Researchers at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and fermentation research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have come up with their transgenic version of switchgrass that is better than conventional switchgrass for it could produce about one-third more ethanol by fermentation. After studying a number of plants in which natural gene mutation had resulted in reduced Lignin production, they have created a DNA fragment that would have the same result. When tried on Switchgrass, the lignin production was reduced to about 1/4th of natural levels and ethanol yield increased by up to 40 percent.
The cost reduction results from changes in two steps of the production process. Firstly, in the pre-processing phase, the biomass is subjected to Hot acid treatment to make the cellulose more accessible to enzymes that break it down. With transgenic crops, the temperature required was much lower than usual, saving some amount of power. Second and more importantly, in the fermentation phase, certain enzymes are used to break down the sugar into alcohol. These enzymes are purified from bacterial sources and form a large part of the production cost. With the genetically modified crops, the volume of enzymes used was cut down to a third, translating into huge savings on cost.
As of now, the technology seems safe to use. No side effects were observed in the switchgrass apart from a slight change in the color. But it will still have to be studied over a longer period of time before any conclusive evidence as to its safety can be furnished. If proved safe, this could be a game changer in the Biofuels segment.
Via: Wired
