Title: Integration of renewable deep eutectic solvents with engineered biomass to achieve a closed-loop biorefinery

Abstract

Despite the enormous potential shown by recent biorefineries, the current bioeconomy still encounters multifaceted challenges. To develop a sustainable biorefinery in the future, multidisciplinary research will be essential to tackle technical difficulties. Herein, we leveraged a known plant genetic engineering approach that results in aldehyde-rich lignin via down-regulation of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and disruption of monolignol biosynthesis. We also report on renewable deep eutectic solvents (DESs) synthesized from phenolic aldehydes that can be obtained fromCADmutant biomass. The transgenicArabidopsis thaliana CADmutant was pretreated with the DESs and showed a twofold increase in the yield of fermentable sugars compared with wild type (WT) upon enzymatic saccharification. Integrated use of low-recalcitrance engineered biomass, characterized by its aldehyde-type lignin subunits, in combination with a DES-based pretreatment, was found to be an effective approach for producing a high yield of sugars typically used for cellulosic biofuels and biobased chemicals. This study demonstrates that integration of renewable DES with plant genetic engineering is a promising strategy in developing a closed-loop process.

Authors:

Kim, Kwang Ho  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Kim, Kwang Ho"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-3943-1927"

Eudes, Aymerick ^[2]; Jeong, Keunhong ^[3]; Yoo, Chang Geun ^[4]; Kim, Chang Soo ^[5]; Ragauskas, Arthur  ^[6]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ragauskas, Arthur"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3536-554X"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02702, Republic of Korea,, Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada,
2. Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA 94608,, Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720,
3. Department of Chemistry, Korea Military Academy, Seoul 01805, Republic of Korea,
4. Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210,
5. Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02702, Republic of Korea,
6. Center for Bioenergy Innovation, University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge National Laboratory Joint Institute for Biological Science, Oak Ridge, TN 37831,, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831,, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996,, Center for Renewable Carbon, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996

Publication Date:

Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

OSTI Identifier:

1529169

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1545201; OSTI ID: 1561928

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-00OR22725; AC02-05CH11231

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 116 Journal Issue: 28; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

09 BIOMASS FUELS; green solvent; bioenergy; cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase; lignocellulosic biomass