Supercomputing Plant Polymers for Biofuels by Lignin Seperation
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According to a report late this past month (September 29) by InsideHBC (Portland, Ore., USA), a huge barrier in converting cellulose polymers to biofuel lies in removing other biomass polymers that subvert this chemical process. To overcome this hurdle, large-scale computational simulations are picking apart lignin, one of those inhibiting polymers, and its interactions with cellulose and other plant components. The results point toward ways to optimize biofuel production and are helping researchers understand the complex chemistry of plant cell walls.
Corn-based ethanol has been a popular but controversial source of renewable energy. Producing ethanol from corn is energy-intensive, yielding just 25% more than what was required to produce it. This is cited in the report from a 2006 study published in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. In addition, corn used to produce energy can’t be used as food.
Converting cellulose into ethanol could thus be a more efficient way to produce biofuels. But to unlock the energy in this carbohydrate polymer found in all plants, bioengineers must first separate it from lignin and other plant biomass components. The polymers of choice can then be converted into other useful chemicals – for example, simple sugars that microbes can digest and convert to ethanol.
More information about the unique details of this process in the recently booming advancement of lignin seperation methods and technology is available in the full article online.
