US-Hungary Engineering Research on Processing of Sweet Sorghum for Value Added Products

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This U.S.-Hungary research project in microbiology is between Drs. Robert P. Tengerdy and James Linden of Colorado State University and Drs. Janos Schmidt of the Pannon Agricultural University and Laszlo Nyeste of the Technical University of Budapest. This project will combine the complementary expertise of Hungarian and American research groups in developing a new integrated processing of sweet sorghum for value-added products such as alcohol, protein, silage, and animal feed. The key to the integrated process is a biological intervention, enzyme assisted ensiling (ENLAC), that improves the storability of the ensiled crop for year round processing and makes possible a higher cell content recovery by countercurrent diffusion. Research efforts will focus on improving the extractability of sugar and protein from ENLAC treated sweet sorghum and on separating proteins from sugar in the extracted juice. By adjusting the engineering parameters of the diffusion process, the researchers expect to control the ENLAC process for maximum sugar and soluable protein yields. Results should enhance the value of sweet sorghum as a crop, offering a potentially profitable and sustainable economic activity to farmers and bioindustries in both countries. This project in microbiology fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling leading experts in the United States and Eastern Europe to combine complementary talents and pool resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.