Energy News  
Biotechnology Is Accelerating The Evolution Of Advanced Biofuels

Biotechnology advances are improving current biofuel production in three key ways: increasing biomass yield per acre, increasing the amount of ethanol extracted from each acre of crop, and reducing the amount of energy needed in the process. For instance, a newly developed enzyme eliminates the need to cook corn to produce ethanol and increases the yield by 6 percent.
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 21, 2008
Biotechnology is delivering solutions to rapidly rising demand for both food and biofuels through improvements in current biofuel production, commercialization of cellulosic and other advanced biofuels, and increased production of food and energy crops on existing land.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO's Industrial and Environmental Section, released the following statement at the Biomass 2008: Fueling Our Future conference hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program:

"Biotechnology is the key to sustainable, affordable biofuel production. As companies across the United States plan construction of cellulosic ethanol refineries to meet the goals of the Renewable Fuel Standard, industrial biotech scientists continue to reduce the cost of advanced biofuels. Several companies are even looking beyond ethanol to biobutanol and even biobased hydrocarbons.

"Biotechnology advances are improving current biofuel production in three key ways: increasing biomass yield per acre, increasing the amount of ethanol extracted from each acre of crop, and reducing the amount of energy needed in the process. For instance, a newly developed enzyme eliminates the need to cook corn to produce ethanol and increases the yield by 6 percent.

"Agricultural biotechnology is helping farmers around the globe meet the growing demand for food, animal feed, fiber and biofuels by increasing crop yields per acre and by developing new sources of non-food plants for biofuels. Since the introduction of agricultural biotechnology in 1996, corn yields have increased 30 percent and soybean yields have increased more than 20 percent. Biotech scientists are also studying the genomes of sorghum, switchgrass and other non-food plants to optimize them for use in advanced biofuel production."

In Erickson's presentation at the Biomass 2008 conference he outlined specific ways that biotechnology is accelerating biofuel development:

- Improving the energy efficiency and yields of starch to ethanol processes;

- Enabling conversion of crop residues and dedicated energy crops in cellulosic ethanol processes;

- Producing new fuels such as biobutanol from carbohydrate feedstocks;

- Developing groundbreaking technology such as synthetic biology to produce renewable hydrocarbons from agricultural feedstocks;

- Improving crop yields for both food and fuel crops; and

- Developing new dedicated energy crops.

"These advances in biotechnology are making it possible for the U.S. to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard and accelerating the evolution of the industry toward cellulosic biofuels," Erickson stated. The RFS sets a goal of annually producing 21 billion gallons of cellulosic and advanced biofuels by 2022.

The "Advanced Biofuels and Climate Change Information Center" presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental and other impacts of biofuel production.

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Advanced Biofuels and Climate Change Information Center
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Gulf Ethanol Orders Prototype Cellulosic Processing Unit
Houston TX (SPX) Apr 18, 2008
Gulf Ethanol has announced that it has delivered the purchase order and initial payment for the manufacture of its initial prototype bio-processing unit. This unit will be designed to preprocess cellulosic biomass into a very fine, dry powder ready for processing into ethanol. The unit is expected to be ready in about 60 days.







  • Analysis: India, China to aid Nigeria oil
  • Biofuels under attack as world food prices soar
  • GMZ Energy Paves The Way For Greener Household Appliances, Power Plants And Cars
  • Electrical Contractor Magazine Tracks New, Unusual Energy Sources For Green Power

  • UAE vows to import enriched uranium for any reactor
  • Bulgaria asks EU to double compensation for reactors' closure
  • Romania to keep majority stake in nuclear reactors: minister
  • EBRD says will help pay for Chernobyl sarcophagus

  • Viruses Keep Us Breathing
  • Carnegie Mellon Researchers To Curb CO2 Emissions
  • Scientists Identify Origin Of Hiss In Upper Atmosphere
  • NASA Co-Sponsors Ocean Voyage To Probe Climate-Relevant Gases

  • World's Oldest Living Tree Discovered In Sweden
  • Forests' Long-Term Potential For Carbon Offsetting
  • Indonesian police arrest three officers over illegal logging
  • The Tree Corporation Of Australia

  • China seeks to boost farm output amid soaring food costs
  • Analysis: Food insecurity will grow
  • China food costs soar, Philippines unveils plan
  • Self Seeding: An Innovative Management System

  • Aerodynamic Trailer Cuts Fuel And Emissions By Up To 15 Percent
  • Beijing Auto 2008 opens amid boom in car sales
  • Model Predicts Motorway Journey Time Reliability
  • A Whole New Breed Of Hybrid: The High-Performance Fisker Karma

  • Oil spike, cost of planes led to Oasis collapse: founders
  • Airbus boss says aviation unfairly targeted over climate change
  • World grapples with aviation's climate change footprint
  • Europe's EADS finds sweet home in Alabama despite uproar

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement