A team from the Joint Gerome Institute published an article in Nature Biotechnology with results of their research about how two types of fungi can boost the biofuel refining process.
This process is far above the room temperature range that conventional bio-refining organisms can tolerate but this heat loving fungi could provide a key enzyme for making low cost fuel.
The research tries to achieve two goals in biofuel processing for more low cost fuel production. First is to cut down the energy input needed for biofuel processing and the second is to develop methods that can efficiently process woody, grasses, popular trees, corn cobs, orange peels and other type of waste from agricultural process. The total cost of biofuel refining process could be getting down with the help of these enzymes that can survive higher temperatures.
As was mentioned in an article from cleantechnica.com, the team of Joint Gerome Institute found two fungi called “Thielavia terrrestris” and “Myceliophthora thermophila”, which remains active at temperatures up to 75 degrees. The team found that these fungi could be hosts for further genetic manipulation to make them more efficient.
The Department of Energy’s Arpa-e program announced a new round of grants for biofuel research according to national biofuel policy promoted by President Obama since last summer. There is an idea to make biofuel research in unused timber mills and get more low cost fuel for more safe and sustainable energy source.
