Yellow and green streaks seen on the leaves of maize are not just unique; they’re “psychedelic.” The coloring is due to genes that are known as Psychedelic, and these genes may play a role in altering plant yields.  Plants with a yellow- and green-streaked leaf phenotype have a mutation in genes...

The Great Plains is known for the massive area it covers and the multitude of crops it produces. However, each individual lot of farmland may be limited in biodiversity. Currently, the Great Plains is slated to become the new home of a mixture of biofuel crops, such as switchgrass and prairie cordgrass....

A few weeks ago, we discussed a method for generating electricity by using a biofuel cell and the power of photosynthesis from a cactus plant; therefore, when selecting this week’s topic, I thought it only appropriate to elaborate on a less prickly approach at harnessing power from plants. Researchers...

The American Association for the Advancement of Science conference wrapped up on the 22nd of February, and the topic of biofuels certainly did not go untouched. Many scientists have been addressing the commercialization of the algal biofuel production process. Thus far, the obstacle has mainly been a...

The University of Central Florida has taken a leap through time and devised a method of harvesting ethanol from garbage items. Sound familiar? Yes, this scenario is not unlike the DeLorean in the popular science fiction movie, Back to the Future. It may be true that the future of clean ethanol lies in...

You may have heard of solar power, but what about harnessing power via photosynthesis?   Controlled by humans, solar panels can generate electrical power through photovoltaic cells.  As opposed to solar panels, photosynthesis employs only the natural sources of plants and the sun to convert solar...

Recent findings at the University of Virginia’s department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have caused increased scrutiny of current alternative energy procurement processes concerning algae. Exxon Mobile’s $600 million investment for the research and development of biofuel in addition to...

The American industry has long dallied with the idea of using microalgae to produce the alternative fuel ethanol, but now a new approach has been proposed. The next stop in our quest to find the best and most efficient alternative fuel: Seaweed, a macroalgae. Despite its promise as an alternative fuel...

This month’s buzzword in the world of biofuel production is Caution. The United Nations Environment Programme’s most recent report covers the issue of alternative energy in the face of growing sustainability needs. The report is a compilation of a large number of recent studies on biofuels and conducts...

In the October issue of the journal BioScience, David Flaspohler and Joseph Fargione published their analysis on the impact of biofuel-dedicated land consumption on various wildlife populations throughout the grasslands. The journal article addressed the long term effects of America’s focus on biofuel...

When an officer of a factory decides to buy a new, state-of-the-art machine that could double the productivity of the company, the officer understands that an initial investment must be made before actual profits are seen. The same concept can be applied to biofuels and the environment. The biofuels...

Researchers at the University of Illinois have found a gene that could lead to a much larger biomass of corn. The gene involved in their huge (no pun intended) research is named Glossy 15. Glossy 15, as its name may suggest, gives corn seedlings a waxy coating to protect the seedling from the sun. However,...

Commercially available green jet fuels are on the horizon. Professor David Shonnard, Robbins Chair Chemical Engineering professor, completed a thorough study on the use of the Camelina Sativa weed as a replacement for petroleum jet fuel. This plant requires very little agricultural input to yield large...

The banana peel seems to have universal “appeal” in cartoon episodes. Whether a character slips and skids across the sidewalk or falls into the nearest trash can or mud puddle, loose banana peels somehow always lead to a cartoon character’s slippery demise. So in reality, where do all of the...

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Colleen M. McMahan has begun using the desert shrub Guayule as a new source for ethanol biofuel at the ARS’s research center in Albany. In the past, Guayule has been used in the production of latex gloves, medical devices and other “in-demand” natural...

Dennis Buckmaster, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, recently published a study on maximizing the efficiency of biofuel production. This particular study focused on the efficient production of ethanol from the cellulose in corn stalks. The current...

What would you say if I told you that insects may help us break our dependence on oil products for fuel? Most people would probably laugh and say “Yeah right!” However, in an article soon to be published in Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, Assistant Professor of entomology at the University...