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U.S. Develops Technology for Direct Conversion of Biomass Energy to Ethanol
A recent study conducted by the University of Georgia has made significant progress in converting biomass from switchgrass into ethanol fuel. By genetically modifying a thermophilic xylanase enzyme that breaks down lignocellulose, researchers were able to directly convert the biomass into ethanol. This breakthrough was published in the latest issue of the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* and is seen as a promising step toward industrial-scale production of affordable biofuels.
One of the major challenges in producing cost-effective biofuels from non-food crops like switchgrass and agave is the need for pre-treatment processes that break down plant cell walls before microbial fermentation can take place. These steps are time-consuming, expensive, and often hinder the efficiency of biofuel production. Scientists have struggled to find a more effective and sustainable alternative, which has slowed progress in the field.
Now, a team led by Janet Westferring, a genetics professor at the University of Georgia, and researchers from the BioEnergy Science Center (funded by the U.S. Department of Energy) has developed a novel approach. After more than two and a half years of research, they successfully engineered a glycanase enzyme that can dismantle plant cell walls without the need for traditional pretreatment.
The team modified a thermophilic xylanase by deleting a lactate dehydrogenase gene and introducing an acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase gene from *Clostridium thermocellum*, which allows the enzyme to ferment sugars into ethanol. The results showed that the modified strain converted 70% of the switchgrass biomass into ethanol, compared to zero for the wild-type strain.
Westferring explained, “Without any pretreatment, we took switchgrass, ground it into powder, added a low-cost salt culture medium, and at the end, we got ethanol. This is the first real step toward an economically viable industrial process.â€
She also highlighted that many microorganisms in nature possess powerful biochemical capabilities, but the key challenge lies in developing efficient genetic systems to harness these abilities. System biology now allows scientists to manipulate organisms in ways previously unimaginable, and this research is a prime example of that potential.
In addition to ethanol, the process can also produce other biofuels such as butanol and isobutanol—both of which are comparable to ethanol in terms of energy content and compatibility with existing engines. Westferring emphasized that this research marks the beginning of a new era in sustainable fuel production.
“This is just the start,†she said. “It proves that we can engineer organisms to create truly sustainable products.â€