In California, researchers at UC Davis are stressing out poplar plants on purpose by elevating temperatures, lowering water access and seeing how they can redesign poplar to withstand the added stresses. Poplar provides a fast-growing woody feedstock for biofuels and the rising frequency of these stressful periods inspires a race to find more tolerant plants. […]
Amidst the discussion this week of the future of first-gen and advanced biofuels, and the launch of Hot 40 and Hot 50 voting — we were intrigued by this slide deck on advances in poplar production and bioconversion for the bioeconomy, from the Advanced Hardwoods Biofuels Northwest consortium, which is pioneering the feedstock in a series of […]
As we begin to prepare for the annual Advanced Bioeconomy Feedstocks & Supply Chain event in Miami this June, you might find yourself asking whatever happened to some of the feedstock darlings like jatropha. If jatropha faltered, never mind, went the argument, we’ll always have switchgrass. Or giant miscanthus, or pongamia, or poplar, or camelina. […]
In Washington state, a five-year, $40 million study is laying the foundation for a Pacific Northwest industry that converts sustainably produced poplar feedstock into fuels and chemicals. The research, led by the University of Washington, will seed the world’s first wood-based cellulosic ethanol production facility. The handful of other cellulosic ethanol factories use agricultural waste […]
In Maryland, Intrexon Corporation has entered into a collaboration with FuturaGene Group, a subsidiary of Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A., the second largest producer of eucalyptus pulp in the world. The collaboration aims to increase biomass in eucalyptus and poplar trees. This collaboration will utilize Intrexon’s platform to design complex, innovative gene constructs and FuturaGene’s […]
In Washington state, fall is harvest season and kicks off Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest’s first harvest of hybrid poplar for bioenergy. The Jefferson, Oregon and Hayden, Idaho demonstration sites were both harvested at the end of September and early October respectively. The trees grew rapidly at both sites and were ready for the first harvest […]
In Belgium, the results of a field trial with genetically modified poplar trees in Zwijnaarde, Belgium, shows that the wood of lignin modified poplar trees can be converted into sugars in a more efficient way. These sugars can serve as the starting material for producing bio-based products like bio-plastics and bio-ethanol. The field trial however […]
In China, researchers from Lanzhou University, BGI and other institutes have succeeded in unraveling the whole genome sequence of desert poplar, Populus euphratica, and the genetic bases underlying poplar to against salt stress. This work provides new insights for understanding the genetic basis of tree adaptation to salt stress and facilitating the genetic breeding of […]
In Norway, a study warns that biofuels actually worsen a type of air pollution caused by poplar, willow, and eucalyptus trees that all emit high levels of isoprene as they grow. This chemical forms toxic ozone when mixed with other pollutants in sunlight, and could due the cause of 1400 deaths in Europe by 2020. […]
In Indiana, researchers at Purdue University have begun a five-year research project that will explore the use of poplar trees as feedstock for cellulosic ethanol, including 69 varieties of the tree, which will be studied for appropriateness as a feedstock. Between their very fast growth rate and the fact that they’re vegetatively propagated, meaning that […]
