Chicago, IL (Scicasts) – University of Chicago researchers have created a synthetic compound that mimics the complex quantum dynamics observed in photosynthesis and may enable fundamentally new routes to creating solar-energy technologies.

Berkeley, CA (Scicasts) – History is rife with new inventions that initially seemed beneficial but later turned out to have unforeseen environmental consequences. Chlorofluorocarbons, for example, were viewed as miracle chemicals and used in huge amounts starting in the 1960s in a myriad of ways, from refrigeration to firefighting. Then they were found to be depleting the earth’s ozone layer.

Raleigh, NC (Scicasts) – New research from North Carolina State University provides molecular-level insights into how cellulose – the most common organic compound on Earth and the main structural component of plant cell walls – breaks down in wood to create "bio-oils" which can be refined into any number of useful products, including liquid transportation fuels to power a car or an airplane.

Phoenix, AZ (Scicasts) – Some of the planet's tiniest inhabitants may help address two of society's biggest environmental challenges: how to deal with the vast quantities of organic waste produced and where to find clean, renewable energy.

Madrid, Spain (Scicasts) – Cyanobacteria are among the most primitive living beings, aged over 3,500 million years old. These aquatic microorganisms helped to oxygenate the earth´atmosphere. At present their populations are increasing in size without stopping.

San Diego, USA, and Aarhus, Denmark (Scicasts) - CLC bio, a bioinformatics sequence analysis software provider, has announced that Sapphire Energy has installed a custom-made bioinformatics solution from CLC bio in their research centre in San Diego.

Berkeley, CA (Scicasts) - A milestone has been reached on the road to developing advanced biofuels that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuels with a domestically-produced clean, green, renewable alternative.

London, UK and Nairobi, Kenya (Scicasts) - A package of 16 measures compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggests that, if fully implemented across the globe, it may potentially save close to 2.5 million lives a year, avoid crop losses amounting to 32 million tonnes annually and deliver near-term climate protection of about half a degree C by 2040.

Berkeley, CA (Scicasts) - Many experts believe that advanced biofuels made from cellulosic biomass are the most promising alternative to petroleum-based liquid fuels for a renewable, clean, green, domestic source of transportation energy.

Lexington, KY (Scicasts) - A team of researchers led by University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Professor Joe Chappell is making a connection from prehistoric times to the present that could result in the ability to genetically create a replacement for oil and coal shale deposits. This could have fundamental implications for the future of the earth's energy supply.

Richland, WA (Scicasts) – A new computer model of blue-green algae can predict which of the organism's genes are central to capturing energy from sunlight and other critical processes.

Los Angeles, CA (Scicasts) – According to a report from UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, researchers at the Institute have developed a way to produce normal butanol — often proposed as a "greener" fuel alternative to diesel and gasoline — from bacteria at rates significantly higher than those achieved using current production methods.

Berkely, CA (Scicasts) - Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have been awarded large  time allocations on, what is said to be, America's most powerful supercomputer to advance innovative research in improving the combustion of hydrogen fuels and increasing the efficiency of nanoscale solar cells.

Walnut Creek, CA (Scicasts) - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing a diversified approach towards carbon-neutral source of transportation fuels, which involves exploring a range of potential new fuel sources in nature. One of such sources is Volvox carteri, a multicellular alga that captures light energy through photosynthesis and has attracted a major interest from researchers who explored 138 million nucleotide genome of the alga.

Cold Spring Harbor, NY (Scicasts) - As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two studies published online in Genome ResearchAC, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale.

ROSWELL, GA (Scicasts) – A new global communications campaign is being launched today by Kimberly-Clark Professional, the company behind such global brands as Kleenex, Scott, Kimcare, WypAll, KleenGuard, and Kimtech, called "Reduce Today, Respect Tomorrow."

Walnut Creek, CA (OBBeC) - Diatoms, mighty microscopic algae, have profound influence on climate, producing 20 percent of the oxygen we breathe by capturing atmospheric carbon and in so doing, countering the effect. Since their evolutionary origins these photosynthetic wonders have come to acquire advantageous genes from bacterial, animal and plant ancestors enabling them to thrive in today's oceans.