James Weifu Lee

Abstract The field of advanced biofuels and bioproducts may play an increasingly significant role in providing renewable energy and ensuring environmental health for a sustainable future of human civilization on Earth. This chapter as an introduc­tion for the book provides a quick overview of advanced biofuels and bioproducts by highlighting the new developments and opportunities in the bioenergy research & development (R&D) arena in relation to the global energy and environmental challenges. The topics include: (1) Brazil’s sugarcane ethanol as an early and still encouraging example of biofuels at a nationally significant scale, (2) smokeless biomass pyrolysis for advanced biofuels production and global biochar carbon sequestration, (3) cellulosic biofuels, (4) synthetic biology for photobiological production of biofuels from carbon dioxide and water, (5) lipid-based biodiesels,

(6) life-cycle energy and environmental impact analysis, (7) high-value bioproducts and biomethane, and (8) electrofuels.