Biochemical production of ethanol and fatty acid ethyl esters from switchgrass: analysis of environmental and economic performance

In a recent study, ESD’s Harry Beller and others analyzed processes that could produce either ethanol or a representative fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) via the fermentation of sugars liberated from lignocellulosic materials pretreated in acid or alkaline environments are analyzed in terms of economic and environmental metrics.

Metabolic phenotyping of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803 engineered for production of alkanes and free fatty acids

Cyanobacteria, like algae and plants, can use solar power to capture CO2 via the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle and convert it to a suite of organic compounds.

Future Biofuels initiative from the California Energy Commission

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has an annual program budget of approximately $100 million to support projects.

ESD “Detectives” Probe Mysterious Microbes

ESD’s scientists Hoi-Ying Holman, Gary Andersen, and Susan Hubbard are all prominently featured in a recent LBNL news release on unusual bacteria and their impact on the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill (and bioremediation in general).

Call for Proposals for FY2014 LDRDs

Director Alivisatos recently issued the call for proposals for the FY2014 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program. All scientific staff from our Division are encouraged to think of potential innovative proposal topics.

Earth Scientists Talk Microbes and EBI

ESD’s Susan Hubbard, John Coates, and Gary Andersen talk about the role of microbes in our energy future and the role of the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) in a pair of short videos posted by the Medill News Service.

ESD at AGU: A Zone of Constant Activity

The AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco last month (December 2012) was a great success, especially for LBNL’s Earth Sciences Division and our homebase at the site, the ESD booth—a zone of constant activity.

Tackling the minority: Sulfate‑reducing bacteria in an archaea‑dominated subsurface biofilm

In this study, ESD microbiologists Hoi-Ying Holman, Gary Andersen, and Yvette Piceno were part of a team of scientists focusing on the minor bacterial fraction within an archaea-dominated subsurface biofilm, in order to obtain insights into the ecological function of the biofilm.

Bacterial communities in commercial aircraft high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters assessed by PhyloChip analysis

ESD’s Yvette Piceno and Gary Andersen and others recently characterized bacterial diversity in aircraft air, analyzing samples from 61 aircraft high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters with a custom microarray of 16S rRNA gene sequences (PhyloChip).

ESD Scientists Win FY2013 LBNL LDRD Awards

Scientists within the Earth Sciences Division won a number of LBNL FY2013 Laboratory Directed Research and Development awards, as announced recently within TABL by Lab Director Paul Alivisatos and shown below. Bravo, all!