Sustainable land use and bioenergy

Feb. 10, 2012, New Rochelle, NY – Applying 21st century tools and technologies to manage land use,
maximize biomass production, and increase the efficiency of processes
for extracting energy from renewable resources will enable the biofuels
industry to overcome current challenges in bioenergy production,
according to a comprehensive review article published in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ind.

Robert Diltz, Heather Luckarift, and Glenn Johnson, Air Force
Research Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, and Universal
Technology Corporation, Dayton, OH, provide a detailed review of the
current methods in use for producing bioenergy and the key hurdles yet
to overcome. The article, "Sustainable Land Use for Bioenergy in the 21st Century,"
focuses on three main areas: enhancing the growth of biomass from a
variety of resources; optimizing the thermo-chemical conversion of
biomass to energy; and implementing land management strategies to create
a sustainable biomass-to-energy industry that does not have an
undesirable impact on the environment. The authors emphasize the need
for innovative methods to increase the energy density of biomass,
enhance growth strategies, improve energy yield, and maximize the use of
waste generated as a result of biomass processing.

"It is so important that we begin to envision bioenergy development
from a broader systems perspective with an eye on sustainability. This
review explicitly captures this need." says Larry Walker, PhD,
Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor, Biological & Environmental
Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

About Industrial Biotechnology

Industrial Biotechnology, led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Larry
Walker, PhD, and Glenn Nedwin, PhD, MBA, President, Human Therapeutics
Division, Intrexon Corporation, Germantown, MD is an authoritative
journal focused on biobased industrial and environmental products and
processes, published bimonthly in print and online. The Journal reports
on the science, business, and policy developments of the emerging global
bioeconomy, including biobased production of energy and fuels,
chemicals, materials, and consumer goods. The articles published include
critically reviewed original research in all related sciences (biology,
biochemistry, chemical and process engineering, agriculture), in
addition to expert commentary on current policy, funding, markets,
business, legal issues, and science trends. Industrial Biotechnology
offers a premier forum bridging basic research and R&D with
later-stage commercialization for sustainable biobased industrial and
environmental applications.