The implanted electronic devices require a stable, continuous, and long-lasting energy source to function correctly. These devices are powered by alkaline batteries and lithium ions. When used in implantable or wearable devices, these batteries can pose a threat to human health and the environment. Because of these factors, implantable and wearable devices using enzyme biofuel cells (EBFCs) are receiving a lot of attention. These EBFCs use human physiological fluid to provide longterm control for these devices. Carbon nanomaterials have successfully been demonstrated in enzymatic biofuel cells to improve applications by increasing current and power density; they have the potential to enhance EBFC efficiency. This review summarizes the fundamental process of EBFC compounds based on carbon nanomaterials before delving into the most recent advancements that have been tested and used as implantable and wearable self-power sources.

기존 주경로 연구는 과거 핵심기술의 진화를 구조화하는데 적합하나, 패러다임 전환기의 잠재적 후보기술 파악과 주류기술 교체를 예측하기는 어렵다. 본 연구는 링크 중요도, 성장 속도 지표, 핵심 루트 방법을 복합해 특허 인용 네트워크로부터 주경로상의 기술을 대체할 잠재적 후보기술들을 파악하는 방법을 제시한다. 링크 중요도에 기반해 주경로를 도 출하고, 성장 속도 지표를 활용해 주경로 대비 고성장하는 잠재적 후보기술 경로들을 도출한다. 성장 속도 지표는 상대적 성장성 평가에 활용되고, 이를 통해 주경로를 교체할 가능성이 높은 잠재적 후보기술을 파악할 수 있다. 차세대 기술 후보들이 다수 등장해 경쟁하고 있는 바이오 연료기술에 적용한 결과 실제 차년도에 주경로상의 기술을 교체하는 후보기술들을 파악할 수 있었다. 기술 패러다임 전환기 후보기술에 대한 정량적 분석을 가능하게 하고, 주 경로 기법의 활용범위를 미래기술 예측으로 확대한 측면에서 학문적 의의가 있다. 실무에서 는 차세대 후보기술 파악의 정확도 제고에 기여할 수 있다.

Societal concerns associated with aviation industry’s carbon-intensive nature and impending peak oil has become more pronounced over the last decade. With a potential to address both of these issues, the use of biofuels in aviation stands as the most promising pathway towards achieving sustainable air transport system. Significant progress continues to be made in overcoming technological and economic challenges of using 2nd generation biofuels in air transport industry. However, a truly sustainable and effective market deployment of aviation biofuels requires an extensive collaboration between feedstock providers, biofuel producers, governments, airlines, and the public. Thus, we deploy a multi-level perspective (MLP) framework to analyze these interactions on a micro- (niches), meso- (regime), and macro- (landscape) level. In particular, the framework captures the significance of international nature of air transport industry and the inter-industry dependencies of biofuel supply-chain. The results of this study highlight the barriers, drivers, and strategies for advancing social acceptance and establishment of sustainable aviation biofuel market.

There are calls for biofuel imports from developing countries to be restricted. The imports which are either in the form of end-product (bioethanol or biodiesel) or feedstock (oil palm, sugar cane molasses, etc) are allegedly produced in ways which can threaten the environment and violate human rights. This article finds that there is no specific regime for trade in biofuels within the WTO system. Hence any restriction on such trade is governed by the existing trade regimes including tariffs and nontariff measures. However, the existing WTO tariff and non-tariff (TBT, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy) regimes are still inadequate in ensuring that measures are taken against biofuel feedstock and products that were produced in unsustainable ways. The use of these measures without being subject to clear defining rules will create a danger that they serve a protectionist rather than social or environmental objectives.

Amur silver grass, Miscanthus sacchariflorus is one of the promising biofuel crops. A damage of noctuid pest, Leucapamea askoldis was firstly observed from Amur silver grass in Hwasun silver grass plantation during the survey of insect pests of Amur silver grass in Iksan, Hwasun, and Sancheong plantation areas in Korea. The host of L. askoldis was not known yet in Korea. Thus, M. sacchariflorus was the first known host in Korea. The L. askoldis damage was observed as larval feeding on newly grown shoots of M. sacchariflorus close to soil surface from early April to early May in 2013. Investigated larval density was 1.6 ± 1.1 per m2 on April 4 and damage rate of shoots was 0.8% ± 0.4 per hundred plants on May 4, 2013. The larvae bore into shoots of M. sacchariflorus and then feed inside of plant. The damaged shoots are easily pulled out and distinguished by the boring hole on the shoots.

Demand for alternatives to petroleum is increasing the production of biofuels from food crops such as corn, soybeans, sorghum and sugarcane, etc. At least for the next 5 years, ethanol demand will be increased greatly in the United States and in the world

Sugarcane is one of the most efficient photosynthesizer in the plant kingdom, able to convert as much as 2% of incident solar energy into biomass. A large amount of lignocellulosic biomass such as leaf litter residues and bagasse are generated during the sugarcane harvest or after the sugar refining process, respectively. Therefore, lignocellulosic biomass from leaf and processing residues will likely become a valuable feedstock for biofuel production. However, higher temperatures and/or acid concentrations result in dehydration of xylose to furfural, and glucose to hydroxymethyl furfural, which act as inhibitors of the fermentation process. New pretreatment protocols are being developed that require the application of xylanases and other enzymes for maximal yields of xylose. Our objectives target the improvement of fermentable sugar yields from hemicellulosic sugarcane residues and enhancing the biosafety of the transgenic plants. We evaluated two transgenic approaches: lignin modification by RNAi suppression of the lignin biosynthetic gene COMT and in planta production of a hyperthermostable xylanase. More than 200 transgenic sugarcane plants were generated and lines with suppression or expression of the target genes were selected. RNAi suppression of COMT resulted in reduced lignin content and altered lignin composition. In planta produced xylanase Xyl10B converted the majority of sugarcane xylan to fermentable xylobiose. Performance and conversion efficiency of transgenic plants grown in replicated field plots under USDA-Aphis notification 11-040-120 will also be presented.

Finding alternative and renewable energy sources has become an important goal for plant scientists, especially with the demand for energy increasing worldwide and the supply of fossil fuel being depleted. The most important biofuel to date is bioethanol which is produced from sugars (sucrose and starch) found in corn and sugarcane. Second generation bioethanol is targeting studies that would allow the use of the cell wall (lignocellulose) as a source of carbon by non-food plants. Plant scientists, including breeders, agronomists, physiologists and molecular biologists, are working towards the development of new and improved energy crops especially, how to design crops for bioenergy production and increased biomass generation for biofuel purposes. This review focuses on: i) the current status of first generation bioenergy production, ii) the limitations of first and second generation bioenergy, and iii) ongoing research to overcome challenging issues in second generation bioenergy.