Growth Spurts

Researchers at Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Georgia have produced hydrogen gas pure enough to power fuel cells by mixing 14 enzymes, one coenzyme, and cellulosic materials like woodchips or grass.
The group announced three advances from their “one pot” process: 1) a novel combination of enzymes, 2) an increased hydrogen [...]

Switchgrass grown for biofuel production produced 540 percent more energy than needed to grow, harvest and process it into cellulosic ethanol, according to estimates from a large on-farm study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Results from the five-year study involving fields on farms in three states highlights the prairie grass’ potential as a biomass [...]

Corn and soybeans may be the current “go-to” crops for producing ethanol and biodiesel, respectively. But two other crops — switchgrass and hybrid poplar — may be better at curbing greenhouse gases, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and collaborating scientists.
In a study published in the April issue of Ecological Applications, ARS scientists compared the [...]