University of Illinois - Renewable Carbon News

Renewable Carbon News
University of Illinois

25 June 202418 June 2024

Insect wings, bodies, and brains in bio-inspired design

Researchers are building materials inspired by natural innovations to solve a wide set of problems like antibiotic resistance and unsustainable packaging

21 May 202414 May 2024

Nanoparticle catalysts convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide to make useful compounds

Researchers from the University of Illinois studied the catalytic activity of cheaper nanoparticle catalysts to determine if the lower-cost catalyst could enhance activity levels of β-Mo2C with a silica oxide support in the RWGS reaction

2 November 202330 October 2023

Firms plan pilot plants for biobased acrylic acid

They all hope to succeed despite false starts to commercialize the process, but there are only few successful - Companies still have more work to do before they can compete with the petrochemical production

5 October 20232 October 2023

Scientists Use Bacteria to Turn Plastic Into Useful Substances

James Collins from MIT and Ting Lu with the University of Illinois described in a study how to turn plasticwaste into useful products

20 January 202318 January 2023

A big step toward ‘green’ ammonia and a ‘greener’ fertilizer

Industrial production of ammonia, primarily for synthetic fertilizer — the fuel for last century’s Green Revolution — is one of the world’s largest chemical markets, but also one of the most energy intensive

10 January 20235 January 2023

USDA Invests $9.5M to Develop New Bioproducts from Agricultural Commodities

The program’s exploration into bioproducts accelerates USDA’s efforts to develop circular bioeconomies, where agricultural resources are harvested, consumed, and regenerated in a sustainable manner

5 September 202230 August 2022

RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever

Speed-the-Leaf: RIPE’s photosynthesis breakthru offers a 20% increase in crop yield

Some years ago, the RIPE team went down the rabbit hole of transforming photosynthesis, on the noble theory that if plants are more efficient, we’ll have more food, fiber, fuel, and what have you

17 March 202211 March 2022

DOE Grant to engineer bioplastic packaging that’s infinitely recyclable

This private-public effort is among seven supported by USD 13.4 million in DOE funding to reduce single-use plastics' carbon emissions and improve their recyclability through next-generation plastic technologies

4 February 202228 January 2022

Stackable artificial leaf uses less power than lightbulb to capture 100 times more carbon than other systems

Illinois University researchers developed an artificial leaf system which could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

8 September 20213 September 2021

This wood alternative is made from kombucha brewing waste

Pyrus - the winner of this year’s national James Dyson Award - mimics rare woods so we don’t need to cut down the rainforest to get them

23 August 202119 August 2021

Bioprozess zur Umwandlung von Pflanzenmaterial in wertvolle Chemikalien entwickelt

Ein Team von Wissenschaftlern an der University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign entwickelte einen Bioprozess mit Hilfe von gentechnisch veränderter Hefe, der Pflanzenmaterial, das aus Acetat und Xylose besteht, vollständig und effizient in hochwertige Bioprodukte umwandelt

26 July 20219 September 2021

Future Insight Prize 2021 of € 1 Million Awarded to Ting Lu and Stephen Techtmann

Merck announced the winners of this year’s Future Insight Prize

Ting Lu und Stephen Techtmann erhalten mit 1 Mio. € dotierten Future Insight Prize 2021

Merck hat heute die Gewinner seines Future Insight Prize 2021 bekannt gegeben

16 July 20219 September 2021

These ‘supertrees’ are engineered to capture more carbon

But the introduction of genetically modified trees raises some difficult questions

3 February 20213 February 2021

Microbial Cell Factories Webinar Series – Biological Principles to Commercial Products

11th March, 25th March & 8th April, 17:00-19:00 CET

29 January 20219 September 2021

New electrode design more efficiently converts CO2 into fuel

Study: University of Illinois researchers team were able to convert CO₂ to ethylene at a rate of up to 87 percent

4 January 20219 September 2021

Braskem Announces Research Partnership for Sustainable Plastic Production Using CO2 Capture and Utilization Technology and Use

New project to be developed together with researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago

1 April 202030 March 2020

Producing Products from Renewable Biomass Using Yeast

Researchers are finding out techniques to generate valuable products from renewable biomass by employing organisms like yeast

4 December 20199 September 2021

New study looks to biological enzymes as source of hydrogen fuel

This new development may help clear the path for the hydrogen fuel industry to move into a larger role in the global push toward more environmentally friendly energy sources

3 June 20192 June 2019

New Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough Uses Gold to Turn CO2 Into Liquid Fuel

The new process mimics this natural ability via chemical manipulations that create liquid fuel, without requiring chlorophyll

13 May 20199 September 2021

Reducing energy required to convert CO2 waste into valuable resources

University of Illinois chemical engineers have assessed the technical and economic feasibility of a new electrolysis technology

1 February 201929 January 2019

Quest fulfilled? Holy Grail found? 40% crop yield increase really possible?

University of Illinois and USDA researchers found transgenic tobacco plants were ∼40% more productive than wild-type tobacco plants

21 January 201916 January 2019

Scientists engineer shortcut for photosynthetic glitch, boost crop growth 40%

International research project is engineering crops to photosynthesize more efficiently to sustainably increase worldwide food productivity

10 January 201927 November 2019

Genetically modified ‘shortcut’ boosts plant growth by 40%

University of Illinois researcher team is now hoping to use its findings to boost the yields of soybean, rice, potato and tomato plants

12 December 201812 December 2018

Team converts wet biological waste to diesel-compatible fuel

University of Illinois researchers using hydrothermal liquification

Jetzt wird Schweinegülle zu Diesel-Treibstoff

US-Wissenschaftler der University of Illinois nutzen Technik der hydrothermalen Verflüssigung

13 April 201810 April 2018

Illinois researchers receive $1 million to study bioenergy crops

Biomass cultivars ready to plug into the biofuel supply chain in the United States

30 January 201824 January 2018

New study shows producers where and how to grow cellulosic biofuel crops

Practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country

18 September 201714 September 2017

Airline industry could fly thousands of miles on biofuel from a new promising feedstock

Illinois researchers have developed sugarcane that produces oil, called lipidcane, that can be converted into biodiesel or jet fuel in place of sugar

19 April 201711 April 2017

ADM’s second Carbon Capture and Storage project starts up

The new project can safely prevent more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually

16 February 201714 February 2017

Innovation Legislation Seeks Boost in Illinois’ Bio-based Economy

Senate Bill 1656 provides incentives to Illinois businesses to produce and sell new renewable products made from biomass and other renewable sources

18 January 201716 January 2017

Dual-purpose biofuel crops could extend production, increase profits

Recent Illinois study shows that it is cost effective to retrofit ethanol plants where it makes sense

12 January 20179 September 2021

Rice scientists, colleagues use doped graphene quantum dots to reduce carbon dioxide to fuel

Carbon dots dash toward ‘green’ recycling role

25 November 201624 November 2016

The End Of Biotechnology As We Know It

Big challenges are waiting for science und industry according to the European Summit of Industrial Biotechnology 2016 in Graz/Austria

23 August 20169 September 2016

Europe Aims to Close Loophole on Wood Energy

New report from European officials acknowledges the environmental impacts of their growing reliance on wood energy

10 August 20168 August 2016

Superhydrophobic Coatings with Edible Materials

Researchers collaboration develop bio-based coatings for a variety of daily consumed liquid products

5 February 20164 February 2016

4D-printed structure changes shape when placed in water

Wyss, SEAS researchers create shape-shifting architectures that mimic plant movements

27 July 201524 July 2015

Algae and cow cells: BIO members using plants, animals in new ways

Algae and leaf-based oils for food and fuel, meat without slaughter, and healthy sugar are all part of the not-so-distant future

1 July 201529 June 2015

DOE’s ARPA-E funds 6 projects to improve sorghum development

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded $30 million to six projects under its Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture program

8 June 201517 June 2015

Leaving on a Biofueled Jet Plane

Researchers at Energy Biosciences Institute Develop Process for Drop-in Aviation Biofuel

19 May 201518 May 2015

LanzaTech CEO Holmgren selected to receive the 2015 BIO Rosalind Franklin Award

BIO is pleased to honor Dr. Holmgren for her accomplishments in the field of industrial biotechnology

11 March 201510 March 2015

Miscanthus-based ethanol boasts bigger environmental benefits, higher profits

A recent study simulated a side-by-side comparison of the yields and costs of producing ethanol using miscanthus, switchgrass, and corn stover

9 March 20159 September 2021

One Step Closer to Artificial Photosynthesis and “Solar Fuels”

Caltech scientists, inspired by a chemical process found in leaves, have developed an electrically conductive film that could help pave the way for devices capable of harnessing sunlight to split water into hydrogen fuel

19 January 201516 January 2015

New law allows Illinois universities to conduct hemp research

Studies show hemp fibers can be used in the manufacture of hundreds of products, ranging from paper to carpeting and clothing

1 September 201429 August 2014

Earth can sustain more terrestrial plant growth than previously thought

Study addresses untapped potential productivity of plants

25 August 20149 September 2021

New catalyst converts carbon dioxide to fuel

UIC researchers found way to directly reduce CO₂ to syngas without secondary gasification process

1 August 201431 July 2014

Study: Ethanol co-product may offer low-fat product for use in swine diet

In recent years, ethanol plants have begun to centrifuge the solubles from ethanol production to extract oil, which is sold to the biodiesel industry – as a result, new low-fat DDGS products are available for swine diets

6 June 20145 June 2014

Despite the Rhetoric – Corn Ethanol Doesn’t Cause Land Use Change

Study Finds that Increased Corn Yields and More Efficient Use of Corn Ethanol Co-products Will Greatly Decrease Land Needed for Ethanol Production

28 April 201427 April 2014

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