MIT Registry

Mon, 17 May 2010 23:14:54 +0100

MIT is Organizing New Genetic Parts

by Aaron Saenz

Shell's billions to convert Brazilian biomass into fuel

Emily Waltz - Nature Biotechnology

RNAi patent jolt

Charlie Schmidt - Nature Biotechnology

Amyris Files to go Public—Biofuels from Microbes

BLOG REPORT FROM GREENTECHMEDIA by

Top 50 VC-Funded Greentech Startups

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:12:29 +0100

Greentech Media announces the top 50 startups in greentech

From: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Top-50-VC-Funded-Greentech-Startups/

By Joyce Tait and Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka

SciDev.Net, From: http://www.gmagazine.com.au/node/1876/full

The founders of Boston-based Ginkgo BioWorks think assembling synthetic biological systems should not be for experienced researchers only. So they have put together a kit — “scissors and glue for putting together pieces of DNA,’’ cofounder Reshma Shetty says.

Switchgrass Produces Biomass Efficiently

A USDOE and USDA study concluded that 50 million U.S. acres of cropland, idle cropland, and cropland pasture could be converted from current uses to the production of perennial grasses, such as switchgrass, from...

$100M DOE research program

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:32:27 +0100

DOE Opens Up $100M for High-Risk Battery, Biofuel & Carbon Capture Tech
Chart: How the ‘Darpa for Energy’ Is Slicing Its $150-Million Pie

Simpler, cheaper, biodegradable plastic without using fossil fuels: "
In recent years, polylactic acid (PLA) has attracted attention as a replacement for petroleum-based plastics. It is made from corn-starch, or other starch-rich substances like maize, sugar or wheat, and is biodegradable - reverting in less than 60 days in ideal conditions. PLA is already used as a material for compost bags, food packaging, and disposable tableware, and also for a number of biomedical applications, such as sutures, stents, dialysis media and drug delivery devices. Although...

World's first blue roses go on sale

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:53:53 +0100

World's first blue roses to go on sale

Five Companies Making Fuel From Algae Now

Ubiquitous and easy to grow, algae has long been a promising biomass-to-fuel candidate in the eyes of researchers. Now algae is a burgeoning sector in biofuels with several high-profile start-ups, including Craig Venter’s Synthetic Genomics, and the interest of...

Amyris Biotechnologies Raises $41M

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:04:43 +0100

Amyris Biotechnologies Raises $41M

Fri Oct 2, 2009 4:12pm EDT

Biofuel company Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. announced that it has raised $41.75 million in a current Series C round, from new investors GrupoCornelioBrennand of Brazil and Naxos UK, as well as from previous investors including Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, TPG Biotech and Votorantim Novos Negocios.

The Company anticipates additional closings this fall, targeting a total funding...

New microbial fuels: a biotech perspective.

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:05:39 +0100

New microbial fuels: a biotech perspective.

current opinion in microbiology
Publication Date: 2009 May 15 PMID: 19447673
Authors: Rude, M. A. - Schirmer, A.
Journal: Curr Opin Microbiol

Bioethanol and plant oil-derived biodiesel are generally considered first generation biofuels. Recognizing their apparent...

Bioenergy Makes Heavy Demands On Scarce Water Supplies

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:57:01 +0100

Bioenergy Makes Heavy Demands On Scarce Water Supplies

From http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091737.htm

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2009) — The ‘water footprint’ of bioenergy, i.e. the amount of water required to cultivate crops for biomass, is much greater than for other forms of energy. The generation of bioelectricity is significantly more water-efficient in the end, however – by a factor of two – than the production of biofuel. By establishing the water footprint...

US Energy Budget boost

Wed, 20 May 2009 09:22:42 +0100

May 07, 2009

Secretary Chu: President's Energy Budget Creates Jobs, Restores America's Scientific Leadership and Puts Nation on the Path to Energy Independence

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm

...

DOE spends $2.4 billion on carbon sequestration

Sat, 16 May 2009 21:17:09 +0100

DOE spends $2.4 billion on carbon sequestration

Steven Chu, head of the Department of Energy, has announced the latest plans to spend its share of the stimulus money: $2.4 billion to pilot various forms of carbon capture and storage, including some money to train a generation of engineers and geologists to work in the field.

By John Timmer, http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/05/doe-stimulus-dumps-24-billion-on-carbon-sequestration.ars

The Obama administration promised to work towards producing renewable and environmentally friendly energy, and the Department...

Unintentional genetic engineering

Sat, 16 May 2009 14:47:10 +0100

Unintentional genetic engineering - grafted plants trade genes

by Ed Yong, from http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/05/unintentional_genetic_engineering_-_grafted_plants_trade_gen.php

For centuries, farmers have been genetically modifying their plants without even knowing it. That's the message from German scientists who found that grafting, a common technique used to fuse parts of two plants together, causes the two halves to swap genes with each other.

Grafting can involve fusing the stem of one plant (the scion) to the roots of another (the stock), or a dormant bud to another stem. There are many reasons for this - sometimes it's the most cost-effective way of cultivating the scion, sometimes...

Facts and fiction of genetically engineered food

Tue, 12 May 2009 22:34:21 +0100

Trends Biotechnol. 2009 May;27(5):277-86. Epub 2009 Mar 25.

Facts and fiction of genetically engineered food.

Batista R, Oliveira MM.

National Institute of Health, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (ITQB/IBET), Quinta do Marquês, 2784-505 Oeiras, Portugal.

The generation of genetically engineered (GE) foods has been raising several concerns and controversies that divide not only the general public but also the scientific community. The fear and importance of the new technology, as well as commercial interests,...

Biotechnology news from www.synbio.org.uk

MIT Registry

MIT is Organizing New Genetic Parts

by Aaron Saenz

The founders of Boston-based Ginkgo BioWorks think assembling synthetic biological systems should not be for experienced researchers only. So they have put together a kit — “scissors and glue for putting together pieces of DNA,’’ cofounder Reshma Shetty says.

Switchgrass Produces Biomass Efficiently