong Kong technology firm HLM Asia Ltd., CRC CARE has developed the “PooCareTM,” a bioreactor that can be installed below ground at pig farms. The demand in China for pork results in 1.5 million tons of pig waste annually, but because it is so full of nitrates and other contaminants, effluent from pig waste contaminates water and is a massive human health risk. If CRC CARE is successful, they could divert all of that harmful material and get some fuel out of it as well.

Read the rest of PooCareTM System Turns China’s Pig Waste into Usable Poo Power

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: biofuels, biogenerator, bioreactor, china, CRC CARE, HLM Asia, meat consumption, pig poo, pig waste, Poo Power!, PooCareTM, pork

Read the rest of X SEA TY is a Carbon-Absorbing, Algae-Producing Floating City

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", algae, biofuels, eco design, floating city, green architecture, Green Building, green design, photosynthesis, Sustainable Building, sustainable city, sustainable design, x sea ty, X-Tu, xseaty

Poo-power, or the science of turning excrement into energy, has been gaining popularity over recent years, and now scientists at Penn State University have developed a device which they claim could allow sewage plants to efficiently turn their own wastewater into eco-friendly wattage. The device combines microbial fuel cell technology with reverse electrodialysis systems to produce 0.9 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram of organic waste.

Read the rest of New Poo Power Device Could Help Sewage Plants Transform Wastewater Into Wattage

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: biofuels, Bruce Logan, microbial fuel cell, Penn State, pennsylvania state university, Poo Power!, renewable energy, Reverse Electrodialysis, Sewage Energy, wastewater management

As part of the government’s push to wean the United States off of foreign oil, the US Department of Defense in coordination with the US Department of Agriculture just announced the largest single government purchase of biofuels in history. The 450,000 gallons of biofuel to be purchased are coming from non-food sources and will fuel aircraft and ships during an annual training exercise off the coast of Hawaii next summer. The group of ships using the 50/50 biofuel and petroleum blend will be called the Green Strike Group demonstration.

Read the rest of US Defense Logistics Agency Makes Single Largest Gov. Purchase of Advanced Drop-In Biofuels Ever

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: airplane biofuels, Alternative Fuel, biofuel cost, biofuel for aviation, biofuel navy, biofuel plants, biofuel sources, biofuel subsidy, biofuels, cooking oil biofuel, drop in, drop in biofuels, government biofuel, low emissions fuel, military biofuel, non food source biofuel, plants for biofuel, sustainable fuel, used cooking oil

Read the rest of Plug-in Prius Wins the 2011 Rallye International Vert de Montreal

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2011 Rallye International Vert de Montreal, alternative energy, alternative energy rally, alternative transportation, biofuels, electric cars, electric racing, FIA Alternative Energies Cup, green automotive design, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, hydrogen cars, Peter Nytko, plug-in Prius, toyota prius, Vinh Pham

Read the rest of Self Sufficient Academy for Haiti is a Geometric Grid of Greenery Topped Plateaus

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "solar energy", "sustainable architecture", academy, biofuels, eco school, fpm gap academy, green architecture, Green Building, green design, haiti, i|K Studio, off grid school, off-grid, port-au-prince, renewable energy, school, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, wind energy, wind turbines, Zero energy