Objectif LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS ABOUNDS BOTH NATURALLY AND AS MANUFACTURED WASTES INCLUDING CEREAL STRAWS, FOREST PRODUCTS, WOOD PULP, PAPER, CARDBOARD AND DOMESTIC RUBBISH. SUCH MATERIALS CONSTITUTE A RENEWABLE RESOURCE OF EVER INCREASING PROPORTIONS. THEY COULD BE USED EFFECTIVELY TO PRODUCE ETHANOL FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF MATERIALS IF A SUITABLE CELLULOLYTIC YEAST WERE AVAILABLE. OUR WORK AIMS TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL SIMULTANEOULSY OPEN UP THE FIELD FOR THE USE OF SUCH NATURAL RESOURCES ELSEWHERE IN INDUSTRY AS IN THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH VALUE ORGANIC CHEMICALS FROM CELLULOSIC MATERIALS, IN DE-POLLUTION INCLUDING AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC COMPOSTING AND IN THE UPGRADING OF CELLULOSIC WASTE TO MICROBIAL PROTEIN (SCP). TECHNICALLY, THE FINDINGS FROM OUR RESEARCH PROGRAMME WILL ALSO HAVE DIRECT IMPLICATION AND POTENTIAL IN THE INDUSTRIAL USE OF AEROBIC AND EXTREMOPHILIC MICROBES, THE STABILITY OF ENZYMES AND GENE TRANSFER FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MICROBIAL STRAINS. VAST QUANTITIES OF ANNUALLY RENEWABLE BIOMASS ARE FOUND NATURALLY OR AS LARGE AMOUNTS OF MANUFACTURED WASTE GENERATED BY INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND IN THE HOME. SUCH MATERIALS INCLUDE AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES (CEREAL AND RELATED STRAWS, SAWDUST), PULP, CARDBOARD, WASTE PAPER AND DOMESTIC REFUSE. THESE MATERIALS CONSTITUTE A VAST POTENTIAL RESERVOIR OF ETHANOL, A FUEL AS WELL AS A CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATE FOR INDUSTRY. THE TRANSFORMATION TO CELLULOSIC COMPONENT OF THE BIOMASS INTO SOLUBLE SUGARS. FOR INDUSTRIAL USE THIS IN TURN NEEDS THE MOST EFFECTIVE CATALYST AVAILABLE. SUCH A CATALYST IS CELLULASE, AN ENZYME COMPLEX PRODUCED BY ONLY FEW CELLULOLYTIC MICOORGANISMS, BACTERIAL OR FUNGAL. ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL IS C. THERMOCELLUM, A THERMOPHILIC ANAEROBIC CELLULOLYTIC BACTERIUM. A NUMBER OF STRAINS OF THIS ORGANISM ARE KNOWN. THREE OF THE BEST STRAINS OF THIS BACTERIUM HAVE BEEN EXAMINED IN OUR LABORATORIES FOR THEIR ABILITY TO SYNTHESIZE AND SECRETE A CELLULASE OF SUFFICIENT POTENCY TO TRANSFORM CELLULOSIC MATERIALS TO SUGARS WITH MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND IN THE SHORTEST TIME. THE MOST ACTIVE ORGANISM THUS FOUND IS NOW BEING INVESTIGATED FURTHER. THE NATURE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THIS BACTERIAL CELLULASE COMPLEX ARE BEING EXAMINED. HERE, WORK IS ALSO IN PROGRESS TO ISOLATE THE INDIVIDUAL AND MOST SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT ENZYMES OF THIS BACTERIAL SYSTEM. THEIR EFFICIENCY WILL THEN BE COMPARED WITH RELATED CELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES BEING ISOLATED FROM TWO OF THE BEST CELLULOLYTIC FUNGI (TRICHODERMA SP. AND TALAROMYCES SP.). THE ENZYME SYSTEMS OF THESE TWO ORGANISMS HAVE BEEN STUDIED IN DETAIL ELSEWHERE BY OURSELVES AND OUR COLLABORATORS IN THE PRESENT PROJECT. THE DETAILED KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM EXAMINING THE CELLULASE SYSTEMS OF THE THREE MICROBES WILL ENABLE US TO DEFINE THE ESSENTIAL AND MOST EFFECTIVE ENZYME COMPONENTS AND THUS TO PREPARE AN "ARTIFICIAL" CELLULASE COMPLEX. THIS DATA WILL THEN BE USED TO TRANSFER THE RELEVANT GENETIC MATERIAL TO A POTENT ALCOHOL PRODUCING YEAST STRAIN. THEREBY THIS ORGANISM WILL BE ENDOWED WITH THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALCOHOL DIRECTLY FROM CELLULOSE, A PROPERTY WHICH IS NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE TO YEASTS. Champ scientifique natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcoholsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymesagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomassagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscereals Programme(s) FP1-ENNONUC 3C - Research and development programme (EEC) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy, 1985-1988 Thème(s) Data not available Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinateur Swansea University Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Singleton park SA2 8PP SWANSEA Royaume-Uni Voir sur la carte Liens Site web Opens in new window Coût total Aucune donnée Participants (1) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution de l’UE Tout développer Tout réduire UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Irlande Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse DUBLIN Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée
