AFYREN’s Post

On April 14, the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE-JU) Partnership has published a new call aimed at boosting innovation, market deployement and sustainability of circular bio-based solutions in Europe. The 18 topics in this call range from valorisation of sustainable oil crops, conversion of biomass to platform chemicals and development of new bio-based products including building materials. Read more about the call here: https://lnkd.in/gNUdvXz9 #BioBased #Bioeconomy #biological #RenewableResources #GreenInnovation

🌍📣 COUNTLESS partner introductions – Bloom Biorenewables 🌿 Bloom biorenewables is one of the two feedstock providers in the project: they provide the lignin which will be depolymerised by VITO and valorised in later processing steps. Bloom is a Swiss chemical company with the mission to create the most sustainable and high performing molecules for a green and viable chemical industry. Their scalable, highly efficient biomass conversion technology – Aldehyde-Assisted Fractionation (AAF) – separates plant-based materials, such as wood or agricultural wastes, into chemical building blocks while preserving their natural potential. In the consortium, Bloom aims to deliver un-condensed lignin which upon depolymerization can substitute high quality building blocks currently used by the chemical industry. Bloom focuses on upstream processes and counts on COUNTLESS’s partners to incorporate its ingredients in sustainable products formulations. 📅 Stay tuned as we introduce all our project partners over the coming weeks. 🌐 Read more about the project: https://lnkd.in/exPUxF7S 🌲 #bioeconomy #lignin 🍃 #COUNTLESS_Project #sustainability🌳 Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) VITO Bloom Biorenewables Braskem CLIB - Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie Daren Labs Fibenol ifeu - Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg gGmbH Kastamonu Entegre SOPREMA Entreprises Universiteit Utrecht VTT

Our newly published Research article, "Integrated choline chloride/citric acid-microwave pretreatment for efficient nanolignin extraction and bioethanol production from cocoa pod husk waste" published in 'Energy and Environment' Journal is now available online. The article delves into the role of green solvents in the preparation of nanolignin from agricultural waste with diverse applications. #research #lignin #science #biofuels #energy #SDGs

    Call for Elsevier Book Chapter Contribution-2024 We have successfully contracted with Elsevier Publishing to edit a book titled “Biogas in the Circular Economy: Technology, Production and Applications”. The aim of this book is to present and describe the biogas technology in the context of a circular economy that allows for zero waste by valorizing in a sustainable way the residue called digestate. If you are an expert in the domain of anaerobic digestion, biomass valorization and biogas process, we would like to invite you to be a senior contributor of the chapter titled: “Biomethane in the water-energy-food nexus context” It's crucial to remember that the chapter will have its own DOI address and be indexed. We also want to emphasize that there are no publication costs and that the publisher will pay for all related expenses. Due Date: Please confirm your participation and contribution no later than 31th January 2024. The Editors: Hassan El Bari & Abdellatif Barakat  

🌟 Exciting news! Our PhD researcher Somiame Okuofu has just published a new article on the sustainable production of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) from lignocellulosic biomass. Congratulations, Somiame! 🎉 Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a water-soluble, biodegradable, and edible compound that is non-toxic to humans. It has numerous versatile applications across the food, biomedical, environmental, and cosmetic industries. In this review article, Somiame discusses the applications and limiting factors of producing γ-PGA from lignocellulosic biomass, paving the way for a more sustainable production process. Check out the full article here: [https://lnkd.in/ezWQ8mtc] 🌱🔬 #SustainableScience #Research #Biotechnology #EnvironmentalScience

Navigating the complexities of binders within paint and coating formulations presents a huge challenge, particularly when aiming to switch from fossil-based binders to bio-based alternatives. Yet, the #PERFECOAT project partners successfully generated a selection of bio-based binder samples, e.g., modified alginates (SINTEF), xanthan (Technische Universität München), and xylan (Celignis Biomass Lab) derived from different biomass resources like agricultural residues, e.g., poplar wood, beech wood, wheat straw, and late cut grass.  Learn more about the utlisation of different biomass, modification processes and the biotechnoly used in the upcoming webinar episode Webinar “Greener ingredients for bio-based paints and coatings” 📅 8 April 2024, 13:00-14:00 CET  📍 online 😀 Registration https://lnkd.in/e4egCUSs This time with experts Amelie Skopp, PhD  Anders Odum Srdjan Gavrilovic Kindly funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and supported by the European Commission #BioBased #CircularEconomy #Paint #Coating #Adhesives #BioBasedIndustries #RenewableCarbon #Pigments #Dyes #Fungi #PERFECOAT #Chromologics

We are happy to share our latest research titled “Cascading Valorization of Defatted Rice Bran for Lactic Acid Fermentation and Biogas Production” in the Biofuel Research Journal (BRJ). Lactic acid is a key component in industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable plastics. However, its production can generate a significant amount of waste, posing threat to the environment if not managed properly. But what if this waste could be valorized? That’s where anaerobic digestion comes in. Our study found that by integrating anaerobic digestion with lactic acid production, waste streams can be converted into methane—a renewable energy source that can potentially power the very facility producing the lactic acid. Many congratulations to the team: Christiane Herrmann, Anna-Katrin Neu, Roland Schneider, and Mary Alexandri. 🎉👏 You can read the full study, published in the September 2024 issue of Biofuel Research Journal, for free at [www.biofueljournal.com] (https://lnkd.in/dPXG9Dgm). #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #Biogas #LacticAcid #CircularEconomy #Research #Innovation #EnvironmentalImpact #Biofuels

💚💚The role of biological membranes in transforming the bioeconomy💚💚 BBIA Online Webinar | Thursday 7th November 2024 | 12:00-13:00 https://lnkd.in/exSPZGM6 🌍🌍Join BBIA with our partner Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence, for this online webinar to hear about how #membrane #technology is integral to the development of a #sustainable #bioeconomy, enhancing #efficiency, reducing costs, and lowering #environmentalimpact across various industries.🌍🌍 Membrane technology offers efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solutions in various aspects of the bioeconomy, such as: 🌳🌳Biorefining and Biomass Conversion🌳🌳 Membranes are widely used in the #biorefinery industry to separate, purify, and concentrate valuable components from #biomass. They facilitate the efficient recovery of bio-based chemicals, biofuels, and bioproducts from various feedstocks, such as agricultural residues, forestry waste, and algae. 🚰🚰Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery🚰🚰 Membranes are instrumental in #wastewater treatment and water reuse, contributing to the bioeconomy's sustainability goals. In the bioeconomy, treating industrial wastewater (from #food, #agriculture, and bio-processing industries) using membranes recovers water, nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), and other resources, which can be reused in agricultural or industrial processes. 🦠🦠Fermentation and Downstream Processing🦠🦠 In biotechnological processes like #fermentation, membranes help remove or recover valuable #metabolites and products. Membrane-based systems can separate #microbial cells, #enzymes, and target bioproducts, making downstream processing more efficient and cost-effective. ⚗️⚗️Bioplastics and Biopolymer Production⚗️⚗️ In the production of #bioplastics and #biopolymers, membranes help in the #purification of monomers, which are derived from renewable sources like #sugar or #starch. They aid in removing impurities and optimizing the concentration of reactants, ensuring higher-quality bioplastic production with lower environmental impacts compared to traditional methods. 🧪🧪Green Chemistry and Separation of Bio-based Products🧪🧪 Membranes contribute to #greenchemistry by enabling more selective, energy-efficient separations without the need for harmful #solvents. This promotes the production of bio-based chemicals and materials in a way that is cleaner and more aligned with the circular economy principles, reducing #waste and minimising energy consumption. https://lnkd.in/exSPZGM6 Alan Goddard Alfred Fernández Castañé Paul Knobbs Aston University Kirk Malone Mark Corbett Reuben Carr Ingenza Ltd Biorenewables Development Centre BioYorkshire

SixRing Inc. today released the final report on the validation trials done on use of its cellulose product as a supplement in Agricultural Anaerobic Digesters. The Company partnered with the University of Alberta and Dr. Bipro Ranjan Dhar, the Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta’s Engineering Research Chair in Environmental Biotechnology.   The trial used a side-by-side comparison of standard feedstocks (Food waste, Manure & Crop Residues) with and without the addition of a small supplement of SixRing’s Never-Dry cellulose. The trial ran for almost 150 days with regular measurement of biogas production, methane content, and numerous indications of digester health.   The trial showed that SixRing’s cellulose is capable of generating an increase in biogas production of greater than 15%, with no change in methane concentration.   To quote the findings in the report – “…findings suggests that the addition of 1% w/w SixRing's cellulose to daily feedstock in AD processes enhances substrate utilization, leading to a noteworthy improvement in methane production and remarkable fostering for the methanogens’ relative abundance, without compromising other crucial parameters.”   A second trial is underway and preliminary data shows a pathway to significantly larger productivity gains, stay tuned for more data on this! SixRing is moving towards detailed design of its announced facility in southern Alberta and is engaging across the Biomethane/Renewable Natural Gas space to advance further trials and commercial offtake agreements.   Contact our commercial or technical teams for further information and to get a full copy of the report. #SixRing #Technology #Biomethane #Renewable #NaturalGas #Innovation

The CBE JU-funded OLEAF4VALUE project has successfully concluded after three years of work. What are the results? This project developed strategies to use #oliveleaves, solving the issue of their removal from fields. OLEAF4VALUE's efforts have demonstrated the #sustainability of adopting cleaner #biorefinery processes and exploiting olive leaves as #biomass for added value #biobased solutions. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dF_RswJD