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Mild, Nontoxic Production of Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass
Fossil fuel resources supply almost 90 percent of the world’s energy and the vast majority of its organic chemicals. This dependency is insupportable in light of rising emissions, demand and diminishing access.
Abundant, renewable biomass is an emerging alternative. But if biomass is to supplant oil, coal and gas as an energy and chemical resource, it must match the wide array of products derived from those traditional sources. In addition to liquid fuel, vital products like ...
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| 01/15/2013 |
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More Efficient Ethanol Production from Mixed Sugars Using Spathaspora Yeast
Ethanol obtained from the fermentation of grains and sugars is being blended with gasoline to bolster dwindling petroleum supplies. The alcohol increases combustion efficiency and octane value, and can be fermented from renewable corn cobs, stalks, cane and grasses. Still, it is essential that industry-scale production does not compete with food or push agriculture into forests and other vulnerable lands. Clearly, efficiency is critical. One obstacle currently limiting renewable...
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| 01/15/2013 |
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Genes for Xylose Fermentation, Enhanced Biofuel Production in Yeast
Efficient fermentation of cellulosic feedstocks is an essential step in the production of biofuel from plant materials. Glucose and xylose are the two most abundant monomeric carbohydrates found in hemicellulose. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast most commonly used for industrial fermentation, is able to utilize glucose but is unable to ferment xylose. However, several Ascomycete yeasts that ferment and assimilate xylose have been identified, including Pichia stipitis, whose genome has...
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| 07/02/2012 |
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One- and Two-Phase Conversion of Biomass to Furfural
Exploiting the energy potential of biomass high in cellulose and lignin—including grasses, shrubs, husks, bark, yard and mill offal not readily digestible by humans—offers a vast and renewable alternative to fossil carbons. In addition to producing gamma-valerolactone (GVL), an organic compound viable in gasoline mixtures, other valuable chemicals can be derived. These include furfuryl acid, used in the manufacture of resins, adhesives, wood treatments, herbicide agents...
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| 07/02/2012 |
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Use of Arginase and/or Threonine Deaminase in Plant Protection against Herbivores
Insect pests are a major cause of damage to the world’s commercially important agricultural crops. Current strategies aimed at reducing crop losses rely primarily on chemical pesticides. Transgenic crops with intrinsic pest resistance offer a potential alternative.
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| 10/18/2011 |
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Translation-Coupling Cassette for Quickly and Reliably Monitoring Protein Translation in Host Cells
Bacterial production of recombinant proteins is used commonly by researchers and commercial entities to manufacture a large variety of proteins. However, many proteins are not produced efficiently in bacterial cells and must be produced through a different expression system. In these cases the researcher generally does not realize that protein expression failed until the bacteria are destroyed, the protein isolated and a gel run to detect the presence of the protein, a time-consuming process.
M...
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| 10/18/2011 |
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Production of Oil in Vegetative Tissues
Production of alternative fuels such as biodiesel is on the rise around the world and in the U.S. due to a strong and growing desire to reduce dependency on petroleum-derived diesel fuel. The acceptance of biodiesel has been slowed due to its higher cost relative to petroleum-derived diesel. The higher cost of biodiesel is directly related to the cost of feedstock used for biodiesel production, which is often derived from crops also used for food. The displacement of food crops by energy crops...
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| 10/18/2011 |
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BAHD Acyltransferase That Synthesizes Coniferyl Ferulate
Lignin, an abundant polymer of vascular plants that provides structural integrity and resistance to chemical and enzymatic damage to the plant cell wall, is the second most abundant polymer on earth and critical to the strength and survival of terrestrial plants. Unfortunately, its mechanical strength and resistance to chemical degradation, which is so essential for plant health, are problematic when trying to use plants as feedstocks for certain industrial and feed applications. |
| 08/15/2011 |
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Utility Promoters for Biomass Feedstock Biotechnology
Genetic optimization of biomass is necessary to improve the rates and final yields of sugar release from woody biomass. Areas that would benefit from genetic optimization include growth rate, environmental stress tolerance, yields of easily fermentable polysaccharides, total lignin content, lowering biomass recalcitrance to fermentation, and wood density.
Successful application of biotechnology requires both gene discovery and a proper means for gene expression control. However, commercial use...
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| 08/15/2011 |
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Method to Produce Highly Digestible, Pretreated Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Anhydrous Liquid Ammonia
In the continuing push to develop alternative fuels, bioethanol is clearly a viable option. However, if it is to become a truly economical alternative, a more effective and efficient method of processing lignocellulosic biomass must be developed. |
| 08/15/2011 |
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Cost-Effective Enzyme for Producing Biofuels from Cellulosic Biomass
Producing biofuels from cellulosic materials, such as corn stalks, wood chips, and other biomass, requires the use of enzymes to degrade the cellulosic biomass into its molecular components. The cost to produce these enzymes is high, a factor contributing to the limited production of cellulosic ethanol. |
| 08/15/2011 |
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Cell-Free System for Combinatorial Discovery of Enzymes Capable of Transforming Biomass for Biofuels
Biofuels produced from biomass provide a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Biomass is an inexpensive, readily available and renewable resource. However, the process of converting biomass into biofuels is difficult and costly. Biomass consists of insoluble polysaccharides such as cellulose that are difficult to break down into fermentable sugars like glucose.
Many combinations of enzymes and proteins that naturally deconstruct cellulose and other biomass components have been identified,...
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| 06/01/2011 |
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Light-Powered Microbial Fuel Cell Offering Clean, Renewable Hydrogen-Based Alternative Energy Source
One of the greatest challenges of our time is the need for new, renewable sources of energy to offset modern society’s dependence on fossil fuels. One clean technology of interest is a hydrogen-based fuel cell.
A hydrogen fuel cell is comprised of an electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water and heat. In microbial fuel cells (MFC), bacteria convert an organic substrate, such as sugar or waste...
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| 06/01/2011 |
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High-Yielding Method for Converting Biomass to Fermentable Sugars for Biofuel Production
Lignocellulosic biomass is a very desirable feedstock for biofuel production. If the fermentation process for lignocellulose could be optimized, conversion of this biomass could yield 25 to 50 billion gallons of ethanol per year.
However, lignocellulose, which is composed of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, is resistant to chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. This resistance is a key limiting step in the conversion of biomass into fermentable sugars. Currently, pretreatment steps, which...
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| 06/01/2011 |
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Ethanol Tolerant Yeast for Improved Production of Ethanol from Biomass
Ethanol production from cellulosic biomass can make a significant contribution toward decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. However, the fermentation of biomass can be problematic. One bottleneck in this process is the toxicity of ethanol to microbes such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. |
| 06/01/2011 |
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Bacteria Modified to Secrete Biologically Active Protein for Large-Scale Production
E. coli is the most common prokaryote used to produce protein. The expressed protein generally accumulates in the cytoplasm. While this approach is useful for some proteins, not all proteins can be accumulated in the cytoplasm in an active state. When the desired protein is produced at high levels, it may be toxic to the host cell or accumulate as an insoluble particle known as an inclusion body, making it difficult to recover in an active form.
One option is to engineer protein so it is...
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| 06/01/2011 |
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A Source and Production Method for Acetyl-Triacylglycerols (ac-TAGs)
Biodiesel can substitute for conventional petroleum diesel in almost all applications. Oftentimes, use of biodiesel requires engine modification since biodiesel has different solvent properties and often degrades natural rubber. Since use of biodiesel is increasing rapidly, alternative biofuel supplies are needed to accommodate the growing demand. |
| 06/01/2011 |
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High Starch in Plant Leaves at Senescence
Currently, there is a great interest in using plant biomass, instead of grain, to produce ethanol. Starch can easily be used to make ethanol and would improve ethanol production from cellulose. In most plants, though, starch accumulated during the day is usually broken down each night, resulting in very little starch accumulation in the leaves. The quantity of starch present in the leaves of a plant will affect the gross yield and processing efficiency. Since currently existing high starch...
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| 06/01/2011 |
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Fatty Acid-Producing Microbes for Generating Medium- and Long-Chain Hydrocarbons
New, renewable sources of transportation fuel are needed to meet continuing demand. While the main focus has been on biomass-derived gasoline alternatives such as ethanol and other short-chain alcohols, distillates with higher energy density such as diesel and jet fuel are required for the heavy transportation sector.
Biodiesel is a biodegradable, clean-burning combustible fuel made of medium- to long-chain hydrocarbons that can be used in most internal combustion diesel engines. Current...
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| 06/01/2011 |
