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U.S. Department of Energy
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Ethanol production via fungal decomposition and fermentation of biomass. Phase II. Semiannual progress report, October 1980-March 1981. [To ethanol]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6051990

A literature review reveals that Fusarium strains decompose cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, as well as ferment five- and six-carbon sugars to ethanol. During the first part of Phase II (first half of FY 1981) in this program, research efforts focused mainly on continuing the: (a) isolating, culturing, and maintaining of Fusarium strains for biochemical evaluation; (b) screening for potentially cellulolytic F. strains; (c) searching for lignolytic and hemicellulolytic F. strains; (d) screening for effective pentose- and hexose-fermenting F. strains; and (e) evaluating various methods and materials for the optimization of certain fermentation parameters. Approximately 200 additional Fusarium isolates were isolated and screened; all showed cellulolytic activity, with 50 showing increased activity. Several isolates that formed fusoid to spheroid spores and cells on xylan media were observed to retain their morphology in cellulose suspensions. All tested isolates were found to ferment glucose to ethanol; some yielded amounts of ethanol approaching those produced by yeast. In screening more than 600 isolates for xylose fermentation, 25 were identified as effective fermenters. Reutilization of inoculum during consecutive fermentations was employed to facilitate higher ethanol yields from xylose. A few Fusarium isolates indicated relatively high ethanol tolerability.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6051990
Report Number(s):
ANL/EES-TM-148; ON: DE82000104
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English