Maryland researchers find enzyme that converts cellulose to sugar in one step; potential cost breakthrough for cellulosic ethanol

March 11, 2008

In Maryland, researchers have launched a new company, Zymentis, to commercialize a new enzyme they say will convert plant cellulose into sugars in one step. The researchers, from the University of Maryland, said that their discovery could produce as much as 75 billion gallons of ethanol using a synthetic version of a Chesapeake Bay marsh grass bacterium, S. degradans.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $33.8 million in research grants to four cellulosic ethanol projects in California and New Jersey. The four-year research grants come from a $1 billion fund the DOE established to finance cellulosic ethanol research. The grants are for projects researching advanced enzymes for converting cellulose into sugars.

Industry will add another $37 million to the research effort. Grants were awarded to DSM Innovation Center, Genencor, Novozymes and Verenium. The latter three are based in California, while DSM is based in New Jersey.

Michigan State researchers develop one-step procedure for cellulosic ethanol enzymes; growing them inside the crop, instead of in bioreactors

In Michigan, researchers at Michigan State have developed a process to insert enzymes used to break down cellulose, into crops such as corn. The process, which is just beginning a testing phase, would...

UMass researchers find ultrasonic energy converts cellulose to sugar four times faster

In Massachusetts, a research team at UMass and TerraSonics concluded that "conversion of cellulose to glucose is four times faster when ultrasonic energy is applied," and published a poster presentati...

SunEthanol receives $100,000 DOE grant for single-step cellulosic ethanol R&D

In Massachusetts, the US Department of Energy awarded $100,000 to SunEthanol to further develop its patented C3 process, which combines hydrolysis and fermentation into a single step. The five-step pr...

Illinois researchers develop low-cost path to cellulosic ethanol enzymes

In Illinois, researchers announced the discovery that new enzymes, able to be grown in corn,Â will break down plant cellulose for cellulosic ethanol production. Typical enzymes are grown in energy-...

California researchers develop higher-efficiency cellulosic conversion into furfural biofuel

In California, researchers at the University of California at Davis have discovered a process to convert cellulose into furfural, an alternative biofuel, that they say is a more efficient conversion p...

German researchers develop room-temperature cellulosic ethanol process

In Germany, researchers at the Max Planck Institute published a new method to break down cellulose into sugar molecules, which can then be fermented into ethanol. The twp-step process breaks down cell...

Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Research