Powering the Future: Biofuels

Activity: Fermentation of lignocellulose Describe the process of ethanol production from lignocelluloses Carry out pretreatment and yeast fermentation of a range of substrates Assess the effectiveness of pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses substrates

Facts and Figures To help combat climate change the UK has a target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. 30% of the UK renewable energy could come from biomass heat and electricity by 2020. To meet the European Renewable Energy Directive, the UK is aiming for 10% of transport energy to be from renewable sources by 2020. By 2020, 8% of our petrol and 5% of our diesel could come from crops grown in the UK.

© Rothamsted Research Optimising the yield of fast growing energy crops that are not part of the food chain is one way scientists at Rothamsted Research aim to make sustainable, green bioenergy replacements for fossil fuels a reality.    

University of Cambridge Scanning Electron Microscope cross-section of straw: Non-edible waste from agriculture, such as straw, could be used in the future as a secure, green source of fuel without taking up land needed for growing food. Scientists will be looking at this as one possible way to provide sustainable, environmentally friendly bioenergy replacements for fossil fuels.

University of Cambridge Stained cross-section of plant stem: The sugars locked away in the stems of plants would make excellent fuel for sustainable bioenergy. Research will investigate how they could be unlocked for conversion into green bioenergy.

The John Innes Centre Improving barley straw for bioenergy production and transferring the new knowledge to other crops: Our challenge is to discover how the properties of lignin in barley straw can be changed, to make it easier to produce biofuel (or bioenergy) from this waste material without having any detrimental effects on the yield or quality of the crop.

University of Dundee at SCRI Plant Cell Walls: Lignin is a strengthening and waterproofing material that encrusts the sugar based polymers in plant cell walls making them hard to access for biofuel production.   

© Institute of Food Research Steam explosion unit: We need to optimise the release of sugars from agricultural and wood-industry wastes to produce a fermentable feedstock that microorganisms can use to produce fuels. Pretreatment of feedstocks with steam opens up the structures in plant cell walls to enable access by cellulase enzymes.

University of York The Gribble: This tiny seawater pest can destroy wooden boats and piers but remarkably the gut enzymes that allow it to eat wood are being harnessed by scientists to break down wood for conversion into green, sustainable bioenergy.

University of York Bioenergy from sea pests: Gribbles are voracious consumers of lignocellulose and have all the enzymes needed for digestion of wood and straw. Scientists have already sequenced the genes that are expressed in the gribble gut and will study the enzymes and digestive process

Bioenergy from sea pests: Remarkably the little marine wood borer, or Gribble, that caused this damage could hold the secret to sustainable energy for us all. The gut enzymes that allow the bug to damage wooden sea structures such as piers will be harnessed by scientists to break down wood for sustainable bioenergy production University of York

National Collection of Yeast Cultures Scanning Electron Microscope image of Yeast: Researchers are developing novel yeast strains and fermentation processes that optimise bioethanol production.

Professor Katherine Smart BSBEC LACE Programme School of Biosciences University of Nottingham To harness the potential of lignocellulosic (plant cell wall) materials, we need to optimise the release of sugars from agricultural and wood-industry wastes to produce a fermentable feedstock that microorganisms can use to produce fuels. Developing robust microbial strains that can use these feedstocks will enable sustainable production of bioethanol. Professor Katherine Smart BSBEC LACE Programme School of Biosciences University of Nottingham

Institute of Food Research Food Waste: Scientists at the Institute of Food Research are investigating how our waste problem can be turned into an energy solution.

Rothamsted Research Ltd Miscanthus growing at Rothamsted Research: Miscanthus is a fast growing grass which produces biomass very quickly, without competing with the food chain. Research will look at maximising the yield of Miscanthus for sustainable bioenergy production.

© Rothamsted Research Willow is a promising energy crop that does not compete with the food chain. Research will look at maximising the biomass yield of willow for sustainable bioenergy production. 

© Rothamsted Research Short rotation coppice willow is already being grown as an energy crop in parts of the UK but crop breeding has the potential to greatly improve yields, making it economically viable for a much wider range of growers.

Light Harvesting complex 2: Photosynthesis is only 6% efficient and it may be possible to improve this to produce higher yielding plants or develop novel ways of capturing solar energy.

Rothamsted Research Ltd Harvested Willow at Rothamsted Research: Scientists will investigate how we can maximise the yield of non-food energy crops such as willow so that sustainable bioenergy replacements for fossil fuels become a reality.  

Switchgrass: Switchgrass is a fast growing grass which produces biomass very quickly, without competing with the food chain. Research will look at maximising the yield of non-food crops for sustainable bioenergy production.

Activity: Fermentation of lignocellulose Describe the process of ethanol production from lignocelluloses Carry out pretreatment and yeast fermentation of a range of substrates Assess the effectiveness of pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses substrates

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