Bioprospecting for Improved Methods of Biofuel Production

UMBI has received a $575,000, three-year subcontract awardbfrom the University of California at Berkeley to develop more efficient ways to convert lignocellulose to biofuels such as ethanol and butanol. The subcontract is part of a multifaceted, collaborative research and development effort designed to improve the efficiency of biofuel production. These efforts are led by three Principal Investigators, including Dr. Frank T. Robb of UMBI’s Center of Marine Biotechnology, Dr. Douglas S. Clark and Dr. Harvey W. Blanch of the Chemical Engineering Department at Berkeley.

Lignocellulose contains cellulose and lignin, the two most abundant biopolymers on earth. They are found in municipal paper waste, wood residues from sawmills and paper mills, dedicated energy crops such as woody grasses, and agricultural wastes such as corn stover. Conversion of lignocellulose to environmentally friendly fuels such as ethanol represents a major component of efforts to prevent climate changes such as global warming.

Dr. Robb will lead an innovative research program designed to improve the efficiency of conversion of the cellulosic biomass to biofuels. Making use of microorganisms that thrive at very high temperatures in natural hot springs, the research team will be “bioprospecting” for new enzymes that will allow the conversion to take place at high temperatures.

The research conducted at UMBI is one component of a broader effort taking place at the Energy Biosciences Institute, a partnership between BP, the University of California, Berkeley; the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and the University of Illinois.

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