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The scarcity of essential minerals in the wort used for bioethanol production has long been a persistent concern in industrial processes. This scarcity can negatively impact various aspects of production, including yeast cell vitality and sugar-to-ethanol conversion. In this study, we assessed the nutritional profile of key components of the industrial bioethanol production process and identified nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and copper ions deficiencies. Supplementation of fermentation assays with TMNitrofós was carried out until reaching the maximum allowed for manganese (24.5%), zinc (49.4%), and copper (8.8%). Laboratory-scale fermentation assays were conducted under varying conditions of soluble solids in the wort (20, 24, and 26°Brix). These experiments aimed to assess the primary productivity parameters in response to the application of TMNitrofós. Results showed that fermentations using wort with 24 and 26°Brix supplemented with TMNitrofós led to 7% higher fermentative efficiency compared to the control group. The supplemented fermentations demonstrated higher levels of cellular vitality (76.6%) compared to the control group (55.3%). Considering a scale-up in the bioethanol production process with TMNitrofós supplementation, an increase of 266 m3 of ethanol per month was achieved compared to the control group, resulting in cost savings of R$ 586,879.20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excess of minerals in the industrial substrates is detrimental for Saccharomyces cerevisiae ethanol fermentation performance. In this work, we sought to understand the effect of some of those minerals on the physiology of Dekkera bruxellensis. Three groups of minerals were classified on the basis of the aerobic growth profiles on glucose neutrals (K+, Mg2+, P5+, and Zn2+), inducers (Mn2+ and Ca2+), and inhibitors (Al3+, Cu2+, and Fe2+). Cu2+ showed the highest mineral toxicity, and its effect was dependent on the level of medium aeration. On the other hand, copper stimulated respiration by increasing growth on respiratory carbon sources. Most growth inhibitors also hampered glucose fermentation, with changes in carbon distribution to metabolic routes dedicated to anabolic reactions and for alternative reduced cofactors oxidations to maintain cellular homeostasis. The negative effect of Cu2+ on yeast fermentation was partially alleviated by Mg2+ and Mn2+, similar to magnesium antagonism observed for S. cerevisiae. All these results might contribute to understand the action of these minerals in sugarcane substrates on the physiology of D. bruxellensis cells. Therefore, it represents one more step for the consolidation of the industrial use of this yeast in the production of fuel ethanol as well as other biotechnological goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online monitoring of fermentation processes is a necessary task to determine concentrations of key biochemical compounds, diagnose faults in process operations, and implement feedback controllers. However, obtaining the signals of all-important variables in a real process is a task that may be difficult and expensive due to the lack of adequate sensors, or simply because some variables cannot be directly measured. From the above, a model-based approach such as state observers may be a viable alternative to solve the estimation problem. This work shows a comparative analysis of the real-time performance of a family of sliding-mode observers for reconstructing key variables in a batch bioreactor for fermentative ethanol production. These observers were selected for their robust performance under model uncertainties and finite-time estimation convergence. The selected sliding-mode observers were the first-order sliding mode observer, the proportional sliding mode observer, and the high-order sliding mode observer. For estimation purposes, a power law kinetic model for ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was performed. A hybrid methodology allows the kinetic parameters to be adjusted, and an approach based on inference diagrams allows the observability of the model to be determined. The experimental results reported here show that the observers under analysis were robust to modeling errors and measurement noise. Moreover, the proportional sliding-mode observer was the algorithm that exhibited the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many biorefinery processes, the development of effective preservation techniques is essential to avoid any sugar loss between crop-harvesting and fermentation. In this work, five physicochemical techniques (acidification, ozonation, addition of sodium hydrosulfite, sodium sulfate and oil layer) were investigated for the preservation of sugar beet molasses diluted at low (150 g/L) and high (300 g/L) concentration of initial sugars. After 30 days, sugars and metabolites profiles were quantified to determine the optimal preservation technique capable of limiting the biological contamination while preserving as much fermentable sugars as possible. Although none of the strategies was efficient to prevent the microbial contamination at 150 g/L, some approaches allowed preserving more than 90% of fermentable sugars at 300 g/L of initial sugars. Furthermore, the use of 2 g/L of sodium hydrosulfite or acidifying the media to pH 3 allowed the conservation of nearly 100% of the fermentable sugars. Fermentation assays performed after storage indicated that acidification, sodium hydrosulfite and ozonation did not alter the fermentation performances, as the production of ethanol reached 102 g/L after 6 days of incubation. Therefore, the use of sodium hydrosulfite or acidification were considered as relevant strategies for maintaining fermentable sugars in liquid feedstock for bioethanol production. [Display omitted] • Diluted sugar beet molasses was used as feedstock for bioethanol production. • Five storage techniques were tested to preserve fermentable sugars from contamination. • Acidification or addition of Na 2 S 2 O 4 were the most efficient preservation techniques. • 90% of the initial fermentable sugars were preserved after 30 days of storage. • Addition of Na 2 S 2 O 4, acidification and ozonation did not impact the fermentation performances after storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural residues (e.g. corn stover (CS)) representing a huge lignocellulosic biomass waste are regarded as a promising renewable resource that can be converted to fuels and chemicals via biochemical route. Nevertheless, the unfavorable properties, such as low bulk density, contamination by microorganisms, fluffy and thereby difficult to handle, cause huge problems for biomass logistics and biomass conversion. Furthermore, traditional biomass pretreatment methods often use severe conditions, consume much energy, difficult to scale up and generate a feedstock with many toxic degradation products that inhibit fermentation. In this study, we developed a novel, low-cost and easy-to-implement pretreatment method: "Densifying Lignocellulosic biomass with acidic Chemicals (DLC)" on CS. The DLC-CS owning a uniform shape showed a bulk density 4 times higher compared to loose CS and was highly resistant to microbial contamination, which greatly facilitates biomass handling, transportation and storage. DLC-CS after regular steam autoclave treatment at 121 ○C exhibited high enzymatic digestibility and much higher fermentability compared to traditional dilute acid pretreatment. An ethanol titer as high as 68.1 g/L was achieved without washing or detoxification of the pretreated biomass. The superior performances of DLC for biomass logistics and biomass conversion render it very promising for industrial use. • A novel lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment method was developed. • This method increased biomass bulk density and prevented microbial contamination. • The pretreated biomass showed high digestibility and high fermentability. • A high ethanol titer (68.1 g/L) was achieved without washing or detoxification. • This method facilitates biomass logistics and greatly reduces pretreatment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol is alternative renewable energy typically obtained from glucose through a fermentation process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the bioethanol fermentation process using yeast, there are several inhibiting factors, such as a high concentration of substrate, ethanol as the product, and nutrients. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of fermentation time (12- 72 hours), immobilized carrier size (sizes of 0.5 cm3, 1 cm3, and 1.5 cm3), and medium pH (3.0, 4.0, and 5.0) on the ethanol fermentation process using immobilized yeast in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) seeds and subsequently to compare its performance with a free cell system. The highest ethanol concentration (89.15 g/L) with a yield of 96.92% was obtained by immobilizing yeast in jackfruit seed at a fermentation time of 72 hours, carrier size of 0.5 cm3, and medium pH of 5.0. When compared to the free cell system fermentation under identical operating conditions, immobilized yeast in jackfruit seed obtained 1.41 times higher ethanol concentration. Jackfruit seed also led to a higher ethanol concentration compared to other S. cerevisiae carriers. Altogether, our findings imply that jackfruit seed has great potential as a carrier of S. cerevisiae in the process of fermenting glucose into ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol is an environmentally benign renewable energy commonly obtained from glucose fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purposes of this study are to investigate the effects of time, temperature, pH, immobilized yeast cell loading, beads reuse during ethanol production through batch fermentation of glucose derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches by S. cerevisiae immobilized on Na-alginate beads and to compare the performance of fermentation using immobilized yeast cells and that of using a free cell system. The results revealed that time, temperature, pH, yeast mass and beads reuse significantly affected the ethanol and final glucose concentrations. As expected, a maximum ethanol concentration was obtained from fermentation using immobilized yeast cells at 30 °C, pH 5, and immobilized yeast cell loading of 0.75 g for 48 hours. However, fermentation with a free cell system at the same conditions resulted in lower ethanol yield. The highest ethanol concentration of 88.125 g/L with a productivity of 1.84 g/L·h was achieved from the second cycle fermentation using of immobilized cells beads. The results suggest that an immobilized cell system exhibits great potential applications for improved ethanol production due to its ability to sustain the stability of cell activity, reduce contamination tendency, and protect yeast cells from any possible inhibitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing ethanol demand and public concerns about environmental protection promote the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol. Compared to that of starch- and sugar-based bioethanol production, the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol is water-intensive. A large amount of water is consumed during pretreatment, detoxification, saccharification, and fermentation. Water is a limited resource, and very high water consumption limits the industrial production of lignocellulosic bioethanol and decreases its environmental feasibility. In this review, we focused on the potential for reducing water consumption during the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol by performing pretreatment and fermentation at high solid loading, omitting water washing after pretreatment, and recycling wastewater by integrating bioethanol production and anaerobic digestion. In addition, the feasibility of these approaches and their research progress were discussed. This comprehensive review is expected to draw attention to water competition between bioethanol production and human use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study chemical and enzymatic treatment of hemp biomass were optimized to obtain maximum ethanol production. In the first stage, physical and chemical pretreatment of hemp biomass was carried out. It was found that the Tygra variety is susceptible to alkaline treatment at an optimum concentration of 2% NaOH. Next, the effect of NaOH on the value of reducing sugars and the chemical composition of the solid fraction before and after the treatment was determined. Hemp biomass before and after the chemical treatment was analysed by FTIR spectra and SEM. The effect of enzymatic hydrolysis, i.e., substrate content, temperature, time, pH and dose of enzyme by means of Response Surface Methodology on glucose content was determined. The highest glucose value was observed at 50 °C, in time process between 48 and 72 h, and the dose of enzyme was not less than 20 FPU·g−1. After the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis two processes of ethanol fermentation from hemp biomass, SHF and SSF, were carried out. In the SHF process a 40% higher concentration of ethanol was obtained (10.51 g/L). In conclusion, hemp biomass was found to be an interesting and promising source to be used for bioethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Methods for obtaining high-concentration (ca. 40 g/L) ethanol from cassava stem (CS) were explored by investigating the effects of acid hydrolysis conditions, hydrolysate concentration, and intermittent inoculation of yeast on ethanol fermentation. Two-step acid hydrolysis demonstrated that a reduction in autoclaving temperature from 121 °C to 111 °C remarkably lowered the furfural concentration in the hydrolysate, with only ±10% differences in the glucose and xylose concentrations. For the concentration of sugars in the CS hydrolysate, the acid hydrolysate prepared with CS concentration of 200 g/L was used instead of distilled water for the second step of acid hydrolysis using new CS biomass (i.e., two-times acid hydrolysis). This produced a concentrated hydrolysate containing 95 g/L of glucose and 0.95 g/L furfural. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain IAM 4178 was inoculated into the concentrated CS hydrolysate after verifying its furfural tolerance. Furfural was rapidly degraded and glucose was converted to ethanol during the startup period, whereas cell density decreased to approximately 10% of the initial value and ethanol production ceased by 72 h. IAM 4178 was then re-inoculated intermittently to maintain the cell density at 108 cells/mL, which eventually resulted in the complete uptake of glucose and the production of high concentrations of ethanol, up to 37.5 g/L. Highlights • Two-time acid hydrolysis of cassava stem to produce high-concentration bioethanol. • Reduction of furfural in the hydrolysate by lowering the autoclaving temperature. • Concentration of glucose in the hydrolysate by two-time acid hydrolysis. • Maintenance of yeast cell density by intermittent yeast inoculation. • Complete uptake of glucose and production of 37.5 g/L of ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High temperature inhibits cell growth and ethanol fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As a complex phenotype, thermotolerance usually involves synergistic actions of many genes, thereby being difficult to engineer. The overexpression of either endogenous or exogenous stress-related transcription factor genes in yeasts was found to be able to improve relevant stress tolerance of the hosts. Results: To increase ethanol yield of high-temperature fermentation, we constructed a series of strains of S. cerevisiae by expressing 8 transcription factor genes from S. cerevisiae and 7 transcription factor genes from thermotolerant K. marxianus in S. cerevisiae. The results of growth curve measurements and spotting test show that KmHsf1 and KmMsn2 can enhance cell growth of S. cerevisiae at 40-42 °C. According to the results of batch fermentation at 43 °C with an initial glucose concentration of 104.8 g/l, the fermentation broths of KmHSF1 and KmMSN2-expressing strains could reach final ethanol concentrations of 27.2 ± 1.4 and 27.6 ± 1.2 g/l, respectively, while the control strain just produced 18.9 ± 0.3 g/l ethanol. Transcriptomic analysis found that the expression of KmHSF1 and KmMSN2 resulted in 55 (including 31 up-regulated and 24 down-regulated) and 50 (including 32 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated) genes with different expression levels, respectively (padj < 0.05). The results of transcriptomic analysis also reveal that KmHsf1 might increase ethanol production by regulating genes related to transporter activity to limit excessive ATP consumption and promote the uptake of glucose; while KmMsn2 might promote ethanol fermentation by regulating genes associated with glucose metabolic process and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. In addition, KmMsn2 might also help to cope with high temperature by regulating genes associated with lipid metabolism to change the membrane fluidity. Conclusions: The transcription factors KmHsf1 and KmMsn2 of thermotolerant K. marxianus can promote both cell growth and ethanol fermentation of S. cerevisiae at high temperatures. Different mechanisms of KmHsf1 and KmMsn2 in promoting high-temperature ethanol fermentation of S. cerevisiae were revealed by transcriptomic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-ethanol used today is mainly produced from sugar cane and cereals, but reducing the production costs of ethanol is still crucial for a viable economic process. Cellulose from plant biomass will be the next cheaper raw material for second generation fuel ethanol production. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombae are the common industrial yeast strains used for the production of ethanol from various substrates derived from agricultural commodities. In the present study, ethanol was produced from various substrates such as molasses, sugarcane juice, sugarcane syrup, jaggery, grapes, beet root, orange and rice substrates by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombae. The experimental study shows that the biomass production declines progressively when the ethanol accumulates in the surrounding medium after the production of ethanol. However, the conversion of ethanol was achieved in batch fermentation process at optimum temperature and the internal pH of the fermentation medium at laboratory level. The yield percentage of ethanol for the above substrates were analyzed and compared for different carbon sources. Among different substrates, Jaggery and Molases showed higher ethanol yield as 95.2% and 93.5% respectively. Among the two species of yeast studied, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielded higher percentage of ethanol than Schizosaccharomyces pombae in batch fermentation process. The present study concludes the effect of various carbon sources on production of ethanol with two different industrial yeast strains such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombae are vary in similar conditions of ethanol production processprocess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forward osmosis (FO), driven by high osmotic pressure, was used for the first time for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. A commercial membrane, TFC-ES (Hydration Technology Innovation), was used and 3.6 M triethylamine (TEA) was chosen as the draw solution because the concentration ratio against a model xylose solution was similar to that achieved with 2.5 M NaCl. The liquid fraction of hot-water-pretreated rice straw was concentrated by using the FO membrane. The initial sugar concentration of 199 mM increased to 825 and 1612 mM after 48 and 72 h of FO concentration, respectively, and these values were much higher than those obtained from nanofiltration. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of the liquid fraction after 48 h of FO concentration by xylose-fermenting recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced 17.7 g/L of ethanol after 24 h fermentation. Thus, the FO process has tremendous potential to up-concentrate sugars obtained from lignocellulosic biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the control of an experimentally validated model of production of bioethanol. The analysis of the open loop system revealed that the maximum productivity occurred at a periodic point. A robust control was needed to avoid instabilities that may occur when disturbances are injected into the process that may drive it toward or through the unstable points. A nonlinear model predictive controller (NLMPC) was used to control the process. Simulation tests were carried out using three controlled variables: the ethanol concentration, the productivity and the inverse of the productivity. In the third configuration, the controller was required to seek the maximum operating point through the optimization capability built in the NLMPC algorithm. Simulation tests presented overall satisfactory closed-loop performance for both nominal servo and regulatory control problems as well as in the presence of modeling errors. The third control configuration managed to steer the process toward the existing maximum productivity even when the process operation or its parameters changed. For comparison purposes, a standard PI controller was also designed for the same control objectives. The PI controller yielded satisfactory performance when the ethanol concentration was chosen as the controlled variable. When, on the other hand, the productivity was chosen as the controlled output, the PI controller did not work properly and needed to be adjusted using gain scheduling. In all cases, it was observed that the closed-loop response suffered from slow dynamics, and any attempt to speed up the feedback response via tuning may result in an unstable behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jerusalem artichoke (JA) is a potential energy crop for biorefinery due to its unique agronomic traits such as resistance to environmental stresses and high biomass yield in marginal lands. Although JA tubers have been explored for inulin extraction and biofuels production, there is little concern on its stalk (JAS). In this article, the pretreatment of JAS by alkaline hydrogen peroxide was optimized using the response surface methodology to improve sugars yield and reduce chemicals usage. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the structures of the pretreated JAS to evaluate the effectiveness of the pretreatment. Furthermore, the feeding of the pretreated JAS and cellulase was performed for high solid uploading (up to 30%) to increase ethanol titer, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with 55.6 g/L ethanol produced, 36.5% more than that produced through separate hydrolysis and fermentation, was validated to be more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of field beans, a non-food leguminous crop, was studied for ethanol, feed components and fungal biomass production. The seeds were hydrolyzed using enzymes or with combination of acid (H 3 PO 4 ) and alkaline (Ca(OH) 2 ) pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae , with or without removal of suspended solids, yielded 38.3–42.5 g L −1 ethanol (71.3–79.2% efficiency). The filtration residues contained ca. 247–326 g kg −1 crude protein, 10.6–15.5% acid detergent fiber and 19.9–29.1% neutral detergent fiber. They were enriched in phenolics (by up to 93.4%) and depleted in condensed tannin (by up to 59.3%) in comparison to the raw material. The thin stillages were used for cultivation of edible fungus Neurospora intermedia which produced 8.5–15.9 g L −1 ethanol and 4.8–16.2 g L −1 biomass containing over 62% protein. The mass balances showed that fermentation of unfiltered mashes was more efficient yielding up to 195.9 g kg −1 ethanol and 84.4% of protein recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol is a renewable biofuel that has a strong inhibitory effect on cells in bioethanol fermentation by yeast. In this study, carbon nanotube (CNT)-mixed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes were used for ethanol recovery from model solutions as well as for fermentation by self-flocculating yeast. Imbedding CNTs into the PDMS membrane led to enhanced ethanol recovery, with a maximum total flux of 128.7 g/m 2 h and an ethanol titer of 615.1 g/L in permeate. The CNTs can provide a flexible route for ethanol transport through the inner tubes or along the smooth surface. In fed-batch fermentation incorporating pervaporation, 112.3 g/L of ethanol was produced with an overall ethanol productivity and yield of 2.23 g/L h and 0.45 g/g, respectively. The membrane produced a highly concentrated condensate containing 400.3–487.5 g/L of ethanol. Furthermore, as yeast flocs can be throttled down in the bioreactor, self-flocculating yeast can be used to prevent membrane fouling induced by cell adsorption on the membrane. Therefore, the CNT-mixed membrane coupled with ethanol fermentation by self-flocculating yeast not only reduces ethanol-mediated inhibition of cells but also saves the production cost because of the reduced fouling risk. Thus, this combination approach has potential in industrial bioethanol production for long-time operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyper thermal (HT) acid hydrolysis of Kappaphycus alvarezii , a red seaweed, was optimized to 12% (w/v) seaweed slurry content, 180 mM H 2 SO 4 at 140 °C for 5 min. The maximum monosaccharide concentration of 38.3 g/L and 66.7% conversion from total fermentable monosaccharides of 57.6 g/L with 120 g dw/L K. alvarezii slurry were obtained from HT acid hydrolysis and enzymatic saccharification. HT acid hydrolysis at a severity factor of 0.78 efficiently converted the carbohydrates of seaweed to monosaccharides and produced a low concentration of inhibitory compounds. The levels of ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation with non-adapted and adapted Kluyveromyces marxianus to high concentration of galactose were 6.1 g/L with ethanol yield ( Y EtOH ) of 0.19 at 84 h and 16.0 g/L with Y EtOH of 0.42 at 72 h, respectively. Development of the HT acid hydrolysis process and adapted yeast could enhance the overall ethanol fermentation yields of K. alvarezii seaweed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on mild acid pretreatment options for the conversion of Agave tequilana leaves into composite sugars for ethanol fermentation. The effect of five different pretreatment conditions (time, temperature and acid concentrations) were assessed in terms of cellulose digestibility, hemicellulose solubilisation and lignin content in leaves of 1.25 years old A. tequilana plants from Rockhampton and 2.5 year plants from Kalamia. Dilute acid pretreatment and enzyme saccharification of A. tequilana leaf bagasse significantly improved total glucose recovery. A recovery of 273 mg/g (70% theoretical) was attained when the bagasse was pretreated with 2.0% H 2 SO 4 for 60 min at 121 °C and saccharified with 6% (w/w) CTec 2. Saccharomyces cerevisiae efficiently fermented crude A. tequilana bagasse and juice hydrolysates within 13 h and 7 h respectively, yielding up to 38.6 g/L and 12.4 g/L. This corresponds to glucose to ethanol conversion rate of 68 and 61% for A. tequilana leaf bagasse and juice, respectively. With further developments, including fermentation of C5 sugars and inulinase saccharification of juices (release of fructose), this process could deliver greater yields, reinforcing its potential as a biofuel feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, different detoxification treatments (XAD-4 resin adsorption [XAD] and electrodialysis) on oxalic acid pretreated hydrolysate were evaluated. Two different detoxification processes were applied to remove fermentation inhibitors from the oxalic acid pretreated hydrolysate of eucalyptus. The hydrolysates contain sugars (glucose, xylose, and arabinose) and inhibitors. Acetic acid was the main inhibitor in the original hydrolysate, and more total phenolic compounds were generated than hydroxymethyl furfural and furfural. The acetic acid was removed 100% by the electrodialysis process, and total phenolic compounds and furfural were effectively removed from the hydrolysate by XAD. Based on the process order, the combined electrodialysis-XAD process was more effective for ethanol fermentation compared to the combined XAD-electrodialysis process. Ethanol fermentation was successfully performed using the electrodialysis-XAD-treated hydrolysate and achieved a production of 7.83 g/L of ethanol, corresponding to an ethanol yield of 0.40 g/g within 48 h. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffractometer, and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the characteristics of the raw material and pretreated biomass. The results showed that most of the hemicellulose was degraded during oxalic acid pretreatment. Therefore, the crystallinity value increased from 49.79% to 56.93%. The surface of the raw material was smooth, plump, and compact, whereas the pretreated biomass was more fragmented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic structural variation (GSV) is a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in the genomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with different genetic backgrounds; however, the physiological and phenotypic effects of GSV are not well understood. Here, we first revealed the genetic characteristics of a widely used industrial S. cerevisiae strain, ZTW1, by whole genome sequencing. ZTW1 was identified as an aneuploidy strain and a large-scale GSV was observed in the ZTW1 genome compared with the genome of a diploid strain YJS329. These GSV events led to copy number variations (CNVs) in many chromosomal segments as well as one whole chromosome in the ZTW1 genome. Changes in the DNA dosage of certain functional genes directly affected their expression levels and the resultant ZTW1 phenotypes. Moreover, CNVs of large chromosomal regions triggered an aneuploidy stress in ZTW1. This stress decreased the proliferation ability and tolerance of ZTW1 to various stresses, while aneuploidy response stress may also provide some benefits to the fermentation performance of the yeast, including increased fermentation rates and decreased byproduct generation. This work reveals genomic characters of the bioethanol S. cerevisiae strain ZTW1 and suggests that GSV is an important kind of mutation that changes the traits of industrial S. cerevisiae strains [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fuel ethanol production, recycling of yeast biomass includes treatment of cells with diluted sulphuric acid in order to control bacterial population. However, this strategy might lead to a loss of cell viability, with potential negative consequences to the fermentation yield. In a recent paper we showed that the proteins Slt2 and Hog1 are essential for yeast tolerance to sulphuric acid. As a complement of the aforementioned work, we used DNA microarray technology to search for differentially expressed genes in hog1Δ and slt2Δ deletion mutants after treatment with sulphuric acid. Our results show how Slt2p and Hog1p could coordinate the interplay among protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C and high-osmolarity glycerol pathways. Moreover, the SSK22 and KDX1 genes may be part of this network, although their proteins were shown to be non-essential for cell growth/survival at low pH. These proteins might work by enhancing the signal which downregulates the PKA pathway leading to cell cycle arrest, in order to regenerate the integrity of yeast cell wall and cell homeostasis under acid shock. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open process used to ferment sugar cane juice or molasses to produce ethanol fuel is prone to contamination by bacterial cells of different species, in particular Lactobacilli. The situation can be exacerbated by the emergence of resistant cells to industrial antibiotics that are normally used to combat this contamination. In this work, two Lactobacillus vini isolates from ethanol distilleries were identified and found to be resistant to doxycycline, a tetracycline derivative, although sensitive to other antibiotics tested. The identification of these isolates was confirmed by sequencing the pheS gene and their clonal origin was shown by PCR-fingerprinting analysis. Moreover, the isolates were shown to carry the transposable element Tn916 that harboured the tet-M gene. Furthermore, conjugation experiments showed that both isolates were capable of transferring this element, and as a result, the tet-M gene, to Enterococcus faecalis reference strain. Finally, the identification of tetracycline resistance in the same distilleries in other Lactobacilli, suggested that inter-species transfer of antibiotic resistance may be occurring in the industrial environment, and thus impairing the efficiency of the antibiotic treatment and causing serious health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercialization of lignocellulosic ethanol fermentation requires its high titer, but the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation during the bioprocess damaged the cells and compromised this goal. To improve the cellular anti-oxidative activity during non-detoxified corncob residue hydrolysate fermentation, seed cells were prepared to possess a higher level of intracellular biotin pool (IBP), which facilitated the biosyntheses of catalase and porphyrin. As a result, the catalase activity increased by 1.3-folds compared to control while the ROS level reduced by 50%. Cell viability in high-IBP cells was 1.7-folds of control and the final ethanol titer increased from 31.2 to 41.8 g L −1 in batch fermentation. The high-IBP cells were further used for repeated-batch fermentation in the non-detoxified lignocellulosic hydrolysate, and the highest titer and average productivity of ethanol reached 63.7 g L −1 and 1.2 g L −1 h −1 . The results were favorable to future industrial application of this lignocellulosic bioethanol process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol fermentation was investigated at the high solids content of the dry dilute sulfuric acid pretreated corn stover feedstock using an evolutionary adapted Saccharomyces cerevisiae DQ1 strain. The evolutionary adaptation was conducted by successively transferring the S. cerevisiae DQ1 cells into the inhibitors containing corn stover hydrolysate every 12 h and finally a stable yeast strain was obtained after 65 days’ continuous adaptation. The ethanol fermentation performance using the adapted strain was significantly improved with the high ethanol titer of 71.40 g/L and the high yield of 80.34% in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) at 30% solids content. No wastewater was generated from pretreatment to fermentation steps. The results were compared with the published cellulosic ethanol fermentation cases, and the obvious advantages of the present work were demonstrated not only at the high ethanol titer and yield, but also the significant reduction of wastewater generation and potential cost reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on processing options for the conversion of feedlot cattle manures into composite sugars for ethanol fermentation. Small-scale anaerobic digestion trials revealed that the process significantly reduces the content of glucan and xylan (ca. 70%) without effecting lignin. Moreover, anaerobic digestate (AD) fibres were poor substrates for cellulase (Cellic® CTec 2) saccharification, generating a maximum combined sugar yield of ca. 12% per original dry weight. Dilute acid pretreatment and enzyme saccharification of raw manures significantly improved total sugar recoveries, totalling 264 mg/g (79% theoretical). This was attained when manures were pretreated with 2.5% H 2 SO 4 for 90 min at 121 °C and saccharified with 50 FPU CTec 2/g glucan. Saccharomyces cerevisiae efficiently fermented crude hydrolysates within 6 h, yielding 7.3 g/L ethanol, representing glucose to ethanol conversion rate of 70%. With further developments (i.e., fermentation of xylose), this process could deliver greater yields, reinforcing its potential as a biofuel feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstructured kinetic models were proposed to describe the principal kinetics involved in ethanol fermentation in a continuous and closed-circulating fermentation (CCCF) process with a pervaporation membrane bioreactor. After ethanol was removed in situ from the broth by the membrane pervaporation, the secondary metabolites accumulated in the broth became the inhibitors to cell growth. The cell death rate related to the deterioration of the culture environment was described as a function of the cell concentration and fermentation time. In CCCF process, 609.8 g L −1 and 750.1 g L −1 of ethanol production were obtained in the first run and second run, respectively. The modified Gompertz model, correlating the ethanol production with the fermentation period, could be used to describe the ethanol production during CCCF process. The fitting results by the models showed good agreement with the experimental data. These models could be employed for the CCCF process technology development for ethanol fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol fermentation on seeds of seagrass Zostera marina was studied. The seeds were collected from the annual plant colony of Z. marina at Hinase Bay, Okayama. The seeds contained 83.5% carbohydrates including 48.1% crude starch on a dry weight basis, which is comparable to cereals such as wheat flour and corns. The seeds were saccharified with glucoamylase (50°C, 96 h) and 103.4 g/l concentration of glucose juice was obtained. The glucose juice was further fermented (23°C–35°C, 15 days) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains NBRC10217 T and Kyokai 7-go, and ethanol was obtained at a 65.0 g/l (82.3 ml/l) level by monographic double-fermentation and at a 130.4 g/l (165.1 ml/l) level by parallel double-fermentation. Fermented products of seagrass seeds containing such a high ethanol concentration as the present study have potential to be utilized not only for biofuel but also for foods and beverages in the future. Culturing of seagrass seeds as a crop may enable development of a new marine fermentation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process control automation in the emerging biorefinery industry may be achieved by applying effective methods for monitoring compound concentrations during the production processes. This study examines the application of Raman spectroscopy with an excitation wavelength of 785 nm and an immersion probe for in situ monitoring the progression of pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation processes in the production of lignocellulosic ethanol. Raman signals were attenuated by light scattering cells and lignocellulosic particulates, which the quantification method to some degree could correct for by using an internal standard in the spectra. Allowing particulates to settle by using a slow stirring speed further improved results, suggesting that Raman spectroscopy should be used in combination with continuous separation when used to monitor process mixtures with large amounts of particulates. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSE) of ethanol and glucose measured in real-time was determined to be 0.98 g/L and 1.91 g/L respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-lignin content bmr (Brown Mid-Rib)-mutant forage sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) grown at Riley and Doniphan counties (Kansas, USA) were compared with wild type high-lignin content forages to evaluate the effect of reduced lignin content in biomass on bioethanol production. Sorghum bagasse ( Sorghum bicolor ), wheat straw ( Triticum aestivum ), switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) and miscanthus ( Miscanthus giganteus ) were used as wild type forages. Ground biomass samples were pretreated with 2% sodium hydroxide at 121 °C for 30 min followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulase complex and β-glucosidase at high solid loading (20%, W/V), and the sugars released were fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Lignin content of all types of biomass was reduced to statistically equal levels (2–4%) after alkali pretreatment irrespective of their initial lignin content. However, saccharification efficiency of the pretreated biomass samples varied significantly from each other and showed a weak relationship between saccharification efficiency and total lignin content in raw and/or pretreated biomass. These results indicated that the reduced total lignin content in bmr -mutant crops does not necessarily benefit bioethanol production. Therefore, number of other factors, including lignin structure, crystallinity of cellulose and type of linkages in cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin complex must be further assessed to evaluate new crop lines for bioethanol production. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) peak intensities of ester linkages, aromatic C C linkages and glycosidic linkages for raw, pretreated and hydrolyzed biomass samples are in agreement with the variation in saccharification efficiencies among biomass types. Ethanol yield was more than 95% of the maximum possible theoretical yield based on released glucose in all types of biomass, which showed that biomass after alkali pretreatment followed by washing with water does not inhibit S. cerevisiae , regardless of feedstock sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this research project was assessment of direct starch to ethanol conversion process course of waste wheat-rye bread using granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme (GSHE). Several pretreatment methods (enzymatic prehydrolysis, microwave irradiation, sonification) were used to improve the course of fermentation and were compared with separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). Due to high water binding capacity of raw material fermentations were conducted at a substrate loading of 150 g kg-1. Only during enzymatic pretreatment and the SHF process the raw material was preliminary liquefied so its higher concentrations could be applied. The dynamics of fermentation was similar in all studied variants. The fermentation of unpretreated waste bread ended with 80.00% ethanol yield (354.36 g kg-1 of raw material). Pretreatment of raw material improved ethanol yield by ca. 3-8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Residue lactic acid in food waste could be converted to pyruvic acid. [•] Calcium alginate immobilized the lactate oxidase with high pH and thermal stability. [•] Immobilized enzyme could convert 70% lactic acid to pyruvic acid. [•] Ethanol yield could be increased by 20% with lactate oxidase added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole-genome shuffling (WGS) is a powerful technology of improving the complex traits of many microorganisms. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the altered phenotypes in isolates were less clarified. Isolates with significantly enhanced stress tolerance and ethanol titer under very-high-gravity conditions were obtained after WGS of the bioethanol Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain ZTW1. Karyotype analysis and RT-qPCR showed that chromosomal rearrangement occurred frequently in genome shuffling. Thus, the phenotypic effects of genomic structural variations were determined in this study. RNA-Seq and physiological analyses revealed the diverse transcription pattern and physiological status of the isolate S3-110 and ZTW1. Our observations suggest that the improved stress tolerance of S3-110 can be largely attributed to the copy number variations in large DNA regions, which would adjust the ploidy of yeast cells and expression levels of certain genes involved in stress response. Overall, this work not only constructed shuffled S. cerevisiae strains that have potential industrial applications but also provided novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of WGS and enhanced our knowledge on this useful breeding strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates optimization of operational strategies of an industrial ethanol fermentation process. One of the challenges associated with this type or process is that most of the measurements are only taken sporadically, thereby complicating process monitoring and optimization. The one exception to this rule involves temperature measurements, which are readily available. However, an existing model of the plant investigated in this paper does not include an energy balance and, accordingly, the temperature measurements cannot be used to estimate model parameters. This paper addresses these deficiencies and proposes modifications to an existing ethanol fermentation model. The proposed changes include the derivation of an energy balance, modification of the reaction kinetics to include additional inhibition terms, and also estimation of model parameters from industrial data. The new model is validated against plant data and then used for optimization of the process operations. It is shown that modifications of the input profiles for the cooling rate and the glucoamylase addition can lead to an approximately 10% increase in ethanol yield. These are promising results, even though these findings will ultimately need to be validated during real plant operations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Three membranes concentrated sugars in rice straw liquid hydrolysate. [•] Sugars were selectively concentrated at pH 5.0. [•] Ethanol was produced by xylose-assimilating yeast from concentrated sugars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We isolated Candida boidiniiUFMG14 from macaúba fruits. [•] We obtained for the first time a hemicellulosic hydrolysate of macaúba presscake. [•] C. boidinii UFMG14 was able to growth and ferment on acid hemicellulosic hydrolysate. [•] C. boidinii UFMG14 reached 0.4g/g ethanol yield and 0.3g/Lh volumetric productivity. [•] The hydrolysate supplementation affects ethanol yield but not ethanol productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaranthus is a fast-growing perennial plant containing large amounts of extractable green proteins and lignocellulose residues. However, it remains to explore optimal Amaranthus biomass process technology for biofuel production. In this study, we examined that mild alkali and acid pretreatments (1% NaOH, 2% H 2 SO 4) were sufficient for near-complete biomass enzymatic saccharification, while 8% Amaranthus endogenous proteins were supplemented into the enzymatic hydrolyses. By performing classic yeast fermentation with all carbon sources from directly-extractable sugars and starch and lignocellulose enzymatic hydrolysis, this work achieved the bioethanol yield up to 23.5% (% dry matter). Notably, with respect to extremely high yield of Amaranthus straw, the maximum bioethanol yield was estimated at 14.46 t/ha/year, which was much higher than those of other major bioenergy crops as previously reported. Furthermore, this work proposed a hypothetic model to elucidate how the complete biomass saccharification was achieved to maximize bioethanol production at large scale, based on the effective wall polymer extraction and distinct lignocellulose feature modification for remarkably enhanced biomass porosity and cellulases adsorption. Hence, this work has demonstrated that Amaranthus could be applied as a novel and leading bioenergy crop, providing a powerful strategy for optimal biomass processing towards high bioethanol production. [Display omitted] • Amaranthus plant is a promising bioenergy crop rich at digestible lignocellulose. • Amaranthus straw was of extractable hemicellulose-lignin complexes. • Endogenous proteins let to 97–99% biomass saccharification with Amaranthus. • Bioethanol yield of 23.47 g/100 g was obtained with Amaranthus straw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Treating bagasse (SCB) by 2-stage ultrasonic assisted dilute H 2 SO 4 (TUDA). • Lignin and hemicellulose can be efficiently removed by TUDA pretreatment at 90℃. • Optimal ethanol fermentation efficiency at cellulase 10 FPU/g SCB and 30% SCB. • Recovering xylose effectively from pretreated liquid by bagasse-derived biochar. • Full utilization was achieved for SCB from solid residue to pretreatment liquid. Pretreatment can improve biomass biodegradability. Here, a novel sugarcane bagasse (SCB) pretreatment process based on two-stage ultrasonic assisted dilute H 2 SO 4 (TUDA) under mild conditions was reported. After optimization, the pretreatment was shown to significantly degrade hemicellulose (92.40%) and remove lignin (57.41%) of SCB, leading to reduction of inhibitors and an ethanol fermentation efficiency of 93.37% by SSCF under cellulase 10 FPU/g SCB and 30% pretreated SCB loading. Physical characterization revealed that two-stage ultrasonic could better disrupt SCB than traditional ultrasonic by amplifying the collapse effect and synergistically promoting lignin removal through dilute H 2 SO 4. Furthermore, xylose was also effectively recovered from pretreatment supernatant by biochar derived from bagasse. This study established a simple and efficient pretreatment process for high value-added recycling of SCB from solid residue to pretreatment liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Biomass pelleting is an effective biomass densification method required for biofuels production. [•] Biomass pelleting leads to partial deconstruction of the complex biomass structure and facilitates bioethanol production. [•] Pelleting process led to better enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated biomasses without affecting the quality of sugars for fermentation. [•] Ethanol yield on the basis of released sugars did not differ significantly between pelleted and unpelleted samples. [•] Schematic diagram for complete utilization of lignocellulosic biomass is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Thermal acid hydrolysis and enzymatic saccharification resulted in 43.5g/L sugars. [•] Ethanol concentration of 20.5g/L was obtained using S. stipitis KCTC 7228. [•] Glucose uptake increased at HMF concentrations <5g/L in the fermentation medium. [•] HMF was converted to 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran by S. stipitis KCTC 7228. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers through a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) strategy using the inulinase-producing yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus is an economical and competitive than that from a grainbased feedstock. However, poor inulinase production under ethanol fermentation conditions significantly prolongs the fermentation time and compromises ethanol productivity. Improvement of inulinase activity appears to be promising for increasing ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers by CBP. In the present study, expression of the inulinase gene INU with its own promoter in K. marxianus (K/INU2) was explored using the integrative cassette. Overexpression of INU was explored using chromosome integration via the HO locus of the yeast. Inulinase activity and ethanol were determined from inulin and Jerusalem artichoke tubers under fed-batch operation. Inulinase activity was 114.9 U/mL under aerobic conditions for K/INU2, compared with 52.3 U/mL produced by the wild type strain. Importantly, inulinase production was enhanced in K/INU2 under ethanol fermentation conditions. When using 230 g/L inulin and 220 g/L Jerusalem artichoke tubers as substrates, inulinase activities of 3.7 and 6.8 U/mL, respectively, were measured using K/INU2, comparing favorably with 2.4 and 3.1 U/mL, respectively, using the wide type strain. Ethanol concentration and productivity for inulin were improved by the recombinant yeast to 96.2 g/L and 1.34 g/L/h, respectively, vs 93.7 g/L and 1.12 g/L/h, respectively, by the wild type strain. Ethanol concentration and productivity improvements for Jerusalem artichoke tubers were 69 g/L and 1.44 g/L/h, respectively, from the recombinant strain vs 62 g/L and 1.29 g/L/h, respectively, from the wild type strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sweet sorghum is a domesticated grass containing a sugar-rich juice that can be readily utilized for ethanol production. Most of the sugar is stored inside the cells of the stalk tissue and can be difficult to release, a necessary step before conventional fermentation. While this crop holds much promise as an arid land sugar source for biofuel production, a number of challenges must be overcome. One lies in the inherent labile nature of the sugars in the stalks leading to a short usable storage time. Also, collection of sugars from the sweet sorghum stalks is usually accomplished by mechanical squeezing, but generally does not collect all of the available sugars. Results: In this paper, we present two methods that address these challenges for utilization of sweet sorghum for biofuel production. The first method demonstrates a means to store sweet sorghum stalks in the field under semi-arid conditions. The second provides an efficient water extraction method that can collect as much of the available sugar as feasible. Operating parameters investigated include temperature, stalk size, and solid-liquid ratio that impact both the rate of sugar release and the maximal amount recovered with a goal of low water use. The most desirable conditions include 30°C, 0.6 ratio of solid to liquid (w/w), which collects 90 % of the available sugar. Variations in extraction methods did not alter the efficiency of the eventual ethanol fermentation. Conclusions: The water extraction method has the potential to be used for sugar extraction from both fresh sweet sorghum stalks and dried ones. When combined with current sugar extraction methods, the overall ethanol production efficiency would increase compared to current field practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus CECT 10875 was compared to the industrial strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ethanol Red for lignocellulosic ethanol production. For it, whole slurry from steam-exploded wheat straw was used as raw material, and two process configurations, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and presaccharification and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (PSSF), were evaluated. Compared to S. cerevisiae, which was able to produce ethanol in both process configurations, K. marxianus was inhibited, and neither growth nor ethanol production occurred during the processes. However, laccase treatment of the whole slurry removed specifically lignin phenols from the overall inhibitory compounds present in the slurry and triggered the fermentation by K. marxianus, attaining final ethanol concentrations and yields comparable to those obtained by S. cerevisiae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The subject of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the concentrate obtained after membrane ultrafiltration of sugar beet thin juice for ethanol production and selection of fermentation conditions (yeast strain and media supplementation). Resulting concentrate was subjected to batch ethanol fermentation using two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ethanol Red and Safdistill C-70). The effect of different forms of media supplementation (mineral salts: (NH4)2SO4, K2HPO4, MgCl2; urea+Mg3(PO4)2 and yeast extract) on the fermentation course was also studied. It was stated that sugar beet juice concentrate is suitable for ethanol production yielding, depending on the yeast strain, ca. 85–87gL−1 ethanol with ca. 82% practical yield and more than 95% of sugars consumption after 72h of fermentation. Nutrients enrichment further increased ethanol yield. The best results were obtained for media supplemented with urea+Mg3(PO4)2 yielding 91.16–92.06gL−1 ethanol with practical yield ranging 84.78–85.62% and full sugars consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tween 80, Tween 20, PEG 4000 or PEG 6000 was used in combination with ammonium hydroxide for the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse. Pretreatment was carried out by mixing sugarcane bagasse, ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution), and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:20, adding 3% (w/w) surfactant based on the weight of dry biomass, and heating the mixture to 160°C for 1h. Fibers were hydrolyzed using two concentrations of commercially available enzymes, Spezyme CP and Novozyme 188. The results indicated that PEG 4000 and Tween 80 gave the highest cellulose digestibilities (62%, 66%) and ethanol yields (73%, 69%) as compared to the use of only dilute ammonia (38%, 42%) or water (27%, 26%) as catalysts, respectively. The enhanced digestibilities of non-ionic surfactant–dilute ammonia treated biomass can be attributed to delignification and reduction of cellulose crystallinity as confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XRD analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dilute H3PO4 (0.0–2.0%, v/v) was used to pretreat corn stover (10%, w/w) for conversion to ethanol. Pretreatment conditions were optimized for temperature, acid loading, and time using central composite design. Optimal pretreatment conditions were chosen to promote sugar yields following enzymatic digestion while minimizing formation of furans, which are potent inhibitors of fermentation. The maximum glucose yield (85%) was obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover pretreated with 0.5% (v/v) acid at 180°C for 15min while highest yield for xylose (91.4%) was observed from corn stover pretreated with 1% (v/v) acid at 160°C for 10min. About 26.4±0.1g ethanol was produced per L by recombinant Escherichia coli strain FBR5 from 55.1±1.0g sugars generated from enzymatically hydrolyzed corn stover (10%, w/w) pretreated under a balanced optimized condition (161.81°C, 0.78% acid, 9.78min) where only 0.4±0.0g furfural and 0.1±0.0 hydroxylmethyl furfural were produced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Corncob containing ∼70% mass fraction of holocellulose has been used as a low-cost feedstock for ethanol production. Among various inorganic and organic acids tested, the acid hydrolysis of corncob using HCl (1.5% mass divided by volume) at 120 °C for 30 min resulted in optimal recovery of 360.0 g kg−1 sugars along with fermentation inhibitors like phenolics and furans. In order to make the acid hydrolysate fermentable, various detoxification strategies were applied, of these activated charcoal method was found comparatively more effective in removing 95% mass fraction of phenolics and 80% mass fraction of furans. The acid hydrolysed biomass was treated with sodium chlorite (4.0%) to remove ∼80% mass fraction of lignin. The delignified substrate containing mostly cellulose was enzymatically hydrolysed to ∼78% saccharification. The acid and enzymatic hydrolysates containing 38.43 g L−1 and 36.47 g L−1 sugars, when fermented with Pichia stipitis NCIM 3499 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae HAU produced 11.84 and 16.08 g L−1 of ethanol with corresponding yield of 0.31 g g−1 and 0.43 g g−1, respectively. Moreover, the mass balance of the complete process showed 62% mass fraction of ethanol conversion from the carbohydrate fraction of corncob. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Among four isolated cellulolytic microorganisms, Streptomyces sp. MDS can utilize a broad range of cellulosic substrates including: carboxymethyl cellulose, avicel, xylan, cellobiose, filter paper, wood straw and rice straw by producing a large amount of endoglucanase, exoglucanase, cellobiase, xylanase and glucoamylase. Effects of different physicochemical parameters to achieve maximum production of cellulolytic enzymes were systematically investigated. It was found that the cellulolytic enzyme activities were mainly located at extracellular location. It was observed that supplementation of CaCl2 (5 mM) as a metal additive significantly induced the whole enzyme system. These cellulases also have high thermal stability as evidenced by retaining 60–70% activity at 90 °C and pH 5 and alkalotolerance as more than 55–60% of the activity at pH 10 and 40 °C and 60 °C (for endoglucanase) after 1 h of incubation. The enzymes also retained up to 50–70% of its initial activity upon incubation in the presence of commercials detergents for 1 h. Finally, the efficiency of fermentative conversion of the CMC and rice straw hydrolyzate by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (KCTC 7296) resulted in 55.8 and 57.2% of maximum theoretical ethanol yield based on sugar (glucose and xylose) fermentation, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Flocculating yeast strains with good fermentation ability are desirable for brewing industry as well as for fuel ethanol production, however, the genetic diversity of the flocculating genes from natural yeast strains is largely unexplored. In this study, FLO1, FLO5, FLO9, FLO10 and FLO11 PCR products were obtained from 16 yeast strains from various sources, and the PCR product amplified from FLO1 of the self-flocculating yeast strain SPSC01 was used for the construction of expression cassette flanked by homologous fragments of the endonuclease gene HO for chromosome integration. A genetically engineered flocculating yeast BHL01 with good fermentation performance was obtained by transforming an industrial strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae 4126 with the expression cassette. The fermentation performances of SPSC01 and BHL01 in flask fermentation were compared using 208g/L glucose. BHL01 completed the fermentation 8h earlier than SPSC01, while no significant difference between BHL01 and S. cerevisiae 4126 was observed. In very high gravity repeated batch ethanol fermentation using 255g/L glucose, BHL01 maintained stable flocculation for at least over 24 batches, while SPSC01 displayed severe deflocculation under the same conditions. The natural reservoir of flocculating genes from yeast strains may represent an unexplored gene source for the construction of new flocculating yeast strains for improved ethanol production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Landoltia punctata, a widely distributed duckweed strain with the ability to accumulate starch, was used as a novel feedstock for bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To improve ethanol production, pectinase pretreatment was used to release much more glucose from L. punctata mash and the pretreatment conditions (enzyme loading, temperature and pretreatment time) for the duckweed were optimized by using a surface response design. The results showed that maximum glucose yield was 218.64 ± 3.10 mg/g dry matter, which is a 142% increase compared to the untreated mash, with a pectinase dose of 26.54 pectin transeliminase unit/g mash at 45 °C for 300 min. Pectinase pretreatment apparently changed the ultrastructure of L. punctata, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Further fermentation experiments were performed and 30.8 ± 0.8 g/L of ethanol concentration, 90.04% of fermentation efficiency and 2.20 g/L/h of productivity rate were achieved. This is the highest ethanol concentration reported to date using duckweed as the feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]