BioMASS update Researchers are evaluating the biomass potential of woody crops and are taking a closer look at what black locust might have to offer the biomass industry. The team, from the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at the University of Illinois, found that black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ) showed a higher yield and a faster harvest time than other woody plant species that they evaluated. Currently Black locust possiBle source of Biomass the black locust can only be used for direct combustion but if it becomes a major crop, researchers say that work could begin on the process of how to break it down. The EBI is working on how to get the sug-ars out of plants and how to turn those to alcohols. The research team will present its findings at the EBI Feedstock Symposium program in August. Biotecanada and Biotalent canada partnership BIOTECanada and BioTalent Canada have signed an agreement so they can help Canada’s bioeconomy continue to grow and provide a solid foundation for the in-dustry and the people who work within it. This new alliance gives all BIOTECan-ada’s member’s new services and access to BioTalent Canada’s human resource prod-ucts, including the country’s only national, bilingual biotechnology job board, “The PetriDish tm ”. The two companies hope to keep the Canadian biotech sector com-petitive in the industry. Canada’s long history of biotech re-search and innovation has positioned it as a leader,” said Andrew Casey, president and CEO BIOTECanada. “Yet, Canada and its biotech sector must continue to be as competitive as possible to successfully compete for this global opportunity. protein from streams of forest industry Researchers from Processum Biorefinery Initiative have tested a large-scale production trial of “single cell protein,” which can be used in fish feed, with Domsjo Mills and Sekab at the SP Biorefinery Demo Plant in Sweden. The test – part of a European research project – confirmed that the plant is suitable for developing different biorefinery products by con-verting single cell protein from residual streams found in the forest industry. It can be used instead of fishmeal in fish feed, which researchers say is beneficial to the environment because methods of producing fishmeal today are an environmental threat. During the trial, researchers looked closely at how well the plant was suited for aerobe fermentation pro-cesses using filamentous fungi, which grew on a stream from the Domsjo Mills. They har-vested the fungi, dried them and ground them to a powder, making it possible to use as an ingredient in fish feed. A project partner in Iceland is currently completing a trial feeding Tilapia fish with feed containing the new protein. 6 Canadian BIOMASS JULY/AUGUST 2013
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