Special Issue “Biofuels

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Guest Editor, Dr. Clifford Louime, we would like to invite you to contribute a paper for publication in the Special Issue “Biofuels R&D: Securing the Planet Future Energy Needs” of the Energies (
http://www.mdpi.org/energies/, ISSN 1996-1073). Papers (both comprehensive review articles and full research papers) are invited. You may also publish in the Special Issue "Biofuels" of the journal Energies ((http://www.mdpi.org/energies/, ISSN 1996-1073).

The value of biomass as a sustainable source of energy and carbon has been heralded for years. Despite the information available on enzyme systems and plant cell walls structure, application of this knowledge to biomass conversion into biofuels and useful chemicals has met with limited success. The goal of this special issue is to examine the stand of the latest available technologies to ensure a sustainable commercial use of biomass wastes.

Topics of special interest include, but are not strictly limited to, the following:

1- Biomass Characterization & Analysis:

1a. Characterization of biomass feedstock and products;
1b. Process design;
1c. Development of new methods and tools;

2- Biochemical Conversion Technologies:

2a. Development of pretreatment technologies;
2b. Cellulase Enzyme Development: e.g. basic science underlying enzymatic hydrolysis;
2c. Strain Development: metabolic engineering techniques;

3- Thermochemical Conversion Technologies:

3a. Gasification R&D;
3b. Pyrolysis processes;

4- Biobased Product & Development:

4a. Discovery, improvement, and development of conversion  technologies;
4b. Novel separation technologies;
4c. Quantifying the quality and performance of biobased products;

Papers of the following categories related to biofuel studies are considered:
Energy and fuels, Chemical Engineering, Environmental sciences, Biotechnology and Applied Microbilogy, Agricultural Engineering and Thermodynamics

The deadline for submissions is  NEW: 31 October 2008. Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the “Instructions for Authors” page.

This thematic special issue will be fully
Open Access with publishing fees paid by authors. Open Access (unlimited access by readers) increases publicity and promotes more frequent citations as indicated by several studies. More information is available at http://www.mdpi.org/oaj-supports.htm. A list of leading review papers can be found at http://www.mdpi.org/ijms/specialissues/biofuels.htm.

You may send your manuscript from today on until  31 October 2008. Accepted papers will be published immediately. On 31 November 2008, all the papers belonging to this special issue will be collected together on a homepage.

For review papers, the title and a short abstract can be sent energies@mdpi.org (copy to Dr. Clifford Louime,  E-mail: clifford.louime@famu.edu as soon as possible.

Please send your paper by e-mail to energies@mdpi.org. The subject title of the message should be "Manuscript for Special Issue Biofuels R&D: Securing the Planet Future Energy Needs for Energies journal".

Please never hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Managing Editor: Mr. Matthias Burkhalter, E-mail: energies@mdpi.org
Energies Editorial Office, MDPI Center, Energies Editorial Office, Kandererstrasse 25, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
Tel. +41 61 683 7734, Fax +41 61 302 8918, E-mail: energies@mdpi.org