Biocatalysis Project annual report, FY 1984. ECUT Program

Technical Report · Mon Apr 15 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5613290

This report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1984 activities, accomplishments, and planned research efforts of the Biocatalysis Project of the US Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Program. The Project's technical activities during FY 1984 were organized as follows: In the Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element, (1) physical and genetic evidence was provided for a method of inserting and amplifying genetically engineered traits in the chromosomes of microorganisms, (2) 16 strains of a mutant fungus with an above-average ability to synthesize the cellulose enzyme complex were identified and described genetically, and (3) a force-field model of enzyme behavior was refined and tested successfully for the enzyme thermolysin. In the Bioprocess Engineering work element, advances were made in the mathematical modeling of cellular processes at the molecular level such that the performance of different classes of bioprocess reactor vessels using various operating strategies can now be evaluated. In the Process Design and Analysis work element, the impact of a combination of technical advances on the economics and energy efficiency of a biocatalyzed acetone/butanol/ethanol production process were analyzed, and development of a computer algorithm for defining and evaluating the energy consumption and facility/operating costs of a biocatalytic process was initiated. The Project released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for advanced bioprocess concepts. The RFP emphasized exploration of those novel processes that were generic in nature and elucidated the relationships between events at the molecular/cellular level to macroscale events at the reactor level. Twenty-one proposals were received, the majority of which contained cost-sharing provisions. 13 refs, 1 fig., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-81CS66001
• OSTI ID: 5613290
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/66001-8; JPL-PUB-85-31; ON: DE85014507
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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