title: Toward nitrogen neutral biofuel production.
abstract: Environmental concerns and an increasing global energy demand have spurred scientific research and political action to deliver large-scale production of liquid biofuels. Current biofuel processes and developing approaches have focused on closing the carbon cycle by biological fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide and conversion of biomass to fuels. To date, these processes have relied on fertilizer produced by the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, and have not addressed the global nitrogen cycle and its environmental implications. Recent developments to convert protein to fuel and ammonia may begin to address these problems. In this scheme, recycling ammonia to either plant or algal feedstocks reduces the demand for synthetic fertilizer supplementation. Further development of this technology will realize its advantages of high carbon fixation rates, inexpensive and simple feedstock processing, in addition to reduced fertilizer requirements.
authors: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, 5531 Boelter Hall, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Yi-Xin
authors: YX
authors: Huo
authors: David G
authors: DG
authors: Wernick
authors: James C
authors: JC
authors: Liao
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000191:economics; D018533:Biomass; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000191:economics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D059027:Recycling
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005308:Fertilizers; D009584:Nitrogen