However, what makes ionic liquids great for deconstruction also makes it harmful for the downstream enzymes and bacteria used in biofuel production. The basic steps of biofuel production start with deconstructing the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin that are bound together in the complex plant structure. The Escherichia coli (E coli) is able to tolerate the liquid salt used to break apart plant biomass into sugary polymers, researchers said. “It can be used to integrate multiple recent technologies to convert a renewable carbon source like switchgrass to an advanced jet fuel,” she said. They used this strain as the foundation to build on earlier work - including the ionic-liquid-tolerant enzymes - and take the steps further to the one-pot biofuel finishing line.

Source: Mint May 10, 2016 07:15 UTC