There’s a big difference between a solution and an engineered solution. Take the problem of biomass conversion to fuel. If you want to take an approach that makes sense — use cellulosic plant matter (the part you don’t eat) as your source — then you can say that maybe you should chop it up, or Read More

We all know that the ultrasonic cleaner is the most prevalent application of ultrasonic waves, but there are quite a few other interesting applications as well.  One is showcased in a recent paper from researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.  They used changes in the transmission of ultrasonic waves to monitor the Read More

We’ve said this before (and the sentiment has been around far longer than we have!): just about anything is easy in concept, it’s the implementation that’s the tough part.  Take making a pill.  The idea is simple: create the proper mix of small molecules and partner compounds, dampen the powder, and form the mixture into Read More

Selective breeding has been done with thousands of different plants and animals, from wheat to watermelon, from cows to cats.  It’s also been done with trees, primarily to optimize their performance as raw materials for paper pulp production.  Now, though, those efforts are being applied toward a different goal: improving the suitability of wood stocks Read More

I was reading a paper on using microemulsions to impregnate wood with fluid and I had the (not all that uncommon) feeling that I understood the words and even the actions that were being described, but still had no idea what was really going on. The work reported on the use of a thermodynamically and Read More