BIOMASSNEWS¦ UCS: 680 million tons of biomass by 2030 A report, titled “The Promise of Biomass,” published by the Union of Concerned Scientists demonstrates that the U.S. has the potential to dramatically increase our renewable energy supply though the use of biomass feedstock. Overall, the analysis determined that 680 million tons of biomass could be made available by 2030. That *Data sourced from Union of Concerned Scientists is enough biomass to trees like hybrid poplar and willow. produce either 54 billion The report provides detailed maps gallons of cellulosic biofuels or generate for each of the different biomass sources enough electricity to meet one-fifth of it has identifi ed. The maps describe nationwide demand. where the UCS expects certain types of According to the study, the largest feedstock to be abundant. In addition long-term opportunity to expand bioento energy crops, the study addresses ergy production in the U.S. is from dediagricultural residues, waste materials, and cated energy crops such as switchgrass forest biomass. and miscanthus as well as fast-growing
Scientists use directed evolution to improve microbes Researchers at Iowa State University are working to optimize microbes capable of converting bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis into biofuels. The work focuses on the bacteria E. coli and the microalgae C. reinhardtii. Certain contaminants in the bio-oil have traditionally limited the ability of these microbes to convert pyrolysis oil into fuels and chemicals. The team is experimenting with pretreatments of this bio-oil that could reduce toxicity. They are also developing microbes that can tolerate the contaminants. The team is using a technique called directed evolution to produce microbes that are more tolerant of bio-oil contaminants. To do this the microbes are grown with higher and higher concentrations of bio-oils. As they divide they replicate their DNA. Sometimes mutations arise during the replication process. Some of these DNA “mistakes” help make the microbe more tolerant of the contaminants. The work is led by Laura Jarboe, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering.