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Future for clean energy lies in 'big bang' of evolution
Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon-neutral", energy will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient groups of organism, the cyanobacteria.   view more (2008-08-25)

Can biofuels be sustainable?
With oil prices skyrocketing, the search is on for efficient and sustainable biofuels. Research published this month in Agronomy Journal examines one biofuel crop contender: corn stover.    view more (2008-08-20)

Novel fungus helps beetles to digest hard wood
A little known fungus tucked away in the gut of Asian longhorned beetles helps the insect munch through the hardest of woods according to a team of entomologists and biochemists. Researchers say the discovery could lead to innovative methods of controlling the invasive pest, and potentially offer... view more (2008-08-19)

MSU's discovery of plant protein holds promise for biofuel production
Scientists at Michigan State University have identified a new protein necessary for chloroplast development. The discovery could ultimately lead to plant varieties tailored specifically for biofuel production.   view more (2008-08-18)

Turning Waste Material into Ethanol
Say the word "biofuels" and most people think of grain ethanol and biodiesel. But there's another, older technology called gasification that's getting a new look from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. By combining gasification with... view more (2008-08-14)

Action needed now for Minnesota to reach goals in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2015
The state of Minnesota must act now if it wants to reach its Minnesota Next Generation Energy Act goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2015, according to a team of University of Minnesota transportation and public policy researchers.   view more (2008-07-23)

Projected California warming promises cycle of more heat waves, energy use for next century
As the 21st century progresses, major cities in heavily air-conditioned California can expect more frequent extreme-heat events because of climate change.   view more (2008-07-11)

Duckweed genome sequencing has global implications
Three plant biologists at Rutgers' Waksman Institute of Microbiology are obsessed with duckweed, a tiny aquatic plant with an unassuming name. Now they have convinced the federal government to focus its attention on duckweed's tremendous potential for cleaning up pollution, combating global warming... view more (2008-07-09)

Feeding and fueling the future: the bioenergy potential of reviving abandoned agricultural land
Across the globe, hundreds of millions of acres of once-productive agricultural land lie abandoned, according to a new report from researchers at Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution for Science. If this land was used to grow crops for conversion into biofuel, it could help ease the... view more (2008-06-25)

NIST chemists get scoop on crude 'oil' from pig manure
After a close examination of crude oil made from pig manure, chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are certain about a number of things. Most obviously, "This stuff smells worse than manure," says NIST chemist Tom Bruno.   view more (2008-06-13)

Some biofuels might do more harm than good to the environment, study finds
Biofuels based on ethanol, vegetable oil and other renewable sources are increasingly popular with government and environmentalists as a way to reduce fossil fuel dependence and limit greenhouse gas emissions.   view more (2008-05-28)

When Plants Think Alike
Biologists have discovered that a fundamental building block in the cells of flowering plants evolved independently, yet almost identically, on a separate branch of the evolutionary tree--in an ancient plant group called lycophytes that originated at least 420 million years ago.    view more (2008-05-28)

Herbicide-Tolerant Crops Can Improve Water Quality
The residual herbicides commonly used in the production of corn and soybean are frequently detected in rivers, streams, and reservoirs at concentrations that exceed drinking water standards in areas where these crops are extensively grown.   view more (2008-04-23)

Cow stomach holds key to turning corn into biofuel
An enzyme from a microbe that lives inside a cow's stomach is the key to turning corn plants into fuel, according to Michigan State University scientists.   view more (2008-04-08)

Fueling Ethanol Production While Protecting Water Quality
Grain-based ethanol production has increased dramatically in recent years as the cost and instability of oil has increased. New U.S. government policies require major increases in ethanol production. While future plans call for a viable cellulosic ethanol industry, expanded grain ethanol production... view more (2008-04-02)

Algae could one day be major hydrogen fuel source
As gas prices continue to soar to record highs, motorists are crying out for an alternative that won't cramp their pocketbooks.   view more (2008-04-02)

Newly defined signaling pathway could mean better biofuel sources
A newly defined biochemical pathway in plants may provide the scientific tools to design plants that will yield larger quantities of alternative transportation fuels than currently can be produced, according to Purdue University researchers.   view more (2008-03-10)

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Latin American nations could become important suppliers of ethanol for world markets in coming decades, according to an Oak Ridge National Laboratory study released recently.   view more (2008-03-05)

New Research Suggests Biofuel Blending is Often Inaccurate
While sampling blended biodiesel fuels purchased from small-scale retailers, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found that many of the blends do not contain the advertised amount of biofuel.   view more (2008-02-28)

Oil palm research in context: Identifying the need for biodiversity assessment
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation has expanded dramatically in recent decades and is frequently cited as a major threat to tropical biodiversity.   view more (2008-02-13)

International effort takes critical steps to accelerate growth of global biofuels market
The governments of the United States, Brazil and the European Union (EU)-the world's major producers of biofuels-today released an analysis of current biofuel specifications with the goal of facilitating expanded trade of these renewable energy sources.   view more (2008-02-04)

MSU researcher finds renewed interest in turning algae into fuel
The same brown algae that cover rocks and cause anglers to slip while fly fishing contain oil that can be turned into diesel fuel, says a Montana State University microbiologist.   view more (2008-01-16)

Smithsonian scientists highlight environmental impacts of biofuels
Biofuels reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in comparison to fossil fuels. In the Jan. 4 issue of the journal Science, Smithsonian researchers highlight a new study that factors in environmental costs of biofuel production. Corn, soy and sugarcane come up short.   view more (2008-01-04)

How size matters
The beauty of nature is partly due to the uniformity of leaf and flower size in individual plants, and scientists have discovered how plants arrive at these aesthetic proportions.   view more (2007-12-13)

Government of Canada calls on industry to participate in new biofuels initiative
More Canadians will soon be putting cleaner biofuels in their vehicles such as ethanol and biodiesel.   view more (2007-12-04)

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