iDiverse discovers yeast gene that increases fuel ethanol production yield up to 34%
23 July 2012
Privately-held biotechnology company iDiverse announced that it has discovered a yeast gene that when inserted into yeast and properly modulated can increase ethanol production yield by up to 34%.
The gene functions by protecting the yeast against some of the lethal stresses encountered in the bioproduction process. In its current embodiment, it allows yeast to produce significantly more ethanol under the severe conditions of high concentrations of acetic acid and low pH. These critical conditions occur when fuel ethanol is produced from corn or sugarcane and are yet more severe in the newest generation of fermentation processes using lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock. Our constructs have been tested in several commercial yeasts. We believe that they can improve the performance of any yeast facing lethal bioproduction environments.
—John Serbin, Chief Business Officer at iDiverse
If our technology is effective at large-scale, it could increase the efficiency of installed fuel ethanol plants, enhance yields from corn and sugarcane feed stocks, and help manufacturers bridge the fuel ethanol production gap until the next generation biomass plants come on-line. In addition, we think we can help increase the manufacturing output of cellulosic biomass technologies under development.
—John Burr, president and CEO of iDiverse
In 2010, the company announced it had successfully modified yeast to be more resistant to a number of lethal stresses normally encountered in the bioproduction of fuel ethanol, thereby increasing yield.
With the fast changing (drier) climate, there are not guarantees that USA will be able to produce enough biomass to feed 400+ people, as many pets, 300 million gas guzzlers, pleasure boats, recreation vehicles, airplane fleets, ships, war machines etc.
The current on-going Corn based ethanol production is already very questionable. Using our large coal and gas reserves to produce liquid fuels may be a better interim solution for the next 20 to 30 years or until such time as electrified vehicles have flooded the market place and ICE vehicles have been retired to museums.
Posted by: HarveyD | 23 July 2012 at 10:29 AM