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Evolving microbes help Iowa State engineers turn bio-oil into advanced biofuels
http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2012/10/11/microbes[font face=Serif][font size=5]Evolving microbes help Iowa State engineers turn bio-oil into advanced biofuels[/font]
Posted Oct 11, 2012 3:40 pm
[font size=3]AMES, Iowa – Microbes are working away in an Iowa State University laboratory to ferment biofuels from the sugar and acetate produced by rapidly heating biomass such as corn stalks and sawdust.
…
There are, however, contaminants and toxins in the bio-oil that are getting in the way of the fuel production. Jarboe and a research team are experimenting with pre-treatments of the bio-oil that could reduce the toxicity. And they’re working to develop microbes that can tolerate the contaminants.
…
The researchers are using a technique called directed evolution to produce microbes that are more tolerant of the contaminants in bio-oil. The microbes are grown with higher and higher concentrations of bio-oil and as they divide, they replicate their DNA. Sometimes there are replication mistakes that lead to mutations.
“It could be a mistake that’s immediately lethal,” Jarboe said. “Or it could be a mistake that helps the microbe tolerate the problematic compounds and it grows faster.
…[/font][/font]
Posted Oct 11, 2012 3:40 pm
[font size=3]AMES, Iowa – Microbes are working away in an Iowa State University laboratory to ferment biofuels from the sugar and acetate produced by rapidly heating biomass such as corn stalks and sawdust.
…
There are, however, contaminants and toxins in the bio-oil that are getting in the way of the fuel production. Jarboe and a research team are experimenting with pre-treatments of the bio-oil that could reduce the toxicity. And they’re working to develop microbes that can tolerate the contaminants.
…
The researchers are using a technique called directed evolution to produce microbes that are more tolerant of the contaminants in bio-oil. The microbes are grown with higher and higher concentrations of bio-oil and as they divide, they replicate their DNA. Sometimes there are replication mistakes that lead to mutations.
“It could be a mistake that’s immediately lethal,” Jarboe said. “Or it could be a mistake that helps the microbe tolerate the problematic compounds and it grows faster.
…[/font][/font]
