Too early in the day?

A biofuels researcher at Harvard has developed a synthetic ribosome — one of the fundamental building blocks for creating artificial life — which, initially, could have major implications for the creation of designer enzymes to make cheaper and more energy efficient cellulosic ethanol. Dr. George Church, co-founder of the next generation biofuels company LS9, spoke with reporters.

Meanwhile, the key messages arising from the EIA study on second generation biofuels are:

that technical barriers remain for 2nd-generation biofuel production;

production costs are uncertain and vary with the feedstock available;

there is no clear candidate for "best technology pathway" between the competing biochemical and thermo-chemical routes;

the development and monitoring of several large-scale demonstration projects is essential to provide accurate comparative data;

even at high oil prices, 2nd-generation biofuels will probably not become fully commercial nor enter the market for several years to come without significant additional government support;

considerably more investment in RD&D is needed to ensure that future production of the various biomass feedstocks can be undertaken sustainably and that the preferred conversion technologies are identified and proven; and that, once proven, there will be a steady transition from 1st- to 2nd-generation biofuels (with the exception of sugarcane ethanol that will continue to be produced sustainably in several countries).