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

May 19, 2008

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 eliminate the need to insert the same genes in e.coli bacteria and breed the enzymes in large-scale, costly bioreactors. Instead, the enzymes would grow with the plant, using solar energy, and would be released when the plant is harvested and ground up. The process would also substantially reduce the energy inputs needed to produce cellulosic ethanol.

“Single-step” approaches to cellulosic ethanol have been in focus as companies attempt to reduceÂ production cost. Earlier this month, Mascoma received another $10 million in financing with an equity investment by Marathon Oil. Mascoma’s “single-step” production system for cellulosic ethanol has attracted attention for its potential to eliminate cost and risk in scale-up towards commercial scale cellulosic ethanol.

Sun Ethanol is another company working on a single-step procedure, in this case exploiting the potential of the Q microbe.

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-...

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...

Michigan State partners with SunEthanol to speed up cellulosic pretreatment, accelerate scale-up of Q-Microbe technology

In Michigan, MBI International, a development arm of Michigan State University Foundation, will partner with SunEthanol on a scale-up of the one-step SunEthanol cellulosic ethanol fermentation process...

Researchers add cow genes to corn to speed up breakdown of corn stover after harvest; would improve cellulosic ethanol process

Researchers at Michigan State Univesity have joined genetic material from cow rumens to the corn genome, in an attempt to stimulate corn stover to convert itself into sugars following harvest into a p...

DOE, Michigan grant $49.5 million to Mascoma for wood-waste cellulosic ethanol project

In Massachusetts, the Department of Energy and the state of Michigan announced they they will provide $49.5 million towards a proposed woodchip based cellulosic ethanol production plant in Kinross, Mi...

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

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 Ma...

Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Research