In Brazil, a study conducted at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) has discovered that three strains of Pseudomonas bacteria can inhibit growth, and even cause the death, of the fungus responsible for pineapple sett rot, a disease that attacks sugarcane, especially in the planting season. The results are reported in an article published in Environmental […]
In the UK, high-value chemicals used in biofuels and pharmaceuticals can be made from bacteria by switching their chemistry to produce novel products. Researchers from the University of Warwick have found a way to drastically cut the cost of turning on these switches. Typically, genetic switches are turned on by adding a chemical called an […]
In Japan, acetone, a volatile solvent used for everything from removing nail polish and cleaning textiles to manufacturing plastics, could get a sustainability boost from a new strain of bacteria engineered by a research team based in Japan. Researchers from Hiroshima University published the details of the heat-loving, acetone-producing bacteria called Moorella thermoacetica on April […]
In California, a new study reveals how bacteria control the chemicals produced from consuming ‘food.’ The insight could lead to organisms that are more efficient at converting plants into biofuels. The study, authored by scientists at UC Riverside and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. In […]
Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but this week’s innovations are heavy on food with a protein innovation contest crowning MycoTechnology for their mushroom-based protein production, a whopping $7 million raised for a 3D-printed cultured meat startup to commercialize its meat bioprinter, a “metabolized restaurant” concept with food produced using bacteria through […]
In Japan, researchers have uncovered details of how a certain type of bacteria breaks down cellulose—a finding that could help reduce the cost and environmental impact of the use of biomass, including biofuel production. The bacteria’s cellulose degradation system is in some way different from how a fungus is already widely used in industry, including […]
In Colorado, collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and three other national laboratories has yielded new insight into the ability of bacteria to break down the hardy part of a plant known as lignin. The additional understanding of the process could open a path to industrial applications. The newly published research builds upon […]
In Canada, a University of Alberta researcher is investigating ways to eliminate atmospheric methane on an industrial scale while producing sustainable biofuels and biopolymers by using microscopic bacteria that eat methane and convert it into valuable ingredients in biofuels. Ultimately, the idea is to install bioreactors at industrial sites that produce methane. The gas can […]
In Israel, scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science were able to get bacteria to eat carbon dioxide from their environment – essentially building all of their biomass from air. This feat involved nearly a decade of rational design, genetic engineering and a sped-up version of evolution in the lab. The findings point to means […]
In Michigan, researchers at Michigan State University has created a synthetic nano-sized factory, based on natural ones found in bacteria. This research could someday lead to new medical, industrial or bioenergy applications. Natural nanofactories are found in bacteria all over the planet. Some make nutrients. Others sequester toxic materials that would otherwise make the bacteria […]
