In this Sustainable Energy Seminar, Dr. Caryn Wadler, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, will discuss the opportunities for creating valuable products from residues leftover from converting plants into ethanol and other biofuels.

Abstract:

While biofuels are both an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to petroleum-based fossil fuels, they are difficult to commercialize due to the high expense of the current process.  In this process, plant material is broken down by chemicals or enzymes into a carbon source which can then be more easily fermented by microorganisms into biofuels.  However, methods used to generate bioethanol can leave behind 60% of the energy potential as conversion residue- the organic material remaining after the bioethanol is removed.  To increase the economic viability of these biofuels, we are engineering bacteria to synthesize valuable bioproducts from conversion residue.  We engineered a collection of Streptomyces to produce the red pigment lycopene as a reporter of the potential for the production of isoprenoids, a class of valuable bioproducts.  After screening our engineered Streptomyces collection, we identified several strains able to produce high levels of lycopene from conversion residue.  These strains are now being further engineered to produce other, more valuable isoprenoids with the overall project goal of engineering a collection of Streptomyces able to degrade a wide range of conversion residues and produce a variety of isoprenoids to meet market demands.  

Registration is required for this webinar through Zoom. Click here to register for this and all other webinars as part of the Sustainable Energy Seminar series.