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Cell‐free ethanol production: the future of fuel ethanol?
Author(s) -
Allain Eric J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.1649
Subject(s) - ethanol fuel , biochemical engineering , ethanol , gasoline , production (economics) , process (computing) , renewable resource , biofuel , renewable energy , chemistry , environmental science , waste management , engineering , computer science , biochemistry , economics , electrical engineering , macroeconomics , operating system
The production of fuel ethanol from renewable resources as an economically viable alternative to gasoline is currently the subject of much research. Most studies seek to improve process efficiency by increasing the rate of ethanol production; ultimately, this approach will be limited by the selected ethanol‐producing microorganism. Cell‐free ethanol production, using only the enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose to ethanol, may offer a practical and beneficial alternative. Mathematical modeling of such a system has suggested that a cell‐free process should be capable of producing ethanol much more efficiently than the microbial based process. This finding along with other potential benefits of a microorganism‐free process suggests that a cell‐free process might significantly improve the economy of fuel ethanol production and is a worthy target for further research. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry