Virginia/Projects
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===Introduction=== | ===Introduction=== | ||
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| - | + | ''Motivation'' | |
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| + | Economic, environmental and geopolitical factors have played a significant role in driving forward current research in biofuel production. Biomass, including fast-growing feedstock plants such as grasses and industrial or agricultural waste products such as corn stalks, can be converted to liquid transportation fuel by microbial metabolic pathways. Although the concept of deriving fuel from biomass was first proposed in the 1970s, only recent technological advances promise to exploit this abundant, renewable and sustainable source of hydrocarbons that can be domestically produced (Stephanopoulos 2007). | ||
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| + | There are many potential biologically-produced fuels including methane, ethanol, butanol and hydrogen. Subsidized ethanol, fermented by yeast, is currently blended into most gasoline fuel in the US. DuPont and BP have recently announced that they will collaborate in the implementation of butanol biofuel this year in the UK via sugar beet fermentation (McCormick 2006). Other companies, such as Synthetic Genomics, are attempting to develop microorganisms capable of producing hydrogen gas for fuel, which has as many disadvantages as advantages. | ||
Revision as of 22:47, 15 September 2007
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Harvesting Biomass and Light to Power Butanol Biosynthesis
Introduction
Motivation
Economic, environmental and geopolitical factors have played a significant role in driving forward current research in biofuel production. Biomass, including fast-growing feedstock plants such as grasses and industrial or agricultural waste products such as corn stalks, can be converted to liquid transportation fuel by microbial metabolic pathways. Although the concept of deriving fuel from biomass was first proposed in the 1970s, only recent technological advances promise to exploit this abundant, renewable and sustainable source of hydrocarbons that can be domestically produced (Stephanopoulos 2007).
There are many potential biologically-produced fuels including methane, ethanol, butanol and hydrogen. Subsidized ethanol, fermented by yeast, is currently blended into most gasoline fuel in the US. DuPont and BP have recently announced that they will collaborate in the implementation of butanol biofuel this year in the UK via sugar beet fermentation (McCormick 2006). Other companies, such as Synthetic Genomics, are attempting to develop microorganisms capable of producing hydrogen gas for fuel, which has as many disadvantages as advantages.
