U.S. scientists say a tiny microbe may hold the key to simpler, lower-cost production of ethanol from biomass sources such as trees, grasses and cornstalks.
The researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are studying a bacterium known as Clostridium thermocellum, which has the ability to degrade cellulose into sugars and then ferment the sugars into alcohol or ethanol.
Current ethanol production methods involve a costly, multi-step, enzyme-and-yeast-based process that would price the fuel at more than $2.20 per gallon. But the ORNL scientists say gene expression in the microbe might determine the enzymatic function, thereby revealing strategies for further reducing the cost of ethanol production.
The scientists say they hope to demonstrate their process enhancements on an industrial scale within five years.
