New microbe can make ethanol
Researchers have created a bacterium that converts all of the sugars from inedible vegetable waste and other woody material into ethanol by inserting the genes of the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis into Escherichia coli. The resulting bacterium converts 90% -95% of the main forms of sugar in biomass into 4% - 6% concentrations of ethanol. The goal is to reach a 7% to 8% concentration. Current ethanol production from corn in a yeast-fermentation process yields a 10% - 12% ethanol concentration, but the conversion rate is less efficient than with the new bacterium. Zymomonas, found in cactus plants and used by the Aztecs to make alcohol, was selected for its known conversion efficiency. Providing the engineering challenges can be overcome, there could be several pilot plants running in 3-5 years. Even though it is not currently profitable to make ethanol from vegetable waste, if the fact that this new process reduces the total material by 90% were taken into account, perhaps a landfill reduction credit based on current tipping fees would make the actual costs both more realistic and more attractive.
- OSTI ID:
- 6670381
- Journal Information:
- BioCycle; (USA), Vol. 30:3; ISSN 0276-5055
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
BIOMASS
BIOCONVERSION
ETHANOL
BIOSYNTHESIS
CELLULOSE
ESCHERICHIA COLI
FERMENTATION
GENETIC ENGINEERING
VEGETABLES
WOOD WASTES
YIELDS
ZYMOMONAS MOBILIS
ALCOHOLS
BACTERIA
CARBOHYDRATES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOOD
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SACCHARIDES
SOLID WASTES
SYNTHESIS
WASTES
090900* - Biomass Fuels- Processing- (1990-)
140505 - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)