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A long-abandoned fermentation process is being resurrected by UC Berkeley chemists and chemical engineers to produce compounds to feed a catalytic reaction that produces a fuel that looks and acts just like diesel. The fuel has a higher energy content than ethanol, and could help replace nonrenewable transportation fuels.
Tag: biofuels
New Energy Biosciences Building, Birgeneau Energy Garden dedicated
December 11, 2012:
State legislators and city officials joined nearly 100 UC Berkeley researchers and administrators on Monday, Dec. 10, to dedicate the new Energy Biosciences Building and celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Energy Biosciences Institute, a partnership between the campus, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the energy company BP.
Media adv: Dec. 10 event to celebrate EBI’s first five years
December 7, 2012:
A dedication ceremony to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at the University of California, Berkeley; the completion of the institute’s new home, the Energy Biosciences Building; and the inauguration of the Robert and Mary Catherine Birgeneau Energy Garden, which honors UC Berkeley’s outgoing chancellor and his wife for their support of science education and research.
New Energy Biosciences Building opens at UC Berkeley
August 1, 2012:
Almost five years into its 10-year program to develop new energy alternatives using biological tools and methods, the Energy Biosciences Institute is moving its UC Berkeley headquarters and research labs into a modern new building. The western branch of the $500 million public-private collaboration will be housed in a five-story, 113,000-gross-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility.
Risks of bioenergy underestimated, new report says
March 8, 2012:
The net effect on climate of large-scale biofuels deployment is highly uncertain, and could actually lead to a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new paper co-authored by UC Berkeley researchers. The authors argue for a more comprehensive risk assessment of bioenergy use so policymakers can make more informed decisions.
Biofuels, land and ethics
January 10, 2012:
Growing dedicated energy crops on lands that won’t support food crops is one of the promises of emerging cellulosic fuels. The latest issue of the Energy Biosciences Institute magazine, Bioenergy Connection, looks at how much land is available, its energy-producing potential and which plants are the most promising alternatives. It also explores ethical questions involved in moving toward greater use of bioenergy.
Dan Kammen, Jay Keasling in ‘Future of Energy’ on Discovery Channel tonight
December 22, 2011:
Two of UC Berkeley’s top energy experts – Dan Kammen of the Energy and Resources Group and Jay Keasling of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering – are interviewed extensively for one segment of a new Discovery Channel video, “Earth 2050: The Future of Energy,” which airs Thursday night, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. PST.
Cal Energy Corps interns showcase research partnerships worldwide
September 26, 2011:
The very first cohort of Cal Energy Corps student interns showcased an wide array of sustainable-energy research and service they conducted around the world this summer, at a Sept. 22 campus symposium. Their projects ranged from a low-tech food dehydrator, with a community on Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast, to advanced science to improve the formulation of new biofuels.
Hot springs microbe yields record-breaking, heat-tolerant enzyme
July 5, 2011:
Scientists looking for unusual cellulose-digesting enzymes, called cellulases, have found one that works at a higher temperature, 109 degrees Celsius, than any others found to date. The cellulase comes from an Archaea found in a Nevada hot spring.
Addressing societal as well as technological challenges of biofuels
February 10, 2011:
Producing cheap liquid biofuels is not the only challenge in weaning the U.S. off fossil fuels. A team supported by the Energy Biosciences Institute identified social, economic and environmental issues that need to be addressed, including the impacts on farmers and on public health.
Cow rumen yields enzyme bonanza
January 28, 2011:
Sequencing of microbes in the rumen of the cow has turned up a treasure trove of new enzymes that degrade tough plant material, providing new avenues for research to boost biofuel production from plants. The research, funded by the Energy Biosciences Institute, involves UC Berkeley chemical engineer Doug Clark and colleagues at LBNL and the Joint Genome Institue.
