Articles
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Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:1
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Combining hot-compressed water and ball milling pretreatments to improve the efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis of eucalyptus
Lignocellulosic biomass such as wood is an attractive material for fuel ethanol production. Pretreatment technologies that increase the digestibility of cellulose and hemicellulose in the lignocellulosic bioma...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:2 -
Genome-wide screening of the genes required for tolerance to vanillin, which is a potential inhibitor of bioethanol fermentation, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Lignocellulosic materials are abundant and among the most important potential sources for bioethanol production. Although the pretreatment of lignocellulose is necessary for efficient saccharification and ferm...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:3 -
Integration options for high energy efficiency and improved economics in a wood-to-ethanol process
There is currently a steady increase in the use of wood-based fuels for heat and power production in Sweden. A major proportion of these fuels could serve as feedstock for ethanol production. In this study var...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:4 -
Cell-wall structural changes in wheat straw pretreated for bioethanol production
Pretreatment is an essential step in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass and subsequent production of bioethanol. Recent results indicate that only a mild pretreatment is necessary in an industrial, economical...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:5 -
The Brazilian biofuels industry
Ethanol is a biofuel that is used as a replacement for approximately 3% of the fossil-based gasoline consumed in the world today. Most of this biofuel is produced from sugarcane in Brazil and corn in the Unite...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:6 -
A short review on SSF – an interesting process option for ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks
Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is one process option for production of ethanol from lignocellulose. The principal benefits of performing the enzymatic hydrolysis together with the ferment...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:7 -
Metabolic regulation analysis of an ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain based on RT-PCR and enzymatic activities
A metabolic regulation study was performed, based upon measurements of enzymatic activities, fermentation performance, and RT-PCR analysis of pathways related to central carbon metabolism, in an ethanologenic Esc...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:8 -
Are biofuels sustainable? The EU perspective
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:9 -
Implications of cellobiohydrolase glycosylation for use in biomass conversion
The cellulase producing ascomycete, Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina), is known to secrete a range of enzymes important for ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. It is also widely used for the com...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:10 -
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer sensors for quantitative monitoring of pentose and disaccharide accumulation in bacteria
Engineering microorganisms to improve metabolite flux requires detailed knowledge of the concentrations and flux rates of metabolites and metabolic intermediates in vivo. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer se...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:11 -
Pichia stipitis xylose reductase helps detoxifying lignocellulosic hydrolysate by reducing 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF)
Pichia stipitis xylose reductase (Ps-XR) has been used to design Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that are able to ferment xylose. One example is the industrial S. cerevisiae xylose-consuming strain TMB3400, whic...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:12 -
A spatially explicit whole-system model of the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain: an assessment of decentralised processing potential
Lignocellulosic bioethanol technologies exhibit significant capacity for performance improvement across the supply chain through the development of high-yielding energy crops, integrated pretreatment, hydrolys...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:13 -
Pilot-scale conversion of lime-treated wheat straw into bioethanol: quality assessment of bioethanol and valorization of side streams by anaerobic digestion and combustion
The limited availability of fossil fuel sources, worldwide rising energy demands and anticipated climate changes attributed to an increase of greenhouse gasses are important driving forces for finding alternat...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:14 -
Analysis of saccharification in Brachypodium distachyon stems under mild conditions of hydrolysis
Brachypodium distachyon constitutes an excellent model species for grasses. It is a small, easily propagated, temperate grass with a rapid life cycle and a small genome. It is a self-fertile plant that can be tra...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:15 -
Comparing the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose isomerase pathways in arabinose and xylose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains
Ethanolic fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable option for the production of bioethanol. This process would greatly benefit from recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains also able to fermen...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:16 -
Development of a fluorescence-based method for monitoring glucose catabolism and its potential use in a biomass hydrolysis assay
The availability and low cost of lignocellulosic biomass has caused tremendous interest in the bioconversion of this feedstock into liquid fuels. One measure of the economic viability of the bioconversion proc...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:17 -
Comparative secretome analyses of two Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 and CL847 hypersecretory strains
Due to its capacity to produce large amounts of cellulases, Trichoderma reesei is increasingly been researched in various fields of white biotechnology, especially in biofuel production from lignocellulosic bioma...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2008 1:18 -
Enzymatic transesterification of Jatropha oil
Transesterification of Jatropha oil was carried out in t-butanol solvent using immobilized lipase from Enterobacter aerogenes. The presence of t-butanol significantly reduced the negative effects caused by both m...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:1 -
Enzymatic corn wet milling: engineering process and cost model
Enzymatic corn wet milling (E-milling) is a process derived from conventional wet milling for the recovery and purification of starch and co-products using proteases to eliminate the need for sulfites and decr...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:2 -
The commercial performance of cellulosic ethanol supply-chains in Europe
The production of fuel-grade ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass resources has the potential to increase biofuel production capacity whilst minimising the negative environmental impacts. These benefits will o...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:3 -
Enhanced ethanol production from brewer's spent grain by a Fusarium oxysporum consolidated system
Brewer's spent grain (BG), a by-product of the brewing process, is attracting increasing scientific interest as a low-cost feedstock for many biotechnological applications. BG in the present study is evaluated...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:4 -
Forage quality and composition measurements as predictors of ethanol yield from maize (Zea mays L.) stover
Improvement of biofeedstock quality for cellulosic ethanol production will be facilitated by inexpensive and rapid methods of evaluation, such as those already employed in the field of ruminant nutrition. Our ...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:5 -
The influence of solid/liquid separation techniques on the sugar yield in two-step dilute acid hydrolysis of softwood followed by enzymatic hydrolysis
Two-step dilute acid hydrolysis of softwood, either as a stand-alone process or as pretreatment before enzymatic hydrolysis, is considered to result in higher sugar yields than one-step acid hydrolysis. Howeve...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:6 -
Controlling accumulation of fermentation inhibitors in biorefinery recycle water using microbial fuel cells
Microbial fuel cells (MFC) and microbial electrolysis cells are electrical devices that treat water using microorganisms and convert soluble organic matter into electricity and hydrogen, respectively. Emerging...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:7 -
Prefermentation improves xylose utilization in simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation of pretreated spruce
Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is a promising process option for ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials. However, both the overall ethanol yield and the final ethanol concentra...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:8 -
Xylose reductase from Pichia stipitis with altered coenzyme preference improves ethanolic xylose fermentation by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) from Pichia stipitis are the two enzymes most commonly used in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains engineered for xylose utilization. The availabilit...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:9 -
Bioprospecting metagenomes: glycosyl hydrolases for converting biomass
Throughout immeasurable time, microorganisms evolved and accumulated remarkable physiological and functional heterogeneity, and now constitute the major reserve for genetic diversity on earth. Using metagenomi...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:10 -
Yield-determining factors in high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose
Working at high solids (substrate) concentrations is advantageous in enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass as it increases product concentrations and plant productivity while lowering energy and wate...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:11 -
Efficient hydrogen production from the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus by the extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga neapolitana
The production of hydrogen from biomass by fermentation is one of the routes that can contribute to a future sustainable hydrogen economy. Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive feedstock because of its abun...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:12 -
How can accelerated development of bioenergy contribute to the future UK energy mix? Insights from a MARKAL modelling exercise
This work explores the potential contribution of bioenergy technologies to 60% and 80% carbon reductions in the UK energy system by 2050, by outlining the potential for accelerated technological development of...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:13 -
Enzymatic hydrolysis of steam-pretreated lignocellulosic materials with Trichoderma atroviride enzymes produced in-house
Improvement of the process of cellulase production and development of more efficient lignocellulose-degrading enzymes are necessary in order to reduce the cost of enzymes required in the biomass-to-bioethanol ...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:14 -
The greenhouse gas emissions performance of cellulosic ethanol supply chains in Europe
Calculating the greenhouse gas savings that may be attributed to biofuels is problematic because production systems are inherently complex and methods used to quantify savings are subjective. Differing approac...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:15 -
Airtight storage of moist wheat grain improves bioethanol yields
Drying is currently the most frequently used conservation method for cereal grain, which in temperate climates consumes a major part of process energy. Airtight storage of moist feed grain using the biocontrol...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:16 -
Plant cell wall characterization using scanning probe microscopy techniques
Lignocellulosic biomass is today considered a promising renewable resource for bioenergy production. A combined chemical and biological process is currently under consideration for the conversion of polysaccha...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:17 -
Watermelon juice: a promising feedstock supplement, diluent, and nitrogen supplement for ethanol biofuel production
Two economic factors make watermelon worthy of consideration as a feedstock for ethanol biofuel production. First, about 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or ...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:18 -
Metabolic engineering strategies for the improvement of cellulase production by Hypocrea jecorina
Hypocrea jecorina (= Trichoderma reesei) is the main industrial source of cellulases and hemicellulases used to depolymerise plant biomass to simple sugars that are converted to chemical intermediates and biofuel...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:19 -
Reflections on the United States Military 1941-1987
This article, 'Reflections on the United States Military 1941-1987' written by my grandmother, Mary Mandels, illustrates her passion for life. Her outreach article was considered most appropriate for publicati...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:20 -
Measurement of saccharifying cellulase
This article sets forth a simple cellulase assay procedure. Cellulose is variable in nature, insoluble and resistant to enzymatic attack. As a result there have been a bevy of bewildering cellulase assays publ...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:21 -
Mary Elizabeth Hickox Mandels, 90, bioenergy leader
Mary E H Mandels, who spearheaded the US Army's national bioconversion studies for four decades and was an early proponent of conversion of waste biomass to readily bioconvertible sugars for the production of ...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:22 -
Remembering Mary (1917 to 2008): editorial introduction to the thematic series on the life and lifework of Mary Mandels, first lady of cellulase research
Editorial introduction to the thematic series on the life and lifework of Mary Mandels.
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:23 -
Enzymatic hydrolyzing performance of Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma reesei against three lignocellulosic materials
Bioethanol isolated from lignocellulosic biomass represents one of the most promising renewable and carbon neutral alternative liquid fuel sources. Enzymatic saccharification using cellulase has proven to be a...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:24 -
Parallel metatranscriptome analyses of host and symbiont gene expression in the gut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes
Termite lignocellulose digestion is achieved through a collaboration of host plus prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts. In the present work, we took a combined host and symbiont metatranscriptomic approach for...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:25 -
Cellulosic hydrolysate toxicity and tolerance mechanisms in Escherichia coli
The sustainable production of biofuels will require the efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. A key barrier involves the creation of growth-inhibitory compounds by chemical pretreatment steps, whic...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:26 -
Advancing environmental risk assessment for transgenic biofeedstock crops
Transgenic modification of plants is a key enabling technology for developing sustainable biofeedstocks for biofuels production. Regulatory decisions and the wider acceptance and development of transgenic biof...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:27 -
Laboratory-scale method for enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass at high-solids loadings
Screening new lignocellulosic biomass pretreatments and advanced enzyme systems at process relevant conditions is a key factor in the development of economically viable lignocellulosic ethanol. Shake flasks, t...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:28 -
Optimizing harvest of corn stover fractions based on overall sugar yields following ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis
Corn stover composition changes considerably throughout the growing season and also varies between the various fractions of the plant. These differences can impact optimal pretreatment conditions, enzymatic di...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:29 -
The impacts of pretreatment on the fermentability of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass: a comparative evaluation between ammonia fiber expansion and dilute acid pretreatment
Pretreatment chemistry is of central importance due to its impacts on cellulosic biomass processing and biofuels conversion. Ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) and dilute acid are two promising pretreatments using...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:30 -
Optimization of the dilute maleic acid pretreatment of wheat straw
In this study, the dilute maleic acid pretreatment of wheat straw is optimized, using pretreatment time, temperature and maleic acid concentration as design variables. A central composite design was applied to...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2009 2:31 -
Evaluation of ammonia fibre expansion (AFEX) pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis of switchgrass harvested in different seasons and locations
When producing biofuels from dedicated feedstock, agronomic factors such as harvest time and location can impact the downstream production. Thus, this paper studies the effectiveness of ammonia fibre expansion...
Citation: Biotechnology for Biofuels 2010 3:1