Lemna minor, also called the common duckweed or lesser duckweed, is an aquatic freshwater plant. It is used as animal fodder, bioremediator, for wastewater nutrient recovery, and also biofuel production. Unlike first generation biofuels, duckweed does not require the use of farmland as duckweed is a fairly small aquatic plant that floats on or just below the surface of the water. In nature, duckweed can be found most prevalent in fresh...

Nowadays a trend can be witnessed in almost all countries around the globe which focuses on the development of renewable energy sources. One condition that has to be met in order to efficiently harness the energy produced by renewables is that the storage media or batteries have to be more flexible and enduring. There are a great many companies dedicated to producing batteries with higher energy density, lighter weight, faster recharge...

Waste generation and treatment statistics in the European Union in 2020 presented by Eurostat reveals that EU‘s all economic activities and households in the EU Member States generated 2 151 million tonnes waste which corresponds 4 808 kg per capita. Of all different activities, the largest waste producer is Construction, contributing 37.1% of total waste in 2020, ahead of Mining and quarrying (23.4%),...

Municipal waste statistics by Eurostat present tendencies in municipal waste generation and treatment in the European Union (EU) from 1995 to 2020. In general, the published data record a clear downward trend in the volume of waste landfilling, which is explained by the move of countries to alternative methods of waste processing. In 2020, in the EU 505 kg of municipal waste per capita were generated. For a better understanding and...

In view of the current endeavours to reduce fossil fuel dependence and facilitate the transition to more sustainable ways of fuel production, in recent times biogas has been afforded increased attention by scientists around the world. Biogas plants use bacteria to break down biomass in an oxygen-free environment to form biogas. This gas usually contains almost 60 percent of methane and more than 40 percent of CO2. Biogas can be used to...

Plant seed oil is used in a broad spectrum of applications, ranging from human nutrition to fuel production. Plants are capable of generating and storing triacylglycerol (TAG) in their seeds which delivers the energy and carbon needed for the development of seedlings but might also be harnessed feedstock for fuel production. One of the most frequently used plants for the study of oilseed biology and metabolism, especially in the field...

Plant seed oil is a highly useful and important bioresource. It has a wide variety of applications, ranging from being an essential part of human nutrition to being used as industrial feedstock. Many plant species produce and store triacylglycerol (TAG) in their seeds, which is mainly used as a carbon and energy source to support seedling development. However, increasing the sugar content in oilseed crops can, under certain...

Gaining a better understanding of how tough fibres and complex sugars can be converted into biofuels and industrial products could mean taking an important step towards developing smarter materials and petroleum-free fuels. Making use of the chemical properties stored in plants, however, is no easy feat because whenever we eat vegetables the microbes in our bodies carry out elaborate chemical reactions to convert plant matter into...

For quite some time global climate change, linked to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, has caused concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels as the major energy source. To mitigate climate change while ensuring sufficient energy supply, one solution is to rely on the ability of microorganisms to use renewable resources for biofuel synthesis using either plants or the waste that they produce. Now (2020), researchers at the Lawrence...

The present review includes statistical information on the major applicants, who registered patent applications in patent offices around the world in 2019 in the field bioenergy, including biogas, cellulosic ethanol, syngas, as well as other similar energy products. 1076 inventions from 30 patent offices, prepared by 523 applicants from 30 countries of the world were selected for the present review that were found in the result of a...