http://www.isaaa.org/kc/A weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA).en-usThu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11085In Vienna, scientists have characterized a mutation in a strain of biomass-degrading fungus that constantly ‘switches on' the production of the desired degrading enzymes even without the inducing factor. Production of biofuels from lignocellulose materials such as woods and grasses requires the enzymatic breakdown of the long cellulose and xylan co...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Research and Developmenthttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11086An international collaboration of scientists has determined the structure and function of a key enzyme used by tiny marine wood borers to break down wood. The findings, published in PNAS, suggest that the unique and robust enzyme offers a potential for producing biofuels from woody biomass.The researchers studied the enzyme that gives the wood-bori...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Research and Developmenthttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11087A study at the Iowa State University has found that ultrasound enhances the chemical reactions necessary to convert biomass feedstock into biofuels.A team of engineers at ISU has shown that the use of ultrasonics in the pretreatment of a wide variety of feedstocks could increase the efficiency of separating lignin from the biomass so that sugar dis...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Research and Developmenthttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11088A research team at the Oklahoma State University has analyzed a fungus that resides in the gut of ruminant animals, revealing more of its characteristics that make it an interesting candidate for biofuel production. The team has recently analyzed the genome of the rumen fungus and found multiple unique features. Genomic and experimental analyses in...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Research and Developmenthttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11089Teamwork between a professor at Sonoma State University and experts at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) of the U.S. Department of Energy has led to the isolation of an alkaline tolerant bacterium that has a potential use in biofuel production. The bacterium was originally isolated from decaying plants in highly alkaline spri...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Research and Developmenthttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11090Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant AG announced that it has expanded the feedstocks for its proprietary ethanol process to include corn stover and sugarcane bagasse.Clariant began operating its demonstration-scale facility in Germany about a year ago to pilot its Sunliquid process for cellulosic ethanol production. The Sunliquid...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Production and Tradehttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11091The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy is collaborating with Cobalt Technologies, U.S. Navy, and Show Me Energy Cooperative to carry out a demonstration-scale jet fuel production from switch grass. The collaborative project seeks to combine NREL's expertise in pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and ferment...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Production and Tradehttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11092The United States Senate voted to pass its version of a new Farm Bill or the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 with the inclusion of more than $800 million in mandatory funding for energy title programs. The bioenergy sector has welcomed the passage of the Senate's version of the new Farm Bill. Industry leaders have expressed their sati...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Policy and Regulationhttp://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=11093In Europe, a committee of UK lawmakers has urged Britain to exclude food-based or agriculturally-produced biofuels in its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and to push the European Union to modify its energy goal. The RTFO is Britain's main policy instrument to meet the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of the EU which requires that 10 perc...Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0800Policy and Regulation