Enhancing Yeast to Ferment Ethanol from Sugars from Cellulosic Biomass

[hankthecrank]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/

Enhancing Yeast to Ferment Ethanol from Sugars from Cellulosic Biomass
8 June 2006
Researchers at Delft University of Technology are genetically modifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) to enable the anaerobic fermentation of xylose—a sugar derived from cellulosic material—as well as glucose into ethanol. Most fermentative yeasts cannot convert xylose into ethanol—that’s a bottleneck for the development of the production of cellulosic ethanol. Those yeasts that can don’t do so very effectively.

The Dutch team inserted a gene derived from a fungus (Piromyces) found in elephant feces into S. cerevisiae, and then subsequently improved the modification through evolutionary engineering.

I guess the repugs are good for something!! Their feces supplied a fungus that they got the gene from.

[JohnWxy]

1. very interesting. Recommended.

[NNadir]

2. Um, genetic engineering...

Let's see, who is against genetic engineering?

Who is against everything?

I'm trying to think of a group, it starts with a G, but the rest of the name skips my mind...

I must be getting old...

;-)

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Galveston Bay Foundation?

Yeah, must be. :evilgrin:

[NNadir]

5. Um, no, that's not it. Gr...

Grenada Gardening Grenadiers...um, no, I don't think that's right either.

It will come to me, I'm sure.

[Dead_Parrot]

6. Grenada Gardening Grenadiers...

Planting crocuses and daffodils with military precision throughout the Caribbean since 1863.

Hey, I quite like that idea!
(makes more sense than some groups...)

[Massacure]

8. Green Peace?

Opposed to everything except getting tossed in jail to make a point I suppose.

[NNadir]

12. Green who?

[mom cat]

3. Dung, dung dung! ...K&R

[JohnWxy]

7. or a non genetic engrg approach - ultrasound to increase yield 30%!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x55992

although I think those who oppose genetic engineering are concerned where it is employed to make genetically altered crops for food.

[hankthecrank]

10. This genetic engineering on the yeast

They are making changes on the yeast not on the corn plant.

Doesn't mean it can't get out. But it should just be used in the processing.

I wonder has any one talked to any of these people, you had said some things about silage. Why don't they look at old silage piles. I'm sure they could find some bugs right in the piles. When we made silage out of hay it would get some strong smells of alcohol. If silage made right you don't get bugs. But we made outside piles and just let the top spoil and that sealed the rest. Mold was there too, I would think this would be a better mold to start with.

I'm not sure but this might also start to work on the whole plant instead of just the seed part

[Dead_Parrot]

11. Now there's a thought...

Silage with ethanol in it isn't that good for feed, but you're right - every so often a heap goes "boozy". Since silage is normally made from the whole plant, the answer might be down at the local dairy farm (if they haven't chucked it away yet!).

I wonder if anyone's looked?

Probably not, as it's the sort of work that's usually done by college-trained kids who wouldn't know silage from hay.

[skids]

9. Wait, does that mean elephant dung is full of booze?

...just wondrin'

[Dead_Parrot]

13. been drinking it for years...