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A man-made strain of the common bacteria E.coli has been created by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles that could lead to a new generation of biofuels. Researchers report in the current issue of the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they've synthesized bacteria that can produce fuel-worthy alcohols.
E. coli is found in animals and humans; a more virulent form can cause food poisoning, but most strains of the bacteria are innocuous. Because its genome is so well documented, it’s easy to work with. Essentially, the bacteria can be thought of as a factory that can be commandeered to produce compounds of interest. Up till now, scientists had managed to coax E. coli to produce ethanol, but the researchers at UCLA wanted a bigger molecule – ethanol is a two carbon molecule that contains less energy than alcohols with longer carbon backbones.
By engineering a new metabolic pathway, the scientists were able to get the bacteria to produce longer alcohols (5 to 8 carbons) which contains higher energy densities and also do not corrode engine interiors. Scientists believe the bacteria could also produce compounds compatible with jet or diesel fuels.
Via: PhysOrg
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 In October we told you about Boeing’s announcement to phase in 30% biofuel blends over the next 5 years. But it’s becoming clear that Boeing is doing much more than just agreeing to buy biofuels, or acknowledging the fact that planes can fly on biofuels. They are working hard to make sure that second-generation biofuels can become a reality. Boeing is looking into jatropha (and other oil-producing plants that grow in harsh conditions), but seems to be lending the most support towards algae.
Darrin Morgan, the head of Boeing’s biofuel development arm, is also a chairman of the Algal Biomass Organization, a group which tries to make a name for the algae industry in Washington. ABO members realize that the future of the industry will hinge on the energy legislation that is expected to be written by Congress next year. Within the biofuels category, though, algae will have to compete for attention with corn and soy, both of which have strong lobbying presences. That’s why it’s so important for big names like Boeing to come out and support algae.
Via The News Tribune
Do biofuels compete with food for land resources? The debate rages on. University of Arizona biologist Robert Glenn, though, has a great compromise – grow the biofuels under the sea, where they won’t get in the way of food production.
Glenn focuses on Salicornia bigelovii – a plant known as a halophyte (one that loves saltwater). According to Global Seawater, a company that studies possibilities of renewable, ocean-based agriculture, an acre of Salicornia would yield 90-100 gallons of biodiesel. They are experimenting with the technology in Mexico, and other projects are underway worldwide.
Proponents such as Glenn claim that there are hundreds of thousands of underwater square miles that could be used for this sort of application. I’m sure that the ocean has viable real estate for a project like this, the question is – where? Are there suitable lands near shore, or will companies have to sail out to the middle of the Pacific? And how does one go about harvesting an underwater crop, anyway? It sounds expensive.
It’s a good idea, though. There’s a lot of potential for energy in our oceans… time to tap it.
Via Treehugger
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In the last year or so, biofuels – at least first generation biofuels such as those derived from corn and soybeans – have been criticized for driving up global food prices. The argument is simple: growing crops for biofuels reduces the amount of crops grown for food and raises food prices. However, Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) issued a statement today claiming that the high food prices seen this past year correlate strongly with oil prices, not biofuel production.
Now, obviously Mr. Greenwood is representing a lot of biofuel companies and he’s not exactly an unbiased judge of things. But the figures he quotes certainly make one wonder. He points out that in July, when oil was $140 a barrel, a bushel of corn was $7.50 a barrel. Now that oil is down to around $65 a barrel, corn is less than $4 a bushel.
Although food prices are certainly influenced by multiple factors, Mr. Greenwood makes a fair point. Agriculture technology is constantly increasing the quantity of crops that can be grown within a limited space. Food prices have dropped since the summer despite the fact that we have not seriously scaled down biofuel crops. And besides delivering renewable energy, the biofuel industry creates thousands of jobs and keeps energy dollars within the US. So maybe we should reconsider our criticisms of the industry.
Via Businesswire
As a greenhouse gas, methane is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to retaining atmospheric heat. And so, although it generally gets less face time in the press, it accounts for a disproportionately large chunk of global GHG emissions. Where does the methane come from? Cows, mostly. At the tail end (pardon the pun) of their digestive system, they release methane; either directly or through the decomposition of their waste.
Capturing this methane, then, reduces GHG emissions. Additionally, cow-produced methane is a renewable energy source that, after a little cleaning, can be added into the natural gas pipeline. That is exactly what BioEnergy Solutions is doing in Kern County, CA. They have recruited three large local dairies to harness the 650,000 cubic feet of gas emitted by their 6,500 dairy cows. That’s enough to power a couple hundred thousand California homes!
On each farm, all the cow manure is collected and mixed with water in a covered lagoon-like area. This causes the manure to decompose and release methane. BioEnergy built the pipelines to connect the three farms, collect all the methane, treat it so that it meets natural gas standards, and finally feed it into a PG&E pipeline.
Obviously, the benefits of cow-produced biogas do not extend very far beyond those regions rife with dairy farms. But in Kern, there are still six other major dairy farms that could be tapped, which would triple the benefits currently in place. Let’s hope they wake up and smell the… coffee.
Via Businesswire
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