Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “FERMENTATION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

A Chemical-Free Pretreatment for Biosynthesis of Bioethanol and Lipids from Lignocellulosic Biomass: An Industrially Relevant 2G Biorefinery Approach

A wide range of inorganic and organic chemicals are used during the pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels. Developing an industrially relevant 2G biorefinery process using such chemicals is challenging and requires more unit operations for downstream processing. A sustainable process has been developed to achieve industrially relevant titers of bioethanol with significant ethanol yield. The pretreatment of sorghum biomass was performed by a continuous pilot-scale hydrothermal reactor followed by disk milling. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed without washing the pretreated biomass. Moreover, citrate buffer strength was reduced to 100-fold (50 mM to 0.5 mM) during the enzymatic hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis at 0.5 mM citrate buffer strength showed that significant sugar concentrations of 222 ± 2.3 to 241 ± 2.3 g/L (glucose + xylose) were attained at higher solids loadings of 50 to 60% (w/v). Furthermore, hydrolysates were fermented to produce bioethanol using two different xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and a co-culture of xylose-fermenting and non-GMO yeast cultures. Bioethanol titer of 81.7 g/L was achieved with an ethanol yield of 0.48 gp/gs. Additionally, lipids were produced using the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides, yielding 13.2 g/L lipids with cellular lipid accumulation of 38.5% w/w from 100 g/L of sugar concentration. In summary, reducing the strength of the citrate buffer during enzymatic hydrolysis and omitting inorganic chemicals from the pretreatment process enhances the fermentability of hydrolysates and can also reduce operating costs.

Deshavath, Narendra Naik↗
NASA NTRS2002

Rejuvenation of Spent Media via Supported Emulsion Liquid Membranes

The overall goal of this project is to maximize the reuseability of spent fermentation media. Supported emulsion liquid membrane separation, a highly efficient extraction technique, is used to remove inhibitory byproducts during fermentation; thus, improving the yield while reducing the need for fresh water. The key objectives of this study are: Develop an emulsion liquid membrane system targeting low molecular weight organic acids which has minimal toxicity on a variety of microbial systems; Conduct mass transfer studies to allow proper modeling and design of a supported emulsion liquid membrane system; Investigate the effect of gravity on emulsion coalescence within the membrane unit; Access the effect of water re-use on fermentation yields in a model microbial system; Develop a perfusion-type fermentor utilizing a supported emulsion liquid membrane system to control inhibitory fermentation byproducts; Work for the coming year will focus on the determination of toxicity of various solvents, selection of the emulsifying agents, as well as characterizing the mass transfer of hollow-fiber contactors.

Wiencek, John M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Rejuvenation of Spent Media via Supported Emulsion Liquid Membranes

The overall goal of this project was to maximize the reuseability of spent fermentation media. Supported emulsion liquid membrane separation, a highly efficient extraction technique, was used to remove inhibitory byproducts during fermentation; thus, improve the yield while reducing the need for fresh water. The key objectives of this study were: (1) Develop an emulsion liquid membrane system targeting low molecular weight organic acids which has minimal toxicity on a variety of microbial systems. (2) Conduct mass transfer studies to allow proper modeling and design of a supported emulsion liquid membrane system. (3) Investigate the effect of gravity on emulsion coalescence within the membrane unit. (4) Access the effect of water re-use on fermentation yields in a model microbial system. and (5) Develop a perfusion-type fermentor utilizing a supported emulsion liquid membrane system to control inhibitory fermentation byproducts (not completed due to lack of funds)

Wiencek, John M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cas9-Based Metabolic Engineering of Issatchenkia orientalis for Enhanced Utilization of Cellulosic Hydrolysates

Issatchenkia orientalis, exhibiting high tolerance against harsh environmental conditions, is a promising metabolic engineering host for producing fuels and chemicals from cellulosic hydrolysates containing fermentation inhibitors under acidic conditions. Although genetic tools for I. orientalis exist, they require auxotrophic mutants so that the selection of a host strain is limited. We developed a drug resistance gene (cloNAT)-based genome-editing method for engineering any I. orientalis strains and engineered I. orientalis strains isolated from various sources for xylose fermentation. Specifically, xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase, and xylulokinase from Scheffersomyces stipitis were integrated into an intended chromosomal locus in four I. orientalis strains (SD108, IO21, IO45, and IO46) through Cas9-based genome editing. Furthermore, the resulting strains (SD108X, IO21X, IO45X, and IO46X) efficiently produced ethanol from cellulosic and hemicellulosic hydrolysates even though the pH adjustment and nitrogen source were not provided. As they presented different fermenting capacities, selection of a host I. orientalis strain was crucial for producing fuels and chemicals using cellulosic hydrolysates.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sustainable Lactic Acid Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock for sustainable biofuels and bioproducts. Among emerging bioproducts, lactic acid has attracted significant interest because of its growing application in many industries (e.g., packaging, medical, and pharmaceutical). In this study, BioSTEAM—an open-source platform—was leveraged for the design, simulation, and evaluation (via techno-economic analysis, TEA, and life cycle assessment, LCA) of lignocellulosic lactic acid biorefineries. With a minimum product selling price (MPSP) between 1.38 and 1.91 kg –1 (5th–95th percentiles, baseline at 1.57 kg –1 ), the biorefinery was capable of producing market-competitive lactic acid (market price between 1.7 and 2.1 kg –1 ), and its performance could be further enhanced (e.g., MPSP down to 1.09 kg –1 , global warming potential of 2.79 kg CO 2 -eq·kg –1 , and fossil energy consumption of 31.7 MJ·kg –1 ) with advancements in key technological parameters (fermentation yield and separation process conversions) and optimization in process operation. Sensitivity analyses focused on the fermentation unit (across titer, yield, and productivity; neutral vs low-pH fermentation) and feedstock characteristics (carbohydrate content and price) were also included to quantify their impact on the sustainability of the biorefinery. Overall, this research highlights the ability of agile TEA/LCA to screen promising biorefinery designs, prioritize research needs, and establish a road map for the continued development of bioproducts and biofuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Expanded Diversity of Microbial Groups Capable of Anaerobic Pyrite Reduction and Assimilation of Dissolution Products

Pyrite, the most abundant iron sulfide mineral in the Earth's crust, has traditionally been considered as a sink for iron and sulfur in the absence of oxygen. Recent research, however, has shown that anaerobic methanogenic archaea can reductively dissolve pyrite and assimilate its products as sources of iron and sulfur. This study explores whether other anaerobic bacteria, including fermentative, nitrate-, iron oxide-, fumarate-, and sulfate-respiring bacteria, can also reduce pyrite and use its dissolution products as sources of iron and sulfur. Results indicate that heterotrophic bacteria respiring fumarate or sulfate, or fermenting organic carbon, can reduce pyrite and assimilate released iron and sulfur. In contrast, nitrate- or iron oxide-respiring cells did not reduce pyrite, suggesting that microbial pyrite reduction is metabolism-specific. All strains capable of reducing pyrite could also use mackinawite as an iron and sulfur source. With the exception of fermentative Bacteroides, strains did not require direct contact with pyrite to reduce the mineral, indicating extracellular electron transfer via electron shuttles. These findings expand the known diversity of microbial groups capable of pyrite reduction and highlight the mineral's lability in various anaerobic environments, with potential implications for the biogeochemical cycles of iron, sulfur, carbon, and oxygen.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Emerging Strategies for Modifying Lignin Chemistry to Enhance Biological Lignin Valorization

Biological lignin valorization represents a promising approach contributing to sustainable and economic biorefineries. Here, the low level of valuable lignin–derived products remains a major challenge hindering the implementation of microbial lignin conversion. Lignin's properties play a significant role in determining the efficiency of lignin bioconversion. To date, despite significant progress in the development of biomass pretreatment, lignin fractionation, and fermentation over the last few decades, little efforts have gone into identifying the ideal lignin substrates for an efficient microbial metabolism. In this Minireview, emerging and state–of–the–art strategies for biomass pretreatment and lignin fractionation are summarized to elaborate their roles in modifying lignin structure for bioconversion. Fermentation strategies aimed at enhancing lignin depolymerization for microbial utilization are systematically reviewed as well. With an improved understanding of the ideal lignin structure elucidated by comprehensive metabolic pathways and/or big data analysis, modifying lignin chemistry could be more directional and effective. Ultimately, together with the progress of fermentation process optimization, biological lignin valorization will become more competitive in biorefineries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Processes and electron flow in a microbial electrolysis cell bioanode fed with furanic and phenolic compounds

We report that furanic and phenolic compounds are problematic compounds resulting from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising technology to convert furanic and phenolic compounds to renewable H 2 . The objective of the research presented here was to elucidate the processes and electron equivalents flow during the conversion of two furanic (furfural, FF; 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, HMF) and three phenolic (syringic acid, SA; vanillic acid, VA; 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, HBA) compounds in the MEC bioanode. Cyclic voltammograms of the bioanode demonstrated that purely electrochemical reactions in the biofilm attached to the electrode were negligible. Instead, microbial reactions related to the biotransformation of the five parent compounds (i.e., fermentation followed by exoelectrogenesis) were the primary processes resulting in the electron equivalents flow in the MEC bioanode. A mass-based framework of substrate utilization and electron flow was developed to quantify the distribution of the electron equivalents among the bioanode processes, including biomass growth for each of the five parent compounds. Using input parameters of anode efficiency and biomass observed yield coefficients, it was estimated that more than 50% of the SA, FF, and HMF electron equivalents were converted to current. In contrast, only 12 and 9% of VA and HBA electron equivalents, respectively, resulted in current production, while 76 and 79% remained as fermentation end products not further utilized in exoelectrogenesis. For all five compounds, it was estimated that 10% of the initially added electron equivalents were used for fermentative biomass synthesis, while 2 to 13% were used for exoelectrogenic biomass synthesis. Finally, the proposed mass-based framework provides a foundation for the simulation of bioanode processes to guide the optimization of MECs converting biomass-derived waste streams to renewable H 2 .

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Adsorption Study of Acid Soluble Lignin Removal from Sugarcane Bagasse Hydrolysate by a Self-Synthesized Resin for Lipid Production

An adsorption resin CX-6 was synthesized and used for acid soluble lignin (ASL) removal from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate (SCBH). The adsorption conditions of pH value, amount of adsorbent, initial ASL concentration, and temperature on ASL adsorption were discussed. The results showed the adsorption capacity of ASL was negatively affected by increasing temperature, solution pH, and adsorbent dose, and was positively affected by increasing initial concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity of ASL was 135.3 mg/g at initial ASL concentration 6.46 g/L, adsorption temperature 298 K, and pH 1. Thermodynamic study demonstrated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Equilibrium and kinetics experiments were proved to fit the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model well, respectively. Fermentation experiment showed that the SCBH after combined overliming with resin adsorption as fermentation substrate for microbial lipid production by Trichosporon cutaneum and Trichosporon coremiiforme was as better as that of SCBH by combined overliming with active charcoal adsorption, and more efficient than that of SCBH only by overliming. Moreover, the regeneration experiment indicated that the CX-6 resin is easy to regenerate and its recirculated performance is stable. In conclusion, our results provide a promising adsorbent to detoxify lignocellulose hydrolysate for further fermentation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Metabolic engineering of Clostridium carboxidivorans for enhanced ethanol and butanol production from syngas and glucose

Clostridium carboxidivorans can convert CO 2 , CO and H 2 to ethanol and n -butanol; however, its industrial application is limited by the lack of tools for metabolic pathway engineering. In this study, C. carboxidivorans was successfully engineered to overexpress aor , adhE2 , and fnr together with adhE2 or aor . In glucose fermentation, all engineered strains showed higher alcohol yields compared to the wild-type. Strains overexpressing aor showed CO 2 re-assimilation during heterotrophic growth. In syngas fermentation, compared to the wild-type, the strain overexpressing adhE2 produced ~50% more ethanol and the strain overexpressing adhE2 and fnr produced ~18% more butanol and ~22% more ethanol. Interestingly, both strains showed obvious acid re-assimilation, with <0.15 g/L total acid remaining at the end of fermentation. Overexpressing fnr with adhE2 enhanced butanol production compared to only adhE2 . Furthermore, this is the first report of overexpressing homologous and heterologous genes in C. carboxidivorans for enhancing alcohols production from syngas and glucose.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A techno-economic assessment of carbon dioxide removal pathways via biochemical conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels and bioplastics

Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) is a promising pathway to mitigate climate change via large scale removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). We modeled several fermentation technologies, producing a variety of bioproducts from lignocellulosic feedstocks, to understand their levelized cost of CO 2 removal under multiple scenarios. Lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are accounted to provide cradle-to-grave estimates of carbon intensity (CI). We did not account for the avoided fossil CO 2 emissions from the use of biofuels in our CO 2 removal cost calculations, because avoided emissions do not contribute to CO 2 removal. The main products from the fermentation technologies we modeled include renewable diesel, ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and polyethylene (PE), with co-products including CO 2 , adipic acid, steam, and electricity. PE, depending on its end-of-life management, can serve as a form of biogenic carbon storage. PE has the potential to remove 1.2–1.5 tCO 2 per dry t-biomass, whereas biofuels have the potential to remove 0.3–0.9 tCO 2 per dry t-biomass, indicating that PE production is a more efficient method of carbon removal. We quantify costs of CO 2 removal to be $\$$60 – $\$$675 per metric tCO 2 removed across the various fermentation pathways. Under the scenarios analyzed, bioplastic production from lignocellulosic biomass is a more cost-effective route to CO 2 removal than biofuel production, with costs of CO 2 removal via bioplastics being 50–90 % lower than that of biofuels. Future research should explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of expanding bioplastic production for large-scale CO 2 removal.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of warming on the degradation and production of low-molecular-weight labile organic carbon in an Arctic tundra soil

The fate of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in the Arctic permafrost is a key concern as temperatures continue to rise in the northern hemisphere. Studies and conceptual models suggest that SOC degradation is affected by the composition of SOC, but it is unclear exactly what portions of SOC are vulnerable to rapid breakdown and what mechanisms may be controlling SOC degradation upon permafrost thaw. Here, we examine the dynamic consumption and production of labile SOC in an anoxic incubation experiment using soil samples from the active layer at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, Barrow, Alaska, USA. Free-reducing sugars, alcohols, and low-molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids were analyzed during incubation at either –2 or 8 °C for up to 240 days. Results show that simple sugar and alcohol SOC largely account for the initial rapid release of CO 2 and CH 4 through anaerobic fermentation, whereas the fermentation products, acetate and formate, are subsequently utilized as primary substrates for methanogenesis. Iron(III) reduction is correlated to acetate production and methanogenesis, suggesting its important role as an electron acceptor in tundra SOC respiration. These observations are further supported in a glucose addition experiment, in which rapid CO 2 and CH 4 production occurred concurrently with rapid production and consumption of labile organics such as acetate. However, addition of tannic acid, as a more complex organic substrate, showed little influence on the overall production of CO 2 and CH 4 and organic acids. Together our study shows that LMW labile organics in SOC control the initial rapid release of green-house gases upon warming. We thus present a conceptual framework for the labile SOC transformations and their relations to fermentation, iron reduction and methanogenesis, thereby providing the basis for improved model prediction of climate feedbacks in the Arctic.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Pre-treating anaerobic mixed microflora with waste frying oil: A novel method to inhibit hydrogen consumption

Highlights: • Waste frying oil was successfully used as an inhibitor for H{sub 2} consumption during dark fermentation of mixed cultures. • Methane production in pre-treated cultures decreased significantly. • Duration of pre-treatment and concentration of waste frying oil affected H{sub 2} production. • Volatile fatty acids accumulation increased with waste frying oil concentration. - Abstract: An innovative method was introduced to inhibit methanogenic H{sub 2} consumption during dark fermentative hydrogen production by anaerobic mixed cultures. Waste frying oil was used as an inhibitor for hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Simultaneous effect of waste frying oil concentrations (0–20 g/L) and initial pH (5.5, 6.5 and 7.5) on inhibition of methanogenic H{sub 2} consumption and enhancement of H{sub 2} accumulation were investigated using glucose as substrate. Enhanced hydrogen yields with decreased methane productions were observed with increasing the waste frying oil concentrations. On average, CH{sub 4} productions from glucose in the cultures received 10 g/L WFO were reduced by 88%. Increased WFO concentration up to 20 g/L led to negligible CH{sub 4} productions and in turn enhanced H{sub 2} yields. Hydrogen yields of 209.26, 195.35 and 185.60 mL/g glucose{sub added} were obtained for the cultures pre-treated with 20 g/L waste frying oil with initial pH of 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5 respectively. H{sub 2} production by pre-treated cultures was also studied using a synthetic food waste. Anaerobic mixed cultures were pre-treated with 10 g/L WFO and varying durations (0, 24 and 48 h). A H{sub 2} yield of 71.46 mL/g VS was obtained for cultures pre-treated with 10 g/L WFO for 48 h that was 475% higher than untreated control. This study suggests a novel and inexpensive approach for suppressing hydrogenotrophic methanogens during dark fermentative H{sub 2} production.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Black Liquor Valorization by Using Marine Protist Thraustochytrium striatum and the Preliminary Metabolic Mechanism Study

Black liquor that contains various phenolic compounds from lignin solubilization has been the main byproduct of alkaline pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass in the biorefinery. In this study, black liquor from alkaline pretreatment of corn stover was used as a sole carbon source for the cultivation of a marine protist, Thraustochytrium striatum. It was found that this strain can grow on black liquor and accumulate valuable products (e.g., fatty acids and carotenoids) simultaneously. Under optimal conditions (pH = 7 and NH 4 Cl = 2 g/L), the cell mass concentration reached 5.2 g/L with total aromatics decreased from 8.18 to 3.09 g/L within 7 day incubation. Fed-batch cultivation was adopted to increase the contents of total fatty acids and carotenoids to 13% and 0.24 mg/g dry cell mass, respectively. Although various compounds such as sugars and organic acids were detected in black liquor and consumed during microbial fermentation as carbon sources, lignin-derived compounds were identified as the major substrates for T. striatum fermentation. Of total aromatics consumed, monomers including p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, vanillin, and syringaldehyde were observed to be consumed and converted while polymeric fragments were also depolymerized and degraded. Under optimal conditions, around 50% of the total aromatics was consumed. The dynamic changes of compounds in black liquor indicated that diverse metabolic processes were involved in black liquor degradation and utilization by T. striatum. A strong adaptation of T. striatum to a wide range of pH (3–9) was also observed during black liquor fermentation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sustainable strategies to achieve industrial ethanol titers from different bioenergy feedstocks: scale-up approach for better ethanol yield

Hydrothermal pretreatment is a promising approach to lignocellulosic biomass processing for enzymatic hydrolysis and high-yield bioethanol fermentation, as it reduces downstream inhibitor content and the amount of toxic byproducts generated. In this paper, the ethanol yield and productivity of an engineered xylose-fermenting strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested on lignocellulosic hydrolysates produced with varying citrate buffer concentration, solid loading, supplemental nitrogen source, and feedstock of origin, and a semi-integrated bioprocess which integrates enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol fermentation was developed. The greatest ethanol yields (g p /g s ) of 0.490 ± 0.008, 0.460 ± 0.001, 0.420 ± 0.002 and 0.410 ± 0.002 were obtained from bioenergy sorghum (BES), Miscanthus × giganteus (MG), energy cane (EC), and oilcane (OC), respectively. In addition, an equivalent of 291 L, 253.54 L, 257.8 L, and 260.3 L of bioethanol were produced per ton of BES, MG, EC, and OC, respectively, by using urea as a nitrogen source in a bioreactor.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum uses ecologically relevant, exogenous quinones for extracellular electron transfer

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is a metabolic process that frequently uses quinones to couple intracellular redox reactions with extracellular electron acceptors. The physiological relevance of this metabolism for microorganisms capable of EET but unable to synthesize their own quinones remains to be determined. To address this question, we investigated quinone utilization by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, a microorganism required for food fermentations, that performs EET and is also a quinone auxotroph. L. plantarum selectively used 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA) and more hydrophilic naphthoquinones for EET reduction of insoluble iron (ferrihydrite). However, quinones used for EET also inhibited L. plantarum growth in non-aerated conditions. Transcriptomic analysis showed that DHNA-induced oxidative stress in L. plantarum, but this was alleviated when the electron acceptor, ferric ammonium citrate (FeAC), was included in the growth medium. Although DHNA and FeAC induced L. plantarum EET, this metabolism was still dependent on direct access to environmental electron shuttles. To determine whether quinone-producing food fermentation bacteria could be sources of those electron shuttles, L. plantarum EET was measured after incubation with Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Quinone-producing L. lactis, but not a quinone-deficient L. lactis ΔmenC mutant, increased L. plantarum ferrihydrite reduction and medium acidification through an EET-dependent mechanism. L. plantarum EET was also stimulated by L. mesenteroides, resulting in greater environmental acidification and transient increases in L. plantarum cell numbers. Our findings show that L. plantarum overcomes the toxic effects of exogenous quinones to use those compounds for EET-conferred, ecological advantages during the early stages of food fermentations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Clostridium thermocellum ATCC27405 transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic profiles after ethanol stress

Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate consolidated bioprocessing biocatalyst, which is a microorganism that expresses enzymes for both cellulose hydrolysis and its fermentation to produce fuels such as lignocellulosic ethanol. However, C. thermocellum is relatively sensitive to ethanol compared to ethanologenic microorganisms such as yeast and Zymomonas mobilis that are used in industrial fermentations but do not possess native enzymes for industrial cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, C. thermocellum was grown to mid-exponential phase and then treated with ethanol to a final concentration of 3.9 g/L to investigate its physiological and regulatory responses to ethanol stress. Samples were taken pre-shock and 2, 12, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min post-shock, and from untreated control fermentations for systems biology analyses. Cell growth was arrested by ethanol supplementation with intracellular accumulation of carbon sources such as cellobiose, and sugar phosphates, including fructose-6-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate. The largest response of C. thermocellum to ethanol shock treatment was in genes and proteins related to nitrogen uptake and metabolism, which is likely important for redirecting the cells physiology to overcome inhibition and allow growth to resume. This study suggests possible avenues for metabolic engineering and provides comprehensive, integrated systems biology datasets that will be useful for future metabolic modeling and strain development endeavors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Impacts of Deacetylation Prior to Dilute Acid Pretreatment on the Bioethanol Process

Dilute acid pretreatment is a promising pretreatment technology for the biochemical production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. During dilute acid pretreatment, xylan depolymerizes to form soluble xylose monomers and oligomers. Because the xylan found in nature is highly acetylated, the formation of xylose monomers requires two steps: (1) cleavage of the xylosidic bonds, and (2) cleavage of covalently bonded acetyl ester groups. Results: In this study, we show that the latter may be the rate limiting step for xylose monomer formation. Furthermore, acetyl groups are also found to be a cause of biomass recalcitrance and hydrolyzate toxicity. While the removal of acetyl groups from native corn stover by alkaline de-esterification prior to pretreatment improves overall process yields, the exact impact is highly dependent on the corn stover variety in use. Xylose monomer yields in pretreatment generally increases by greater than 10%. Compared to pretreated corn stover controls, the deacetylated corn stover feedstock is approximately 20% more digestible after pretreatment. Finally, by lowering hydrolyzate toxicity, xylose utilization and ethanol yields are further improved during fermentation by roughly 10% and 7%, respectively. In this study, several varieties of corn stover lots were investigated to test the robustness of the deacetylation-pretreatment-saccharification-fermentation process. Conclusions: Deacetylation shows significant improvement on glucose and xylose yields during pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, but it also reduces hydrolyzate toxicity during fermentation, thereby improving ethanol yields and titer. The magnitude of effect is dependent on the selected corn stover variety, with several varieties achieving improvements of greater than 10% xylose yield in pretreatment, 20% glucose yield in low solids enzymatic hydrolysis and 7% overall ethanol yield.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗