Transforming Biofuels through Biotechnology
February 8, 2008| |
Biotechnology should focus on optimizing the conversion of biomass to sugar for cellulosic ethanol to become a reality. Through biotechnology, plants with more digestible cell wall and increased biomass or bacteria and fungi that express elevated labels of the enzyme cellulase (for degrading cellulose) can be developed. A paper published by the journal Nature Biotechnology discusses the role that biotechnology will play in transforming the biofuel industry.
Lee Lynd, from Dartmouth College, and his colleagues argue that biotechnological approaches—including systems biology, imaging and computational tools—are likely the most powerful tools available to address the dual challenges of converting cellulosic biomass and large-scale sustainable production. The paper concluded that by focusing the transformative power of biotech on challenges in biofuel production, while considering sustainability in all its dimensions, one can reasonably hope to enable the 'second industrial revolution' that society now requires.
The abstract of the paper including links to the full article is available at http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v26/n2/full/nbt0208-169.html
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