The biofuel mix in transport in the UK must be increased from currently exploited 3.33% to the EU target mix of 10% by 2020. Under the face of this huge challenge, the most viable way forward is to process infrastructure-compatible intermediate, such as bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, into biofuels. New facilities may integrate multiple distributed pyrolysis units produc...

Introduction: For over a decade, the oldest evidence for life on this planet has been microfossils in the 3.5 Ga Apex Chert in Western Australia [1]. Recently, the biogenicity of these carbon-rich structures has been called into question through reanalysis of the local geology and reinterpretation of the original thin sections. Although initially described as a stratiform, bedded chert of silic...

Granted, biofuels and biobased bulk chemicals are low hanging fruits (technically speaking), but the economic and ecological impact of biotechnology is estimated to be more effective with higher-value and more complex molecules. The “buzzword” biotechnology has led to different priorities, often without considering long-term socio-economic costs. Even so, biotechnology holds some very promising...