In California, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. In this case, the “job” is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth, lignin surrounds valuable plant fibers and other molecules that could be converted […]
In California, a team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara has proposed a novel strategy for reducing large amounts of nutrients—specifically nitrogen and phosphorous—after they have already been released into the environment. In a study appearing in the journal Marine Policy, the authors contend that seaweed’s incredible ability to draw nutrients from the water could […]
In California, local press reports that researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara together with those from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will image microbial processes used in waste-to-energy production as part of a $2.25 million Department of Energy grant aimed at improving biofuel production. They believe the guts of herbivores will provide […]
In California, with a $2.25 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy, a research group at the University of California Santa Barbara, along with collaborators at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), are poised to advance the knowledge of and technology for advanced biofuels. “Cellulosomes are multi-protein complexes of enzymes that work together to […]
In California, in efforts to curb our use of greenhouse gas-generating fossil fuels, plant-based biofuels are among the top contenders as alternative liquid energy sources for transportation. However, strategies to produce high yields of biomass for fuels are not a one-size-fits-all proposition, according to a study led by UC Santa Barbara professor of ecology David […]
In California, prolific growth makes giant kelp an excellent candidate to replace corn as a biofuel. While this species naturally grows close to shore, it easily could be farmed in deeper waters. This is the focus of a new project called Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER), which seeks to develop offshore kelp farms […]
In California, bioenergy researchers are looking to nature and the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi that, collectively, can break down almost any substance on earth, including plant biomass. As reported May 26, 2017 in Nature Microbiology, a team led by researchers at the University of California (UC), Santa Barbara has found for the first […]
