Specialty Enzymes : Products : Lignocellulosic Enzymes

Enzymes for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Verenium is Developing a Collection of Enzymes Capable of Converting Cellulosic Biomass to Simple Sugars That Can be Fermented to Ethanol or Other Value-Added Chemicals

In order to meet the increased demand for ethanol in the future, feedstocks other than starch will need to be utilized to produce alternative fuel. The most undervalued and underutilized energy asset on the plant is cellulosic biomass. Many forms of cellulosic biomass can contribute to biofuels, including sugar and energy cane waste (bagasse), switch grass, or crop residues like corn stalks, wheat straw, rice straw, grass clippings, and wood residues. These cellulose-containing natural waste products are widely abundant and can be sustainably produced. In addition to fuel, cellulosic biomass can be converted into chemicals used to manufacture products that would otherwise be made from petrochemicals, such as plastics, adhesives, and paints.

The biomass challenge

Cellulosic biomass has been a challenge for scientists to convert to ethanol. In the past, scientists have used harsh acids and high temperatures to try and break, or hydrolyze, the cellulose molecules into their individual sugar components. However, an economical process has never been developed using traditional chemistry.

Verenium’s lignocelluosic enzymes are addressing this challenge with the goal of fundamentally changing this paradigm. We are developing enzyme cocktails to convert different types of cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars as part of an overall objective of developing a new, more cost-effective process.

Grants and research programs

In February of 2008, Verenium announced that it has been awarded one of four grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under a $33.8 million program for the development of improved enzyme systems to be used in converting biomass into clean, renewable cellulosic ethanol. The grants will be appropriated over a four-year period beginning now through 2011.

Verenium has also formed a research program with New Zealand Crown Research Institutes Scion and AgResearch which could ultimately see New Zealand's entire vehicle fleet running on New Zealand-grown and manufactured biofuels.

The partners have agreed to coordinate their technology development initiatives to target the feasibility of a transportation biofuel industry in New Zealand that uses bio-based feedstocks such as trees and grasses. For more information view the press release.