Pecologix Political Ecology Blotter

Here are a few notable projects. Turns out that researchers at the Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center, located Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis, a naturally occurring bacterium, onsite at Yellowstone, Sure enough, it thrives at extremely high temperatures, breaks down organic material such as sticks and leaves in its natural environment, and scientists hope to transfer this [...]

The successful strategy to produce cellulolytic enzymes includes both microorganism selection and improved fermentation process conditions. This work describes the isolation, screening and selection of biomass-degrading fungi species from the Amazon forest and analyzes the enzymatic complex produced by a selected strain of Aspergillus fumigatus cultivated using different agro-industrial residues (wheat bran, sugarcane bagasse, soybean [...]

Prospecting macroalgae (seaweeds) as feedstocks for bioconversion into biofuels and commodity chemical compounds is limited primarily by the availability of tractable microorganisms that can metabolize alginate polysaccharides. Here, we present the discovery of a 36–kilo–base pair DNA fragment from Vibrio splendidus encoding enzymes for alginate transport and metabolism. The genomic integration of this ensemble, together [...]

As we know, the progress of technological achievement is difficult to prognosticate. Back in 2007 cellulosic ethanols looked closer than perhaps they are now so the RFS goals for this category are not being met. On the other side of the coin, other advanced biofuels have taken off and are exceeding targeted expectations. To this [...]

In Washington, the 112th Congress adjourned without renewing the $0.45 VEETC tax credit for blenders of corn ethanol and the $0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol. “With Congress in recess, there are no opportunities for further attempts to prolong the tax credit or the tariff, so we can confidently say these support mechanisms will [...]

The sustainability of large-scale biofuel production has recently been called into question in view of mounting concerns over the associated impact on land and water resources. As the most predominant biofuel today, ethanol produced from food crops such as corn in the US has been frequently criticised. Ethanol derived from cellulosic feedstocks is likely to [...]

► Water-containing ethanol was mixed with diesel using biodiesel and butanol as stabilizer and co-solvent, respectively. ► Fuel blends with 4 v% water-containing ethanol, 1 v% butanol, 5–30 v% biodiesel and conventional diesel yielded a stable blended fuel after more than 30 days. ► Due to more complete combustion and water quench effect, target fuel [...]