Current methods to break-down biomass into simple sugars for fermentation constitute the core barrier to the production of ethanol with minimal energy and water input, and waste output. In particular, the present practice of enzymatically hydrolyzing biomass into its constituent sugars in aqueous… More

Economic bioethanol production is critically dependent upon the ability to convert both the hexose (C6) and pentose (C5) sugars resulting from cellulose and hemicellulose components of biomass. C5 sugars are not readily fermentable by native organisms. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are… More

In an economy based on renewable resources, plant biomass can provide a sustainable feedstock for future ¿biorefineries,¿ partially replacing conventional petrochemical refineries. Toward this objective, this project addresses the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass to generate sugars and… More

Large quantities of lignin are currently being generated and processed by the pulp and paper industry and with the development of Biorefineries the amount of lignin produced will dramatically increase. Lignin accounts for about 15-30% of lignocellulosic biomass, and can serve as an abundant … More