currently, the production of second generation ethanol (from lignocellulosic waste) it's a big technological challenge.
One of the difficulties is the need for yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) robust plants that tolerate the stressors of fermentation.
In order to obtain such strains, tolerant to inhibitors present in sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzate, the agronomist Thalita Basso carried out a study on the subject in the doctorate in Sciences, of the Graduate Program (PPG) in Agricultural Microbiology at the “Luiz de Queiroz” School of Agriculture (USP/Salq).
The research explored the robustness of industrial Brazilian yeast strains, not yet tolerant enough to withstand the stresses of bagasse hydrolyzate fermentation.
"These strains were crossed with each other to result in hybrid strains even more tolerant to inhibitors", Explain.
Second-generation ethanol
This stage of the work was conducted in the Biochemistry and Yeast Technology laboratory, from the Department of Biological Sciences.
The selected strains were transferred to the University of California, where they were genetically evaluated and transformed for xylose fermentation, one of the sugars present in the bagasse hydrolyzate.
According to the researcher, there is a lot of effort, both in academia and in industry, to make second generation ethanol a reality.
"Esalq has always been a reference for the sugar and alcohol sector in Brazil and this research is a modest contribution to the list of important technological advances already provided by the university".
The work contributes with appropriate yeasts for an ethanol production using a raw material (sugarcane bagasse) more economical and environmentally appropriate.
Original text ecodesenvolvimento.org