According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, world temperatures could rise to threatening levels within 30 years if fossil fuels continue to be incinerated at current rates. Alternative fuels can be derived from sustainable organic sources using intensive refinement methods, known as bioprocessing. To encourage this technology’s proliferation, Swiss scientists have developed a method for streamlining biofuel production using chemical engineering to consolidate fundamental stages in the production chain.<\/p>\n
“It’s imperative that we find alternatives to fossil based combustibles,” says Dr Michael Studer of Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH-HAFL) in Zollikofen. “Second generation biofuels are a viable solution to this dilemma, which could be provided at sufficient scale to address these problems immediately.” In contrast to first generation biofuels made from edible crops like sugarcane or corn, the resource for such advanced biofuels is lignocellulosic biomass, the most ubiquitous organic material on earth. Unfortunately, the processing techniques for refining lignocellulose are much more elaborate and expensive compared to first generation feedstocks. “Consequently,” says Studer, “economic conversion of biomass into chemicals and fuels is an important scientific challenge.”<\/p>\n
Currently, biochemically refining biomass such as wood or agricultural residues to the desired end-product requires several steps. First, the material is pre-treated at elevated temperatures necessary to achieve high yields in the following enzymatic hydrolysis step. Here, the polymeric carbohydrates \u2013 the hemicellulose and the cellulose \u2013 are cleaved by the action of enzymes into monosaccharides, e.g. glucose and xylose, which can then be fermented by selected microorganisms into the desired product. The enzymes necessary for the hydrolysis step are either produced onsite in a separate reaction tank or are purchased from an external vendor, with both versions contributing significantly to the conversion costs. The three main steps are often accompanied by additional separating, washing and detoxification steps in order to maximise yields.<\/p>\n
One way to make the process more cost effective is the integration of several process steps into one step (called consolidated bioprocessing), ideally combined with the elimination of washing and detoxification steps. This molecular biology approach involves the engineering of one superior genetically modified microorganism that is able to produce the hydrolytic enzymes as well as ferment the derived sugars into ethanol. Though undoubtedly a highly attractive approach, it is still an open question whether such a highly engineered organism could withstand the rigours of a large-scale industrial process. Furthermore, the use of such biocatalysts might lead to considerable disposal costs.<\/p>\n
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