Sterilized tobacco leaves as biomass source for a biorefinery: CAS QIBEBT

https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(24)00125-5

https://www.cas.cn/syky/202408/t20240823_5029609.shtml

A research team led by Zhang Haibo and Fu Chunxiang, researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Wang Qian, a researcher at the Tobacco Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Sang Yup Lee, a professor at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, found that tobacco can be used as an energy crop to achieve efficient and low-carbon utilization of biomass energy and help the sustainable development of biorefining. Compared with traditional biomass raw materials, tobacco leaves have the characteristics of high water solubility, high nitrogen content and low lignocellulose content. After the tobacco leaves are sterilized with water, a liquid with comprehensive and rich nutrition and strong biocompatibility can be obtained. This liquid can be used as a culture medium directly for the cultivation of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and can also be directly used for the biosynthesis of bio-based fuels and bio-based chemicals.

In addition, tobacco is a field crop with strong stress resistance, salt and alkali tolerance, large biomass, and easy genetic modification, and can adapt well to the environment of marginal land. Planting tobacco on marginal land is expected to produce at least 1.17×1010 Mg of tobacco leaves per year, and theoretically 2.21×1012 L of ethanol. The results of life cycle assessment show that compared with corn straw ethanol, tobacco ethanol has reduced carbon emissions by about 27% and energy consumption by about 26%. Among them, carbon emissions in the bioconversion stage have been reduced by about 76% and energy consumption has been reduced by about 81%. This study directly sterilized tobacco leaves as a culture medium, omitted two steps, improved the biorefining route, reduced carbon footprint, and laid the foundation for achieving carbon negative emissions from bioenergy utilization.

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Sustainable energy harvesting from acidic wastewater through a COF-stabilized aramid nanofiber composite membrane

http://english.qibebt.cas.cn/ne/rp/202504/t20250407_909473.html

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.4c18730

A research team from the CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) has introduced a novel membrane design that mimics biological protein channels to enhance proton transport for efficient energy harvesting. Inspired by the ClC-ec1 antiporter found in Escherichia coli, which facilitates the movement of chloride (Cl⁻) and protons, the researchers developed a hybrid membrane composed of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) integrated with aramid nanofibers (ANFs). This ANF/COF composite forms a robust hydrogen-bonding network and features amide groups that selectively bind to Cl⁻ ions, significantly lowering the energy barrier for proton conduction.

In acidic environments, adding just 0.1% Cl⁻ ions (relative to protons) increased the membrane’s proton permeation rate threefold, reaching 9.8 mol m⁻² h⁻¹ for the efficient migration of H⁺ ions. Under simulated acidic wastewater conditions, the ANF/COF membrane achieved an output power density of 434.8 W m⁻²—one of the highest reported to date for osmotic energy generation. It also showed structural stability over 9,000 minutes (~150 hours) of operation in highly acidic media.

A biomimetic membrane allows lithium ion separation by electrodialysis

http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202504/t20250427_1042154.shtml

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59188-1

A research team led by Prof. GAO Jun from the CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) , in collaboration with researchers from Qingdao University, has developed an innovative membrane that mimics biological ion channels to achieve highly selective lithium ion separation from complex brines. Lithium, which is essential for batteries and clean energy technologies, is often found in low concentrations alongside high levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions.

Inspired by biological ion channels, the team designed a sulfonic acid-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF)—r-TpPa-SO₃H. The membrane’s randomly oriented nanocrystalline structure creates ultra-narrow, winding channels that can differentiate ions based on size and hydration energy. This unique structure enables an unconventional reverse-sieving mechanism that allows the selective passage of Na⁺, K⁺, and even divalent ions like Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ under an electric field while effectively blocking hydrated Li⁺ ions.

In laboratory tests, the membrane demonstrated remarkable Na⁺/Li⁺ and K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity, comparable to that of biological ion channels. Its performance remained stable in complex solutions, including real salt-lake brines. Under electrodialysis conditions, the membrane consistently removed major interfering ions, resulting in a lithium-enriched solution ready for downstream processing.

Launch of a mobile deep-sea aquaculture vessel in Qingdao

http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0418/c90000-20304151.html

A 150,000-tonne deep-sea intelligent aquaculture vessel was delivered for use in Qingdao. The ship is 244.9 meters long and houses 15 breeding cabins with a total water holding capacity of nearly 100,000 cubic meters.

The ship-borne smart aquaculture system is expected to have an annual output of 3,600 tonnes of high-quality fish. The breeding cabins can be used to cultivate fish species such as large yellow croaker and salmon.

The new aquaculture vessel is an updated version of its 100,000-tonne predecessor delivered in 2022. Its predecessor has now already traveled over 17,000 nautical miles. The vessel pushed the aquaculture area from nearshore to deep sea, using high-quality seawater resources for breeding.

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