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Alternative technologies for biotechnological fuel ethanol manufacturing
Author(s) -
Vertès Alain A,
Inui Masayuki,
Yukawa Hideaki
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.1743
Subject(s) - raw material , flexibility (engineering) , ethanol fuel , biochemical engineering , maturity (psychological) , fermentation , microbiology and biotechnology , emerging technologies , biofuel , yeast , business , engineering , economics , chemistry , computer science , biology , food science , psychology , developmental psychology , biochemistry , management , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence
Abstract The challenges of implementing biorefineries on a global scale include socioeconomic, financial, and technological constraints. In particular, the development of biorefineries is tightly linked to the continued availability of fermentation raw materials. These constraints can be relaxed by the use of diverse raw materials, while advances that confer higher flexibility would enable biotechnological plant managers to swiftly react to volatile markets. In conventional processes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae grows on a relatively limited range of substrates, and produces only a single product—ethanol. Given the observed maturity of the S. cerevisiae fermentation technology, alternatives to baker's yeast may be needed to tip the economic balance in favour of biotechnological ethanol. These alternative fermentation technologies may allow a greater diversity of substrates to be used to produce an individually tailored mix of ethanol and other chemicals. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry