This work describes a relatively simple methodology for efficiently deconstructing cellulose into monomeric glucose, which is more easily transformed into a variety of platform molecules for the production of chemicals and fuels. The approach undertaken herein first involves the dissolution of cellulose in an ionic liquid (IL), followed by a second reconstruction step aided by an antisolvent. T...

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Background Second-generation biofuels produced from biomass can help to decrease dependency on fossil fuels, bringing about many economic and environmental benefits. To make biomass more suitable for biorefinery use, we need a better understanding of plant cell wall biosynthesis. Increasing the ratio of C6 to C5 sugars in the cell wall and decreasing the lignin content are two important targets...

Agave is a good source of polysaccharides for the production of fermentable sugars as sustainable bioenergy feedstock solutions for semi-arid and arid lands. This plant grows in arid areas, which correspond to a large territory in northern Mexico. Having lignocellulose as the polysaccharide of interest, the information for the enzymatic saccharification of this kind of material is limited. Agav...

With their unique metabolism and the potential to produce large amounts of biomass, plants are an excellent bio-energy feedstock for a variety of industrial purposes. Here we developed a high-throughput strategy, using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, to identify mutants with improved sugar release from plant biomass. Molecular analysis indicates a variety of processes including starch deg...

Corn (Zea mays L.) fiber, which is the seed coat and residual endosperm left after grain processing, is a low-value residue that contains carbohydrates and aromatic compounds that could provide value-added coproducts. Treatment of corn fiber with NaOH and assessment by gas chromatography indicated a prevalence of ferulic acid, with about 90% ester-linked in the cell walls. p-coumaric acid was m...

BACKGROUND Sugar production via pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic feedstock, in this case softwood harvest residues, is a critical step in the biochemical conversion pathway towards drop-in biofuels. Mild bisulfite (MBS) pretreatment is an emerging option for the breakdown and subsequent processing of biomass towards fermentable sugars. An environmental assessment of this proc...

The concept of using cultures of lactic acid bacteria to enhance silage fermentation developed near the beginning of the last century but early cultures had insufficient bacteria and little success until freeze drying and encapsulation techniques were developed (Weinberg and Muck, 1996). Traditional silage inoculants were developed to acidify crops during anaerobic storage and thereby minimize ...

Two strategies leading to enzyme saving during saccharification of pretreated lignocellulo-starch biomass (LCSB) was investigated which included reducing enzyme dosage by varying their levels in enzyme cocktails and enhancing the fermentable sugar yield in enzyme-reduced systems using detoxification chemicals. Time course release of reducing sugars (RS) during 24-120 h was significantly higher ...

DDGS and wet distillers' grains are the major co-products of the dry grind ethanol facilities. As they are mainly used as animal feed, a typical compositional analysis of the DDGS and wet distillers' grains mainly focuses on defining the feedstock's nutritional characteristics. With an increasing demand for fuel ethanol, the DDGS and wet distillers' grains are viewed as a potential bridge feeds...