Limited availability of fossil fuels stimulates the search for different energy resources.
The use of biofuels is one of the alternatives. Sugars derived from the grain of agricultural crops can be used to produce biofuel but these crops occupy fertile soils needed for food and feed production. Fast growing plants such as poplar, eucalyptus, or various grass residues such as corn stover and sugarcane bagasse do not compete and can be a sustainable source for biofuel. An international collaboration of plant scientists from VIB and Ghent University (Belgium), the University of Dundee (UK), The James Hutton Institute (UK) and the University of Wisconsin (USA) identified a new gene in the biosynthetic pathway of lignin, a major component of plant secondary cell walls that limits the conversion of biomass to energy. These findings published online in this week’s issue of Science Express pave the way for new initiatives supporting a bio-based economy.
“This exciting, fundamental discovery provides an alternative pathway for altering lignin in plants and has the potential to greatly increase the efficiency of energy crop conversion for biofuels,” said Sally M. Benson, director of Stanford University’s Global Climate and Energy Project. “We have been so pleased to support this team of world leaders in lignin research and to see the highly successful outcome of these projects.”
Lignin as a barrier
To understand how plant cells can deliver fuel or plastics, a basic knowledge of a plant’s cell wall is needed. A plant cell wall mainly consists of lignin and sugar molecules such as cellulose. Cellulose can be converted to glucose which can then be used in a classical fermentation process to produce alcohol, similar to beer or wine making. Lignin is a kind of cement that embeds the sugar molecules and thereby gives firmness to plants. Thanks to lignin, even very tall plants can maintain their upright stature. Unfortunately, lignin severely reduces the accessibility of sugar molecules for biofuel production. The lignin cement has to be removed via an energy-consuming and environmentally unfriendly process. Plants with a lower amount of lignin or with lignin that is easier to break down can be a real benefit for biofuel and bioplastics production. The same holds true for the paper industry that uses the cellulose fibres to produce paper.
A new enzyme
For many years researchers have been studying the lignin biosynthetic pathway in plants. Increasing insight into this process can lead to new strategies to improve the accessibility of the cellulose molecules. Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, an international research collaboration between VIB and Ghent University (Belgium), the University of Dundee (UK), the James Hutton Institute (UK) and the University of Wisconsin (USA) has now identified a new enzyme in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. This enzyme, caffeoyl shikimate esterase (CSE), fulfils a central role in lignin biosynthesis. Knocking-out the CSE gene, resulted in 36% less lignin per gram of stem material. Additionally, the remaining lignin had an altered structure. As a result, the direct conversion of cellulose to glucose from un-pretreated plant biomass increased four-fold, from 18% in the control plants to 78% in the cse mutant plants.
These new insights, published this week online in Science Express, can now be used to screen natural populations of energy crops such as poplar, eucalyptus, switchgrass or other grass species for a non-functional CSE gene. Alternatively, the expression of CSE can be genetically engineered in energy crops. A reduced amount of lignin or an adapted lignin structure can contribute to a more efficient conversion of biomass to energy.
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Sezgin Baran Korkmaz, who counts James Woolsey, the former CIA Director under President Bill Clinton and advisor to former President Donald Trump as a friend, was part of massive biofuel scam with ...
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In what can only be described as a convoluted tale of international intrigue, a biofuel scam of monumental proportions has surfaced, involving an improbable assembly of individuals ranging from ...
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The global solketal industry was worth US$ 76.85 Billion in the year 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 108.4 Billion by the year 2032 at a CAGR of 3.5% between 2022 and 2032. The solketal market is ...
- Researchers seek to scale ‘yeast fuel’ productionon April 26, 2024 at 7:34 am
Scientists at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University say yeast and agricultural waste will play a key role in the development of renewable jet fuel for the aerospace industry ...
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However, a week later, the government reversed the ban and allowed the use of cane juice and B-heavy molasses, but within the overall cap of a diversion of 17 lakh tonnes of sugar for ethanol ...
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NY world sugar #11 (SBK24) this morning is down -0.32 (-1.60%), and Aug London ICE white sugar #5 (SWQ24) is down -8.30 (-1.44%). Sugar prices retreated today based on the outlook for a larger sugar ...
- Ethanol production hits 13-week lowon April 24, 2024 at 3:32 pm
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- Higher ethanol gasoline blend on sale in US for third summeron April 24, 2024 at 10:27 am
Last week, the EPA said that due to global conflicts pressuring international fuel supplies, it will allow a higher blend of ethanol to be sold in the U.S. for the third consecutive summer ...
- India lets oil firms procure extra ethanol from sugar mills, source sayson April 24, 2024 at 7:42 am
India has agreed to allow oil marketing companies to procure ethanol by diverting an extra 800,000 metric tons of sugar for biofuel production, a government source said on Wednesday.
- Govt allows sugar mills to use 6.7 lakh tons of B-heavy molasses for ethanol productionon April 24, 2024 at 6:55 am
The government has allowed sugar mills to use 6.7 lakh tonnes of B-heavy molasses as feedstock for ethanol production in the current year. The move follows the industry's request to the food ministry ...
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- Farm and Food: How to win the SAF game: Part 2on April 27, 2024 at 9:00 pm
The U.S. continues to try to game the system to make corn and soybeans qualify as feedstocks for sustainable aviation fuel.
- Money Laundering Trial for Reputed CIA Asset and Turkish Tycoon Pushed — Againon April 27, 2024 at 12:16 am
Sezgin Baran Korkmaz, who counts James Woolsey (the former CIA Director under President Bill Clinton and advisor to former President Donald Trump) as a friend, was part of massive biofuel scam with ...
- Biofuel Scam Exposes Intrigue: CIA Ties, Turkish Tycoon and $1 Billion Fraudon April 26, 2024 at 7:38 pm
In what can only be described as a convoluted tale of international intrigue, a biofuel scam of monumental proportions has surfaced, involving an improbable assembly of individuals ranging from ...
- Berlin residents upset with ‘overwhelming' smell emitted from nearby biofuel facilityon April 26, 2024 at 2:50 pm
It’s almost like a rancid meat smell when it happens and the odor permeates,” Tasca Ford General Manager Tom Moran said. An unpleasant odor is creating unhappiness for residents and businesses like ...
- Leading Process Engg & biofuel company!on April 24, 2024 at 11:05 pm
Missed joining ETMarket Live Stream Session? Don't worry now you can watch all the ETMarkets Advait Arora recorded videos here on the ETMarkets Recorderded.
- Peninsula charters in Alba Tankers ship for biofuel operations in Spainon April 24, 2024 at 6:35 am
Bunker and tanker group Peninsula has added to its capacity in the western Mediterranean in a deal with Sweden’s Alba Tankers. The company told TradeWinds it has time-chartered the 3,500-dwt clean ...
- Italy's top administrative court upholds Eni appeal against biofuel fineon April 24, 2024 at 4:29 am
Italy's highest administrative court on Wednesday upheld an appeal by Eni against a 5 million euro ($5.3 million) antitrust fine imposed over the marketing of fuel, the Italian energy group said in a ...
- PostNL adds 4 million litres of biofuel to European diesel network to reduce emissionson April 23, 2024 at 8:15 am
HVO100 is a renewable biofuel that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional diesel fuel. PostNL estimates this initiative will ...
- Carras Secures ABS' First Biofuel Notation for Aquataurus Bulk Carrieron April 23, 2024 at 1:46 am
Greek shipping company Carras (Hellas) has received the ABS Biofuel-1 notation for its Aquataurus ultramax bulk carrier, the ...
- How A Former Enron Exec Lured ExxonMobil To Bet $150 Million On A Longshot Biofuelon April 19, 2024 at 3:30 am
Richard Palmer of Global Clean Energy used Exxon money to overhaul an aging California oil refinery in order to process the oil-rich seeds of a plant called camelina. Now Exxon is suing.
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