ARS | Publication request: REVIEW OF CURRENT RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FOR PRODUCING BIOLOGICAL ETHANOL AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL UTILIZATION RESEARCH

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 12, 2006
Publication Date: October 12, 2006
Citation: Dien, B.S., Saha, B.C. 2006. Review of current research directions for producing biological ethanol at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research [abstract]. Advancing Renewable Energy. p. 27.

Technical Abstract: The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research has been actively developing technologies for converting lignocellulose to ethanol for more than 20 years. Major past accomplishments include: Development of a strong acid hydrolysis and fermentation process for converting corn cobs into ethanol; development of the hydrogen peroxide pretreatment for forage and agricultural wastes that improves their suitability for forage and fermentation conversions; discovery of the first natural yeast capable of fermenting xylose sugar – the second most common carbohydrate found in lignocelluloses; formulating dilute-acid pretreatment for converting corn fiber and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) to fermentable sugars; and development of recombinant ethanol producing microorganisms capable of fermenting complex sugar mixtures selectively to ethanol. Results will be presented describing our current research, which includes discovery of new more efficient enzymes for digesting carbohydrates, developing pretreatment and fermentation processes for agricultural wastes and herbaceous energy crops – in association with plant breeders, and applying bioremediation to removing undesirable side-products from pretreated hydrolysates.