Biofuel

Even with today's various sewage-treatment technologies, a great deal of municipal wastewater is still released back into waterways either partially or completely untreated. According to a new study, however, plots of willow trees could be used to clean it up – while also producing useful materials.

The brewing of beer produces great quantities of leftover grain, which often ends up being processed into cattle feed. Scientists have developed a new method of extracting the protein and fiber from that waste, however, for use by humans.

So far as feedstocks for the production of biofuels go, kelp is a highly promising one on many fronts, and a new technology promises to boost its credentials even further by maximizing its exposure to both sunlight and nutrients.

Many people take Spirulina as a dietary supplement, but researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science have found a way to put the tiny spirals to work removing contaminants from water, and then make biofuels from their remains.

Sargassum seaweed is growing out of control in many regions – it washes up on beaches in huge amounts. Utilizing a new technique, that rotting organic matter could soon be converted into biofuels and other products.

Corals serve as a host to algae, which produces sugars that the corals consume. Now, scientists have 3D-printed coral that's even more algae-friendly than its natural equivalent – it could help limit coral bleaching, and provide a source of biofuel.

A lot of people rely on coffee to make it through the day, but this is the first time we've seen a tiny house that needs java. New Frontier Tiny Homes has teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts, actress Olivia Wilde and a sustainable biochemical company to produce the unique promotional project.

This past Sunday, Qantas flight QF96 departed from Los Angeles and arrived in Melbourne 15 hours later. What made the trans-Pacific flight special is the fact that it was the first time an airliner flying from the US to Australia was powered – at least partially – by biofuel.

​The perks of a cup of coffee don’t have to end when the grounds are dumped in the trash. Now a London-based company has partnered with Shell to turn the leftovers from this human go-juice into biofuel to help run the English capital’s expansive bus network.

A coral reef resident may seem like an strange source to make biofuels practical, but the characteristic iridescent blue muscle tissues that the giant clam shows when it's open is giving researchers at the University of Pennsylvania clues on how to produce algae more efficiently.

When olive oil is produced, the leftover water and solid residue are discarded – and that can be problematic. Help may be on the way, however, as scientists have devised a process of converting the wastewater into biofuel, fertilizer and clean water.

​According to researchers at Queen's University Belfast, around 20,000 metric tons of aluminum foil is tossed away in the UK each year – enough to stretch to the Moon and back. This prompted chemistry researcher Ahmed Osman to look for new ways to put all that waste to use.