A first: Isobutanol directly from cellulose

In the quest for inexpensive biofuels, cellulose proved no match for a bioprocessing strategy and genetically engineered microbe developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Centre.

Using consolidated bioprocessing, a team led by James Liao of the University of California at Los Angeles for the first time has produced isobutanol directly from cellulose. The team’s work, published online in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, represents across-the-board savings in processing costs and time. Furthermore, isobutanol is a higher grade of alcohol than ethanol.

“Unlike ethanol, isobutanol can be blended at any ratio with gasoline and should eliminate the need for dedicated infrastructure in tanks or vehicles,” said Liao, chancellor’s professor and vice chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. “Plus, it may be possible to use isobutanol directly in current engines without modification.”

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