Researchers find microorganism in water buffalo that can convert lignocellulose to ethanol

In the Philippines, researchers have discovered a rumen fluid in carabao, a domesticated species of water buffalo, that can help convert up to 30 gallons of ethanol per ton of lignocellulose. Researchers had noted that the carabao could survive on low quality rice stubble and straw, which indicated that the animal’s had microorganisms capable of converting lignocellulose into volatile fatty acids which can be fermented into sugars.

The two primary approaches proposed for cellulosic ethanol to date have been gasification and the use of microorganisms.  Recently, Amyris Biotechnologies  closed the first tranche of its $70 million Series B funding led by DAG Ventures and joined by Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufiled & Byers and TPG Ventures, for its designer microorganisms that increase the efficiency of converting biomass into fuels.
A competing venture is LS9, which is developing a new synthetic biofuel from microorganisms. The venture, also backed by Khosla Ventures, predicts that its process will yield 50% more energy from the same feedstocks as used today, will use 65% less energy in the process, can be transported by existing oil pipelines and used in non-flex-fuel engines. It can be expected that the firms results will vary based on the feedstock chosen, and the potential from switchgrass should receive close attention. The promise of using existing oil pipelines is significant for emission and efficiency reasons. The potential that 100% concentrations of the fuel would not require flex-fuel engines is of particular interest.

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