In order to meet the increased demand for ethanol in the future, feedstocks other than starch will need to be utilized to produce alternative fuel. The most undervalued and underutilized energy asset on the plant is cellulosic biomass. Many forms of cellulosic biomass can contribute to biofuels, including grain crops and switch grass, or crop residues like corn stalks, wheat straw, rice straw, grass clippings, and wood residues. These cellulose-containing natural waste products are widely abundant and can be sustainably produced. In addition to fuel, cellulosic biomass can be converted into chemicals used to manufacture products that would otherwise be made from petrochemicals, such as plastics, adhesives, and paints.
Cellulosic biomass has been a challenge for scientists to convert to ethanol. In the past, scientists have used harsh acids and high temperatures to try and break, or hydrolyze, the cellulose molecules into their individual sugar components. However, an economical process has never been developed using traditional chemistry.
Verenium’s Fuelzyme™-CX enzymes are addressing this challenge with the goal of fundamentally changing this paradigm. We are developing enzyme cocktails to convert different types of cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars as part of an overall objective of developing a new, more cost-effective process.
In 2005, as the first key step toward this goal, we developed a set of candidate enzymes under our Integrated Corn-Based Biorefinery (ICBR) program led by DuPont, a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored consortium to develop an economical, commercial-scale process to convert starch and cellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol and other value-added chemicals.
Verenium has also formed a research program with New Zealand Crown Research Institutes Scion and AgResearch which could ultimately see New Zealand's entire vehicle fleet running on New Zealand-grown and manufactured biofuels.
The partners have agreed to coordinate their technology development initiatives to target the feasibility of a transportation biofuel industry in New Zealand that uses bio-based feedstocks such as trees and grasses. For more information view the press release.
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Agricultural residues: leftover crop material, such as the stalks, leaves, and husks of corn plants
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Forestry wastes: chips and sawdust from lumber mills, dead trees, and tree branches
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Energy crops: dedicated fast-growing trees and grasses such as switch grass
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Municipal solid waste: household garbage and paper products
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Food processing and other industrial wastes: black liquor, a paper manufacturing by-product
