http://www.ornl.gov/sci/ipgc Archived news from the IPGC News Feed en-us ipgc@ornl.gov bipact.com Wed. 17 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/10/scientists-dramatically-improve-poplars.html Scientists dramatically improve poplar's capacity to clean up polluted sites - potential to couple phytoremediation to bioenergy scenta.co.uk Tues, 16 Oct 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.scenta.co.uk/Engineering/1707419/gm-plants-do-the-dirty-work.htm US and UK scientists have developed genetically modified plants to mop up pollutants. uwnews.org Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:00:00 PCT http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=37313 Scientists ramp up ability of poplar plants to disarm toxic pollutants biopact.com Thurs, 27 Sept 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/09/ceres-raises-75-million-to-develop.html Energy crop and biotech company Ceres, Inc. announced today that it has raised $75 million through a private offering of convertible preferred stock. The late-stage financing round was led by Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm with a track record of investing in energy, alternative energy and renewables. sciencemag.org Fri, 20 July 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5836/317?rss=1 As the National Plant Genome Initiative turns 10, it is beefing up its bioinformatics and its portfolio of sequenced crop and noncrop genomes Biopact Thurs, 19 July 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://biopact.com/2007/07/scottishpower-announces-uks-largest.html ScottishPower announced it is looking to contract Scottish farmers to produce 250,000 tonnes of energy crops to be burned at Scotland’s two coal fired power stations, Cockenzie and Longannet. The energy crop will displace coal burned in the stations. post-gazette.com Tues, 10 July 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07191/800495-28.stm CMU grads want to use blighted industrial, residential sites to produce bio-fuel crops Biopact Thurs, 05 July 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/07/celebrity-spotting-marc-van-montagu-and.html Step aside Presidents, Ministers and Ambassadors. Here comes the Scientist. At the International Conference on Biofuels, we spotted a man who stands above short-term politics and ideologies. However, his work has been controversial and will be even more so in the near future. We are talking about professor Marc Van Montagu, one of the fathers of modern biotechnology. Earthtimes.org Thurs, 28 June 2007 13:20:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,130821.shtml Verenium Corporation , a leading developer of biofuels derived from low-cost, abundant biomass and a developer of specialty enzyme products, announced today that it is a member of the team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) which has won a bid from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a $125 million bioenergy research center that will seek new ways to produce biofuels. Verenium has been allocated a total of $4.6 million over the five-year program to discover and develop new enzymes and enzyme cocktails to break down various types of biomass. Forbes.com Wed, 27 June 2007 15:20:00 EST http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/27/ap3863591.html The state Department of Economic and Community Development on Wednesday announced the creation of a new position to manage the state's energy policy. The appointment of Ryan Gooch as the director of energy policy comes on the heels of the U.S. Energy (nasdaq: USEG - news - people ) Department announcement this week that a Tennessee site is among three centers slated to receive $125 million to research new biofuel technologies over five years NewsOK.com Thurs, 28 June 2007 09:00:00 EST http://newsok.com/article/3071940 ARDMORE — The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has won a share of a $125 million Department of Energy grant awarded to a consortium of researchers that will focus on converting plants into fuels, officials said Wednesday. EurekAlert! Tues, 26 June 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-06/uog-usr062607.php Athens, Ga. -- Scientists at the University of Georgia teamed with researchers at major universities, national research laboratories and industry colleagues to win a bid from the Department of Energy for a $125 million bioenergy research center that will seek new ways to produce biofuels. new.moneycenral.msn.com Wed, 27 June 2007 15:20:00 EST http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&Date=20070627&ID=7095113 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state Department of Economic and Community Development on Wednesday announced the creation of a new position to manage the state's energy policy. U.S Dept of Entergy Tues, 26 June 2007 13:15:00 EST http://energy.gov/news/5172.htm U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will invest up to $375 million in three new Bioenergy Research Centers that will be located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Madison, Wisconsin; and near Berkeley, California. The Centers are intended to accelerate basic research in the development of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels, advancing President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which seeks to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent within ten years through increased efficiency and diversification of clean energy sources. The Department plans to fund the Centers for the first five years of operation (Fiscal Years 2008-2013). EurekAlert Mon, 25 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-06/vt-vtr062507.php Virginia Tech researchers to study poplar tree as model biomass crop Checkbiotech Thurs, 21 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.checkbiotech.org/green_News_Biofuels.aspx?infoId=14961 In an attempt to find cheaper and more efficient routes to biofuels, researchers are turning to genomics. Scientists at the Department of Energy (DOE) have just selected the button mushroom as one of their latest picks for DNA sequencing, hoping to co-opt fungi's plant-degrading power to produce ethanol more cheaply. Efforts are also planned to sequence the genomes of the eucalyptus tree and foxtail millet, a grass closely related to switchgrass. ORNL News Release Tues, 19 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/get_press_release.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20070619-00 ORNL receives $1 million for biofuels research with poplars. Through a better understanding of photoreceptors that influence the shape and growth of poplar trees, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory hope to improve crop yields for ethanol production. Biopact Mon, 18 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/06/study-greenhouse-gas-balance-of.html Study: greenhouse gas balance of different energy cropping systems. In a recent open-access study published in Ecological Applications, Paul Adler from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and colleagues compare the net production of carbon dioxide and two other greenhouse gases (GHG) associated with producing biofuels via different pathways from several bioenergy crops. Since a GHG balance includes the emissions from energy used during farming, transporting and converting the biomass into biofuels, the study also offers an energy balance of the different biofuels. Biopact Sun, 17 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/06/study-soil-maintenance-needed-to-ensure.html Study: soil maintenance needed to ensure sustainability of cellulosic biofuels Producing energy and bioproducts from crops may well hold the key to a sustainable future, but the transition towards such a biobased economy should be approached with care. A complex set of agro-ecological resources interacts and needs to be kept in balance in order to make the bioeconomy last. Ensuring the health of soils is crucial because soils are the nutrient factories that feed crops. Moreover, soils store vast amounts of organic carbon and thus play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Bioenergy production can only be green if it doesn't distort the soil organic carbon (SOC) cycle. Scenta Fri, 15 June 2007 08:00:00 GMT http://www.scenta.co.uk/Nature/1699704/imaging-biofuels.htm Raman imaging is being used to help researchers determine which crops are best suited for conversion to ethanol. Biopact Tues, 12 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/06/joint-genome-institute-announces-2008.html The U.S. Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has announced the latest Community Sequencing Program (CSP) portfolio. These plant and microbial targets - most with implications for bioenergy and the carbon cycle - total some 21 billion nucleotides of DNA sequence capacity allocated to public projects submitted through the CSP for fiscal year 2008. USDA: Agricultural Research Service Fri, 8 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/070608.htm Corn and soybeans may be the current "go-to" crops for producing ethanol and biodiesel, respectively. But two other crops—switchgrass and hybrid poplar—could steal the show in the future when it comes to curbing greenhouse gases, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and collaborating scientists. Biopact.com Thurs, 7 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2007/06/us-energy-and-agriculture-depts-provide.html U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman today announced that the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy have jointly selected 11 projects for awards totaling US$8.3 million for biobased fuels research that will accelerate the development of alternative fuel resources. The research aims to take the U.S. beyond its reliance on corn as a biofuel feedstock. Knoxnews.com Thurs, 7 June 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5574871,00.html OAK RIDGE — Oak Ridge National Laboratory will receive a three-year, $1.04 million grant for biofuels-related research, federal officials announced today. KXnet.com News Team Thurs, 7 June 2007 15:43:00 EST http://www.kxmc.com/News/130605.asp Oak Ridge Laboratory gets share of federal biofuels grant Center for American Progress: Domestic and Economy Wed, 30 May 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/05/betting_the_farm.html Former Sens. Bob Dole and Center for American Progress Distinguished Senior Fellow Tom Daschle released a report today calling for major changes in agricultural policy as the Farm Bill goes through reauthorization this year. The report, “Competing and Succeeding in the 21st Century: New Markets for American Agriculture,” argues that implementing new policies can allow farmers to take advantage of critical emerging markets, save taxpayer money, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. Lou Ann Hammond on carlist.com Tues, 29 May 2007 06:31:00 EST http://www.carlist.com/blog/?p=403 Cellulosic Ethanol Fact Sheet Cleantech Blog Tues, 15 May 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.cleantechblog.com/2007/05/gas-misers-or-corn-guzzlers.html People buying new cars are asking if they should get a high mileage hybrid that runs on gasoline, or a flex-fuel vehicle that could run on E85 ethanol. The United States DOE's and EPA's fueleconomy.gov, made it easy for car buyers to compare choices. InsideIndianaBusiness.com Report Mon, 07 May 2007 14:53:38 EST http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=23186 Governor Mitch Daniels, Secretary of Commerece Nathan Feltman, along with representatives from Purdue University and Indiana University are touting the state's life sciences in Boston today. They will be attending the BIO International Convention, which is the world's largest biotechnology trade show. The govenor will tonight host 120 life sciences companies and venture capitalists at a dinner. EurekAlert! Fri, 04 May 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/msu-fff050407.php "Put a tree in your tank." Fuel companies aren't touting that slogan. At least not yet. PressZoom Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST http://presszoom.com/story_125228.html On the road to making biofuels more economically competitive with fossil fuels, there are significant potholes to negotiate The Independent Wed, 07 Mar 2007 09:11:00 GMT http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article2326077.ece Europe's biggest producer of coal-fired power is out to prove that it can cleanup its act KnoxNews Sun, 04 Mar 2007 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/business/article/0,1406,KNS_376_5391346,00.html ET researchers seek dedicated energy crop to use for biofuels Salon Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:59:00 EST http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2007/02/16/aaas/ Gathering of the science tribes Science Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/315/5813/786 Clint Chapple has long reveled in the details of plant biochemistry. Now he's finally getting his hands dirty UC Berkeley News Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2007/02/08_BirgeneauonBP.shtml The day following the announcement of BP funding for the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) — led by Berkeley and with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as partners — Chancellor Birgeneau sat down with Public Affairs for a discussion about the implications of this research for Berkeley. Tennessean Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/NEWS0201/70131077/1001/NEWS Gov. Phil Bredesen today proposed spending $73 million to make Tennessee a national leader in development of alternative fuels. Delta Farm Press Thu, 04 Jan 2007 09:30:00 EST http://deltafarmpress.com/news/070104-genome-database/ A multidisciplinary effort at Mississippi State University to create an agricultural genomic database has resulted in a million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Truth About Trade & Technology Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.truthabouttrade.org/article.asp?id=6701 Quebec City — When Christmas snows thaw this spring, Armand Seguin will cut down a stand of about 300 trees outside Quebec City. Although he spent years growing these spruce and poplars, he will take care to completely burn their trunks, branches, leaves and roots. And environmental groups such as Greenpeace can hardly wait for the chainsaws to rev up. Biopact Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST http://biopact.com/2006/11/wto-rules-against-eu-on-gmos-towards.html Under public pressure, from 1994 to 1999, the EU imposed a ban on imports of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Soon after, from June 1999 to August 2003, it transformed the ban into a moratorium on GMOs it deemed to be 'unsafe' (see: Europe’s rules on GMOs and the WTO). In a third phase, from 2004 onwards it allowed some selected products in (such as canned GM corn and 'Round-up-Ready' soy), after they had been carefully screened. Highly critical consumers in the EU have always rejected GMOs in food products and continue to do so. WorldChanging: Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005199.html All Member States must seriously tackle greenhouse gas emissions immediately, if the EU-15 is to meet its collective Kyoto target, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). Green Car Congress Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/10/joint_doe_usda_.html A scientist at North Carolina State University has received a $700,000 grant funded jointly by the US Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) to develop optimized versions of the eastern cottonwood tree (poplar) that can more easily be converted into ethanol. News Target Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.newstarget.com/020766.html A tree that can reach 90 feet in six years and be grown as a row crop on fallow farmland could represent a major replacement for fossil fuels. KnoxNews Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/science/article/0,1406,KNS_9116_5068836,00.html A couple of years ago, Oak Ridge National Laboratory invested a few million dollars in computer-controlled greenhouses for the lab's environmental research division. Now it's paying off with expanded work in plant genetics. USINFO Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=October&x=20061013150311lcnirellep0.6137659 Biofuels, solar energy and biomass genomics research to benefit from investment Gresham Outlook Tue, 10 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=116054785754685800 Imagine running your car off clean-burning ethanol made from Oregon-grown poplar trees or biodiesel made from Oregon-grown canola plants. Post-Gazette.com Wed, 27 Sept 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06270/725195-113.stm Jackson Hole Star Tribune Mon, 18 Sept 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2006/09/18/features/science/faf35d5aba5cc5d3872571ec0020fecf.txt The black cottonwood seldom inspires poetry, but it was worthy of being the first tree to have its genetic code mapped, scientists say, largely because it grows so rapidly. People's Daily Online Sat, 16 Sep 2006 07:36:00 EST http://english.people.com.cn/200609/16/eng20060916_303336.html Scientists have mapped the first complete genetic code of a tree, enhancing the prospects of using plants to produce renewable bio-fuels. Earthtime.org Sat, 16 Sep 2006 16:26:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/8785.html US researchers report in the journal Science that they have successfully unlocked the DNA code of a tree. The genome of the black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) was completely sequenced by the researchers leading to hope that better quality wood and plant-based products may be available in future. The Seattle Times Fri, 15 Sep 2006 03:00:00 EST http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003259510_treegenes15.html Researchers have deciphered for the first time the genetic code of a tree, which could lead to new varieties better at producing wood, paper and fuel. Green Car Congress Fri, 15 Sept 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/09/poplar_genome_s.html A four-year scientific and technical effort has resulted in the sequencing and publication of the genome of the poplar tree. The effort, led by the US Department of Energy�s Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), united the efforts of 34 institutions from around the world, including the University of British Columbia, and Genome Canada; Ume� Plant Science Centre, Sweden; and Ghent University, Belgium. Science Fri, 15 Sept 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5793/1596 ContraCostaTimes Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/15525436.htm WALNUT CREEK: Joint Genome Institute cracks fast-growing poplar tree's genetic sequence Outside Online Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:00:00 EST http://outside.away.com/outside/news/20060916_1.html Scientists have decoded a tree genome for the first time, with findings that could have wide-ranging consequences for botanists as well as foresters. A team of over 100 researchers from the United States, Canada, France, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Finland worked together to decipher the genetic code of the black cottonwood tree. BBC News Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:31:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5348438.stm The first tree to have its full DNA code unravelled is a poplar. The Boston Globe Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/09/15/first_genetic_roadmap_of_a_tree_hoped_to_aid_liquid_fuel_options/ Scientists yesterday unveiled the first complete genetic sequence of a tree -- a poplar known as black cottonwood -- and are already using the draft to boost the species' usefulness and help scientists better understand the molecular basis of what makes trees unique. The Washington Times Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:00:00 EST http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060914-112257-1662r.htm Researchers for the first time have deciphered the genetic code of a tree, which could lead to new varieties better at producing wood, paper and fuel. Toronto Star Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:00:00 EST Canadian and U.S. researchers have published the first DNA sequence of a common tree, an advance that may lead to domesticated tree crops for producing the biofuel cellulosic ethanol, a study in Science magazine reported. Gainesville.com Fri, 15 Sep 2006 06:01:00 EST http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/LOCAL/209150375/1078/news Black cottonwood might one day be considered black gold. Researchers at the University of Florida have helped map the genome of black cottonwood, a Western tree that could be used to produce a petroleum alternative. The research is featured on the cover of today's edition of the journal Science. SEED Thu, 14 Sept 2006 21:55:00 EST http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/09/first_tree_genome_sequenced_co.php Five months after the completion of the human genome, a group of scientists representing 34 institutions around the world has published the first complete DNA sequence of a tree. As well as detailing the evolution of the poplar tree, the sequence may provide the first step in using the plant as a renewable feedstock for a "biofuel" that might one day replace gasoline. University of Florida News Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:00:00 EST http://news.ufl.edu/2006/09/14/tree-genome/ Road warriors, it may be time to hug a tree. In a few years, you could find yourself filling your gas tank with ethanol derived from specially bred black cottonwood trees - and at prices not seen since the 1990s.