I-Corps: Commercialization of enzyme platforms for biofuels production enhancement

该研究团队开发了一种耐热耐酸的移动的酶螯合平台（mESP）系统，能够提高预处理木质纤维素底物的解构效率。目前的研究重点是准备这项技术用于第二代生物乙醇生产工艺，也可以用于玉米（第一代）生产。该技术提高了酶介导过程的效率，该过程解构预处理的原料并将复杂的碳水化合物转化为简单的可发酵糖。该研究团队计划将mESP技术从实验室规模的系统升级到工业系统，这可能会加速木质纤维素（第二代）生产工艺的第二代mESP原型的开发。mESP系统的使用可以为第一代生物乙醇生产商节省大量资金，并为第二代产品打开市场。 此外，mESP通过为高效原料解构提供另一种选择，使基于木质纤维素的生物燃料（第二代）的生产得到更广泛的应用。I-Corps团队还将探索在生物修复和食品生产中使用mESP的机会。

The research team has developed a thermostable and acidotolerant mobile enzyme sequestration platform (mESP) system capable of enhancing deconstruction efficiency of pretreated lignocellulosic substrates. The current research is focused on preparing this technology for use in 2nd-generation bioethanol production processes, and can also be employed in corn-based (1st-generation) production. The technology enhances the efficiency of enzyme-mediated processes that deconstruct pretreated feedstock and convert complex carbohydrates to simple fermentable sugars. The research team plans to upscale mESP technology from a laboratory-scale system to an industrial system that can potentially; accelerate the development second generation mESP prototypes for lignocellulosic (2nd-generation) production processes.The use of mESP systems can result in significant savings for 1st-generation bioethanol producers and open markets for 2nd-generation products. Additionally, mESPs enable wider-spread production of lignocellulosic-based biofuels (2nd generation) by providing another option for high efficiency feedstock deconstruction. Opportunities to use mESPs in bioremediation and food production will also be explored by this I-Corps team.