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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,549 records · Page 86
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Comparison of Three Cre-LoxP Based Paired-End Library Construction Methods

Paired-end library sequencing has been proven useful in scaffold construction during de novo whole genome shotgun assembly. The ability of generating mate pairs with > 8 Kb insert sizes is especially important for genomes containing long repeats. To make mate paired libraries for next generation sequencing, DNA fragments need to be circularized to bring the ends together. There are several methods that can be used for DNA circulation, namely ligation, hybridization and Cre-LoxP recombination. With higher circularization efficiency with large insert DNA fragments, Cre-LoxP recombination method generally has been used for constructing >8 kb insert size paired-end libraries. Second fragmentation step is also crucial for maintaining high library complexity and uniform genome coverage. Here we will describe the following three fragmentation methods: restriction enzyme digestion, random shearing and nick translation. We will present the comparison results for these three methods. Our data showed that all three methods are able to generate paired-end libraries with greater than 20 kb insert. Advantages and disadvantages of these three methods will be discussed as well.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2014

New challenges for proteomics technologies: a mini perspective review

Proteomics technologies have experienced rapid advances over the last decade to identify or quantify thousands of proteins per sample, typically in a few hours, enabling proteomics applications in environmental, biological, medical, and clinical research. A number of publications have reviewed advances in proteomic technologies and applications. This short review focuses first on a discussion of sensitivity in bottom-up (i.e. digested protein) proteomics and approaches for characterization of small cell populations, and secondly on protein separations for top-down (i.e. intact protein) proteomics including discussions of key technical challenges where recent advances are elucidating specific functions of proteins in biological processes.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2015

Transcription factors for modification of lignin content in plants

The invention provides methods for modifying lignin, cellulose, xylan, and hemicellulose content in plants, and for achieving ectopic lignification and, for instance, secondary cell wall synthesis in pith cells, by altered regulation of a WRKY transcription factor. Nucleic acid constructs for altered WRKY-TF expression are described. Transgenic plants are provided that comprise modified pith cell walls, and lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bugs, Microbes, Biofuels, and Coffee

​​Berkeley Lab scientist Javier A. Ceja-Navarro discusses how his team is learning to utilize microbes that live inside the digestive tracts of insects for pest control, improved agriculture, and energy production.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Visualizing Safeguards: Software for Conceptualizing and Communicating Safeguards Data

The nuclear programs of states are complex and varied, comprising a wide range of fuel cycles and facilities. Also varied are the types and terms of states’ safeguards agreements with the IAEA, each placing different limits on the inspectorate’s access to these facilities. Such nuances make it difficult to draw policy significance from the ground-level nuclear activities of states, or to attribute ground-level outcomes to the implementation of specific policies or initiatives. While acquiring a firm understanding of these relationships is critical to evaluating and formulating effective policy, doing so requires collecting and synthesizing large bodies of information. Maintaining a comprehensive working knowledge of the facilities comprising even a single state’s nuclear program poses a challenge, yet marrying this information with relevant safeguards and verification information is more challenging still. To facilitate this task, Brookhaven National Laboratory has developed a means of capturing the development, operation, and safeguards history of all the facilities comprising a state’s nuclear program in a single graphic. The resulting visualization offers a useful reference tool to policymakers and analysts alike, providing a chronology of states’ nuclear development and an easily digestible history of verification activities across their fuel cycles.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2014

Revealing the Differences Between Free and Complexed Enzyme Mechanisms and Factors Contributing to Cell Wall Recalcitrance

Enzymatic depolymerization of polysaccharides is a key step in the production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass, and discovery of synergistic biomass-degrading enzyme paradigms will enable improved conversion processes. Historically, revealing insights into enzymatic saccharification mechanisms on plant cell walls has been hindered by uncharacterized substrates and low resolution imaging techniques. Also, translating findings between model substrates to intact biomass is critical for evaluating enzyme performance. Here we employ a fungal free enzyme cocktail, a complexed cellulosomal system, and a combination of the two to investigate saccharification mechanisms on cellulose I, II and III along with corn stover from Clean Fractionation (CF), which is an Organosolv pretreatment. The insoluble Cellulose Enriched Fraction (CEF) from CF contains mainly cellulose with minor amounts of residual hemicellulose and lignin, the amount of which depends on the CF pretreatment severity. Enzymatic digestions at both low and high-solids loadings demonstrate that CF reduces the amount of enzyme required to depolymerize polysaccharides relative to deacetylated, dilute acid pretreated corn stover. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy of the biomass provides evidence for the different mechanisms of enzymatic deconstruction between free and complexed enzyme systems, and reveals the basis for the synergistic relationship between the two enzyme paradigms on a process-relevant substrate for the first time. These results also demonstrate that the presence of lignin, rather than cellulose morphology, is more detrimental to cellulosome action than to free cellulases. As enzyme costs are a major economic driver for biorefineries, this study provides key inputs for the evaluation of CF as a pretreatment method for biomass conversion.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Biomass [updated]

Biomass resources and conversion technologies are diverse. Substantial biomass resources exist including woody crops, herbaceous perennials and annuals, forest resources, agricultural residues, and algae. Conversion processes available include fermentation, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, combustion, and transesterification. Bioderived products include liquid fuels (e.g. ethanol, biodiesel, and gasoline and diesel substitutes), gases, electricity, biochemical, and wood pellets. At present the major sources of biomass-derived liquid fuels are from first generation biofuels; ethanol from maize and sugar cane (89 billion L in 2013) and biodiesel from vegetable oils and fats (24 billion liters in 2011). For other than traditional uses, policy in the forms of mandates, targets, subsidies, and greenhouse gas emission targets has largely been driving biomass utilization. Second generation biofuels have been slow to take off.

Biomass↗
DOE OSTI2016

Oak Ridge Graph Analytics for Medical Innovation (ORiGAMI)

In this era of data-driven decisions and discovery where Big Data is producing Bigger Data, data scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are leveraging unique leadership infrastructure (e.g., Urika XA and Urika GD appliances) to develop scalable algorithms for semantic, logical and statistical reasoning with Big Data (i.e., data stored in databases as well as unstructured data in documents). ORiGAMI is a next-generation knowledge-discovery framework that is: (a) knowledge nurturing (i.e., evolves seamlessly with newer knowledge and data), (b) smart and curious (i.e. using information-foraging and reasoning algorithms to digest content) and (c) synergistic (i.e., interfaces computers with what they do best to help subject-matter-experts do their best. ORiGAMI has been demonstrated using the National Library of Medicine's SEMANTIC MEDLINE (archive of medical knowledge since 1994).

Roberts, Larry W.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Extending juvenility in grasses

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for modulating the juvenile to adult developmental growth transition in plants, such as grasses (e.g. maize). In particular, the invention provides methods for enhancing agronomic properties in plants by modulating expression of GRMZM2G362718, GRMZM2G096016, or homologs thereof. Modulation of expression of one or more additional genes which affect juvenile to adult developmental growth transition such as Glossy15 or Cg1, in conjunction with such modulation of expression is also contemplated. Nucleic acid constructs for down-regulation of GRMZM2G362718 and/or GRMZM2G096016 are also contemplated, as are transgenic plants and products produced there from, that demonstrate altered, such as extended juvenile growth, and display associated phenotypes such as enhanced yield, improved digestibility, and increased disease resistance. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved forage or feed crops or in biofuel production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Life-Cycle Analysis of Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Water Consumption in the 2016 MYPP Algal Biofuel Scenarios

The Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Multi-year Program Plan (MYPP) describes the bioenergy objectives pursued by BETO, the strategies for achieving those objectives, the current state of technology (SOT), and a number of design cases that explore cost and operational performance required to advance the SOT towards middle and long term goals (MYPP, 2016). Two options for converting algae to biofuel intermediates were considered in the MYPP, namely algal biofuel production via lipid extraction and algal biofuel production by thermal processing. The first option, lipid extraction, is represented by the Combined Algae Processing (CAP) pathway in which algae are hydrolyzed in a weak acid pretreatment step. The treated slurry is fermented for ethanol production from sugars. The fermentation stillage contains most of the lipids from the original biomass, which are recovered through wet solvent extraction. The process residuals after lipid extraction, which contain much of the original mass of amino acids and proteins, are directed to anaerobic digestion (AD) for biogas production and recycle of N and P nutrients. The second option, thermal processing, comprises direct hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of the wet biomass, separation of aqueous, gas, and oil phases, and treatment of the aqueous phase with catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) to produce biogas and to recover N and P nutrients.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microbiomes Have the Power to Help or Hinder Your Health

They are everywhere: countless microorganisms that inhabit our world—even in your skin, mouth, gut and other parts of your body. Called microbiomes, these communities play a fundamental role in our ecosystem and our bodies, influencing everything from climate to human health. And scientists at PNNL are studying microbiomes to better understand how they influence our daily lives. Scientist Janet Jansson studies complex microbiomes in soil and the human intestine to understand changes in the composition or function of microbes. In the soil, these microbes are associated with carbon cycling and degrading pollutants, as well as plant health. In the intestine, they are responsible for digestion of our food and protection from pathogens. When they go awry, they can be associated with numerous inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s. Understanding the factors underlying these microbiome changes will ultimately help researchers develop solutions to problems encountered within our world and our bodies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Engineering microorganisms to increase ethanol production by metabolic redirection

The present invention provides for the manipulation of carbon flux in a recombinant host cell to increase the formation of desirable products. The invention relates to cellulose-digesting organisms that have been genetically modified to allow the production of ethanol at a high yield by redirecting carbon flux at key steps of central metabolism.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Methods and compositions for altering lignin composition in plants

The invention provides methods for decreasing lignin content in plants by reducing expression of a folylpolyglutamate synthetase 1 (FPGS1) coding sequence in the plant. Also provided are methods for reducing lignin content in a plant by down-regulation of FPGS1 expression in the plant. Nucleic acid molecules for modulation of FPGS1 expression and transgenic plants the same are also provided. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing biofuels by utilizing such plants are also provided.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Bench-Scale Evaluation of Hydrothermal Processing Technology for Conversion of Wastewater Solids to Fuels

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) and Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification (CHG) proof-of-concept bench-scale tests were performed to assess the potential of hydrothermal treatment for handling municipal wastewater sludge. HTL tests were conducted at 300-350°C and 20 MPa on three different feeds: primary sludge, secondary sludge, and digested solids. Corresponding CHG tests were conducted at 350°C and 20 MPa on the HTL aqueous phase output using a ruthenium based catalyst. Biocrude yields ranged from 25-37%. Biocrude composition and quality were comparable to biocrudes generated from algae feeds. Subsequent hydrotreating of biocrude resulted in a product with comparable physical and chemical properties to crude oil. CHG product gas methane yields on a carbon basis ranged from 47-64%. Siloxane concentrations in the CHG product gas were below engine limits. The HTL-CHG process resulted in a chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of > 99.9% and a reduction in residual solids for disposal of 94-99%.

biocrude↗
DOE OSTI2018

Wastewater treatment plant online monitoring and control

A method of operating a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) having at least one of an aerobic digester (AD) and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) is described. The method of operating AD is comprised of monitoring and controlling AD in real-time using an online extended Kalman filter (EKF) having a online dynamic model of AD. The EKF uses real-time AD measured data, and online dynamic model of AD to update adapted model parameters and estimate model based inferred variables for AD, which are used for AD control by AD control system having supervisory and low-level control layers. The method of operating MBR is similar to that of AD. The supervisory control ensures the WWTP satisfying the effluent quality requirement while minimize the operation cost. A WWTP having at least one of AD or MBR is disclosed. The method of operating a WWTP can be implemented using a computer.

Kumar, Aditya↗
DOE OSTI2018

HEP Software Foundation Community White Paper Working Group -- Data Organization, Management and Access (DOMA)

Without significant changes to data organization, management, and access (DOMA), HEP experiments will find scientific output limited by how fast data can be accessed and digested by computational resources. In this white paper we discuss challenges in DOMA that HEP experiments, such as the HL-LHC, will face as well as potential ways to address them. A research and development timeline to assess these changes is also proposed.

Berzano, Dario↗
DOE OSTI2018

Chapter 13: Acid Preprocessing Treatments Benefit for Bioconversion of Biomass for Liquid Fuels and Bioproduct Production

Acid feedstock preprocessing includes a variety of unit operations that occur upstream of conversion that results in value-added feedstock intermediates with enhanced conversion performance and efficiency. Acid preprocessing improves feedstock quality and enzymatic digestibility by reducing non- structural components, such as ash, increasing catalyst penetration prior to pretreatment, and debranching xylan chains prior to downstream bioconversion. Sulfur dioxide has been used for pretreating woody feedstocks because it rapidly impregnates biomass tissue, providing uniform distribution of the catalyst. The processes include in situ biologically produced organic acids for feedstock ensiling, pre-impregnated biomass with an acid catalyst, and prehydrolysis of woody biomass for future forest biorefineries to provide both valuable co-products and reduced energy and processing inputs to the pulping process. The use of dicarboxylic acids to mimic the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass has been used to reduce pretreatment requirements potentially reducing the need for acid-resistant materials for pretreatment.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhanced Bioconversion in Herbaceous Feedstocks from Impregnation of Co-Catalytic Lewis Acid and Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining

Improvements in conversion processes are needed to further reduce process complexity, biorefinery capital and operating (CAPEX/OPEX) costs, lower enzyme usage. Previous work has demonstrated that deacetylation and mechanical refining (DMR) process effectively deconstructs herbaceous biomass while producing highly digestible lignocellulosic slurries, with high titers of monomeric sugars, at reduced enzyme loadings (Poster 553 Chen at al,). We evaluated a co-catalytic approach using three Lewis acids: Fe+2, Fe+3, and Al+3, in sulfate form, at 1 mM, 5 mM and 10 mM concentrations. Lewis acids were impregnated into corn stover, followed by deacetylation with NaOH, and mechanically refined, prior to enzymatic hydrolysis (EH). Lower concentrations of Lewis acid positively impacted EH yield, increasing concentration lowered EH yield. Likewise Lewis acid treatment was more effective when combined with deacetylation than with deacetylation or Lewis acid treatment, alone. Comparing the effectiveness of the three Lewis acids identified ferrous iron more effective than ferric or aluminum (Fe+2 > Fe+3> Al+3) sulfate. Enzymatic hydrolysis sugar (glucose and xylose) concentration was higher 8% and 13%, respectively, in Fe2+ impregnated corn stover compared to the control. Refining energy required for PFI milling was reduced by ~25% with Fe+2 impregnation. However, treatment with Fenton treatment of the Fe2+ impregnated, deacetylated and PFI milled corn stover resulted in lower yields. for monomeric glucose and xylose due to non-specific degradation of carbohydrates and lignin.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗