Conversion of cellulose to ethanol by mesophilic bacteria. Progress report, July 15, 1983-February 15, 1985

Technical Report · Fri Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5963472

Canale-Parola, E

Highlights of accomplishments during the period from July 1983 to February 1985 are summarized. Research has dealt primarily with strains of obligately anaerobic, mesophilic cellulolytic bacteria that we isolated from various natural environments. Eight strains (referred to as C strains) were isolated from mud of freshwater environments. As described in the previous progress report, the C strains represented a species of Clostridium that was different from other described species. The C strains fermented cellulose with formation of ethanol. They differed from thermophilic cellulolytic clostridia (e.g. Clostridium thermocellum) not only in growth temperature range, but also because they fermented xylan and pentoses with formation of ethanol. This result indicated that these mesophilic clostridia can convert to ethanol both cellulosic and hemicellulosic components of biomass. In contrast, monocultures of Clostridium thermocellum ferment only the cellulosic component of biomass. Furthermore, cellulose was degraded by the C strains at a rate comparable to that of thermophilic cellulolytic clostridia. These observations indicated that the mesophilic cellulolytic isolates constituted potentially useful microorganisms for ethanol production from biomass.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Univ., Amherst (USA). Dept. of Microbiology
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-81ER10878
• OSTI ID: 5963472
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/10878-T2; ON: DE85008458
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALCOHOLS
BACTERIA
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULOLYTIC ACTIVITY
CELLULOSE
CLOSTRIDIUM
CLOSTRIDIUM THERMOCELLUM
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SYNTHESIS