A synergetic pretreatment technology for woody biomass conversion

Cellulose hydrolysis and IBE fermentation of eucalyptus sawdust for enhanced biobutanol production by Clostridium beijerinckii DSM 6423.

Due to resource depletion and continued population growth further knowledge for adapting to changes as well as for the future of the world is being explored. It has become clear that sustainable alternatives to fuel need to be developed due to global warming. In this chapter biofuels will be explored as that viable energy alternative. This chapter provides an in-depth examination of the generation of biofuels specific to different categories. The current policies put in place by the Canadian Government are also discussed. Furthermore, the chapter also explores the impact biofuel production can have on the food chain and feedstocks. The advantages and cultivation of algae as a third-generation biofuel are then explored.

An introduction to biofuels, foods, livestock, and the environment

Oat hull hemicellulosic hydrolysate obtained by diluted acid hydrolysis was employed as fermentation medium for Pichia stipitis cultivation. A comparison between the use of treated hydrolysate with 1%  activated charcoal to reduce the toxic compounds generated during the hydrolysis process and untreated hydrolysate as a control was conducted. In the cultures using treated hydrolysate the total consumption of glucose, low xylose consumption and ethanol and glycerol formation were observed. The medium formulated with untreated hydrolysate showed morphological cell modifications with consequently cell death, no ethanol formation and formation of glycerol as byproduct of fermentative process, probably as a response to stressful conditions to yeast due to presence of high concentration of toxic compounds. Thus, further studies are suggested in order to determine the best conditions for hydrolysis and detoxification of the hydrolysate to improve the fermentative performance of P. stipitis.

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Evaluation of oat hull hemicellulosic hydrolysate fermentability employing Pichia stipitis

(R)-hydroxyalkanoic acids (R-HAs) are valuable building blocks for the synthesis of fine chemicals and biopolymers because of the chiral center and the two active functional groups. Hydroxyalkanoic acids fermentation can revolutionize the polyhydroxyalkanoic acids (PHA) production by increasing efficiency and enhancing product utility. Modifying the fermentation conditions that promotes the in vivo depolymerization and secretion to fermentation broth in wild type bacteria is a novel and promising approach to produce R-HAs. Wood extract hydrolysate (WEH) was found to be a suitable substrate for R-3-hydroxybutyric acid (R-3-HB) production by Burkholderia cepacia. Using Paulownia elongate WEH as a feedstock, the R-3-HB concentration in fermentation broth reached as high as 14.2 g/L after 3 days of batch fermentation and the highest concentration of 16.8 g/L was obtained at day 9. Further investigation indicated that the composition of culture medium contributed to the enhanced R-3-HB production.

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Production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid by Burkholderia cepacia from wood extract hydrolysates

Particle properties of sugar maple hemicellulose hydrolysate and its influence on growth and metabolic behavior of Pichia stipitis.

Influence of Oxygen Mass Transfer on the Fermentation Behavior of Burkholderia Cepacia for Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Production Utilizing Wood Extract Hydrolysate (WEH)

Zhijie Sun

Papers

Particle properties of sugar maple hemicellulose hydrolysate and its influence on growth and metabolic behavior of Pichia stipitis.

Influence of Oxygen Mass Transfer on the Fermentation Behavior of Burkholderia Cepacia for Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Production Utilizing Wood Extract Hydrolysate (WEH)