Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Biomass Conversion to Produce Hydrocarbon Liquid Fuel Via Hot-vapor Filtered Fast Pyrolysis and Catalytic Hydrotreating
Published on: December 25, 2016
Life-cycle analysis and the ecology of biofuels
Sarah C Davis1, Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira, Evan H Delucia
1Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Abstract:
Biofuels have been proposed as an ecologically benign alternative to fossil fuels. There is, however, considerable uncertainty in the scientific literature about their ecological benefit. Here, we review studies that apply life-cycle analysis (LCA), a computational tool for assessing the efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of energy systems, to biofuel feedstocks. Published values for energy efficiency and GHG differ significantly even for an individual species, and we identify three major sources of variation in these LCA results. By providing new information on biogeochemistry and plant physiology, ecologists and plant scientists can increase the accuracy of LCA for biofuel production systems.
Related Concept Videos
Biofuels
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...
Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies
Lipid Catabolism
Green Algae

