Tag Bioenergy
Chemistry lessons from bacteria may improve biofuel production
Enzymes are one of the most expensive parts of making biofuels. UW researchers say if they can identify enzymes that work better, it could lead to cheaper energy.
Biomass blues: Breaking up not so hard to do
A UW spinoff is advancing an audacious effort to convert biomass into three profitable streams of industrial chemicals.
New method for bio-designing yeast could improve biofuel production
Both the yeast strain and the method of its design could help overcome a significant bottleneck in the biofuels pipeline.
New process transforms wood, crop waste into valuable chemicals
Scientists today disclosed a new method to convert lignin, a biomass waste product, into simple chemicals. The innovation is an important step toward replacing petroleum-based fuels and chemicals with biorenewable materials, says Shannon Stahl, an expert in "green chemistry" at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Balancing birds and biofuels: Grasslands support more species than cornfields
In Wisconsin, bioenergy is for the birds. Really. In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scientists examined whether corn and perennial grassland fields in southern Wisconsin could provide both biomass for bioenergy production and bountiful bird habitat. The research team found that where there are grasslands, there are birds. Grass-and-wildflower-dominated fields supported more than three times as many bird species as cornfields, including 10 imperiled species found only in the grasslands.
Scientists firm up origin of cold-adapted yeasts that make cold beer
As one of the most widely consumed and commercially important beverages on the planet, one would expect the experts to know everything there is to know about lager beer.
Poplars designed for deconstruction: A major boon to biofuels
What began 20 years ago as an innovation to improve paper industry processes and dairy forage digestibility may now open the door to a much more energy- and cost-efficient way to convert biomass into fuel.
Wisconsin engineer honored for ongoing innovation
Corn may be a dietary staple for humans and animals around the world, but in Jim Dumesic's eyes, the plant "waste" left after the harvest holds even more potential as a renewable bio-based source of fuels and important chemicals. On Dec. 10, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) named Dumesic, the Steenbock professor and Michel Boudart professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, among 143 leading innovators elected to its 2013 class of fellows.
New ‘corn atlas’ shows which genes are active during each stage of plant growth
Just as a road atlas helps travelers find their way, a new corn atlas will help plant scientists navigate vast amounts of gene expression data from the corn plant, as described in the May 10 issue of The Plant Journal.
New plan details Wisconsin’s potential to turn millions of exported energy dollars into revenues
A collaboration of researchers, business leaders, policymakers and industry experts has identified a plan for capitalizing on the biogas energy opportunity in Wisconsin.
Bioenergy choices could dramatically change Midwest bird diversity
Ambitious plans to expand acreage of bioenergy crops could have a major impact on birds in the Upper Midwest, according to a study published today (Oct. 4) in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center hires chief operating officer
Anchored in the basic research of academia and charged with generating new biofuels technologies, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is a bit of a hybrid.
From raw biomass, chemical process produces simple, fermentable sugars
A University of Wisconsin–Madison research team has developed a promising new chemical method to liberate the sugar molecules trapped inside inedible plant biomass, a key step in the creation of cellulosic biofuels.
Bioenergy research center featured in special magazine issue
The March issue of BioEnergy Research exclusively focuses on the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) and bioenergy research topics ranging from arthropods to cell walls to hydrogen and enzyme improvement.
Panel seeks suppliers for new Charter Street Heating Plant
Wide-ranging efforts to nurture a Wisconsin biomass market supplying fuel to the soon-to-be-renovated Charter Street Heating Plant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are under way, as officials begin identifying potential suppliers for the cutting-edge facility.
TIP/Energy policy expert
Jan. 29, 2010