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  • Cellulosic Biofuel Production Steps and Biological Research Challenges

    • Cellulosic Biofuel Production Steps and Biological Research Challenges

    This figure depicts some key processing steps in an artist’s conception of a future large-scale facility for transforming cellulosic biomass (plant fibers) into biofuels. Three areas where focused biological research can lead to much lower costs and increased productivity include developing crops dedicated to biofuel production (see step 1), engineering enzymes that deconstruct cellulosic biomass (see steps 2 and 3), and engineering microbes and developing new microbial enzyme systems for industrial-scale conversion of biomass sugars into ethanol and other biofuels or bioproducts (see step 4). Biological research challenges associated with each production step are summarized in the right portion of the figure.

    Citation: Bioenergy Research Centers: An Overview of the Science, U.S. Department of Energy, February 2008. DOE/SC-0104.
    Credit or Source: Genome Management Information System, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • From Biomass to Biofuels

    • From Biomass to Biofuels

    Woodchips, grasses, cornstalks, and other cellulosic biomass are widely abundant but more difficult to break down into sugars than corn grain—the primary source of U.S. fuel ethanol production today. Biological research is key to accelerating the deconstruction of cellulosic biomass into sugars that can be converted to biofuels.

    Citation: Bioenergy Research Centers: An Overview of the Science, U.S. Department of Energy, February 2008. DOE/SC-0104.
    Credit or Source: Genome Management Information System, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Biodiesel Production Research
    • Biodiesel Production Research

    Michigan State University scientist and GLBRC researcher Carl Lira works with a conceptual setup for the biodiesel continuous production process. This process may eliminate harmful by-products of biodiesel production and generate substances that could be used in either fuel or consumer products. [Photo by Kurt Stepnitz, Michigan State University.

    Bioenergy Research Centers: An Overview of the Science, U.S. Department of Energy, February 2008. DOE/SC-0104.
    Credit or Source: Kurt Stepnitz, Michigan State University Office of Biobased Technologies