Center for Transportation Research: Highlights

For decades, scientists have been trying to find ways to mass-produce algae as a viable source of fuel for vehicles. High costs and environmental factors have created insurmountable roadblocks. Now, researchers hope, a new facility at the University of Texas will help them move closer to that goal. “You need three things to grow algae: [...]

[Read more]

The NEMO (Novel high-performance enzymes and micro-organisms for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol) initiative hopes to generate new ways of converting agricultural and forestry waste, such as straw and wood chips, into liquid biofuels. At the moment, most biofuels in use are so-called first-generation biofuels. These are based on sugars found in crops such [...]

[Read more]

Racing goes green with a car developed in Britain that runs on biofuels. With its belching exhausts, acres of tarmac track and tendency to truck tons of cars and equipment around the globe to compete, motor racing could easily take pole position as the world’s least environmentally friendly sport. Potato fuselage?: A look down into [...]

[Read more]

Today, the idea of producing biofuel to power automobiles is gaining ground in the research and development areas of major companies, including Exxon-Mobile. “ExxonMobil has always been like the grinch that stole clean tech,” says Udupa. “And then all of a sudden they’re investing a lot of money in this one algae company.” The company [...]

[Read more]

Two new genomic research projects in British Columbia (Canada), largely funded by Genome British Columbia, are investigating two separate aspects of forestry biofuels in the province Dr. Jack Saddler, Dean of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, is leading a C$1.1-million (US$1.0-million) project entitled, Optimizing Ethanol Fermentation From Mountain Pine Beetle Killed Lodgepole Pine. [...]

[Read more]

The New York Time summarizes alternative energy strategies afoot with Exxon. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/16/16greenwire-some-see-exxon-investments-into-alt-energy-sig-14080.html “I think they see changes to the energy system coming over the next decades,” said Michael Webber, an energy expert and engineering professor at the University of Texas. “It’s pretty transparent that the energy field will be different 30 years from now. They’re [...]

[Read more]