SBIR Phase II: Advanced Development of Novel Maize and Sorghum Bioenergy Plants Using Lignolink Technology

SBIR 第二阶段：利用 Lignolink 技术先进开发新型玉米和高粱生物能源植物

• 批准号: 1353109
• 负责人: Colleen McMichael
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: Lignolink
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-01 至 2017-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1353109&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Advanced; Development

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will further demonstrate the potential of LignoLink's technology for improving cellulosic biomass crops as feedstocks for the bioenergy and animal feed industries. Lignocellulosic biomass is a major renewable feedstock. A critical step in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to energy is enzymatic digestion of the biomass to sugars. Lignin provides plant strength and is the primary and most challenging barrier to accessing and extracting cellulose for conversion to sugars. The novel Lignolink approach helps overcome this significant challenge by inserting proteins into the lignin structure of biomass to greatly enhance the digestibility of lignocellulose. The Lignolink modification of the lignin structure provides the desired benefits without hurting the strength or the health of the plant during normal growth. This is a key breakthrough. Small scale trials in the NSF Phase I SBIR resulted in increases of over 50% in yields of fermentable sugars from poplar wood and corn-stover biomass, without affecting plant fitness. In Phase II research the scope of the trials will be expanded in maize and poplar, both in the number and type of cell wall proteins being tested and in the scale of the trials with the best performing lines. This will demonstrate the general applicability of the technology in both annual cereal crops and in perennial woody biomass sources, which represent the full spectrum of cellulosic biomass feedstocks. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project extends from bioenergy to agriculture and biomaterials industries. Biobased products are an attractive green and sustainable long-term alternative to petroleum based products. Lignolink's technology, has the potential to make cellulosic biofuels more commercially viable and more environmentally friendly by permitting the use of milder pretreatment conditions leading to greater product yields and efficiency. Pretreatment is the largest single cost in biofuels production, and can be a significant limiting factor in economic viability. Increases in yields of sugar from biomass of 50% or more through facilitating biomass treatability itself holds great potential to improve commercial viability of the use of cellulosic biomass for energy, specialty chemicals and biomaterials and thus should facilitate development of economically viable commercial production technology. Lignolink's technology could similarly improve biomass for use as feed for livestock, by improving breakdown during digestion in animals. This could increase efficiency of nutrient extraction, thereby reducing the necessary land base and environmental impact of animal agriculture.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将进一步展示LIGHTLink技术在改善纤维素生物质作物作为生物能源和动物饲料行业原料方面的潜力。木质纤维素生物质是主要的可再生原料。将木质纤维素生物质转化为能量的关键步骤是将生物质酶促消化为糖。木质素提供植物强度，并且是获取和提取纤维素以转化为糖的主要和最具挑战性的障碍。新的Lignolink方法通过将蛋白质插入生物质的木质素结构中来帮助克服这一重大挑战，从而大大提高木质纤维素的消化率。木质素结构的Lignolink改性提供了所需的益处，而不会损害植物正常生长期间的强度或健康。这是一个关键的突破。NSF第一阶段SBIR的小规模试验导致白杨木材和玉米秸秆生物质的可发酵糖产量增加50%以上，而不影响植物适应性。在第二阶段的研究中，试验的范围将在玉米和白杨中扩大，无论是在测试的细胞壁蛋白的数量和类型方面，还是在试验的规模方面，都将扩大到最佳表现的品系。这将证明该技术在一年生谷类作物和多年生木本生物质来源中的普遍适用性，这代表了纤维素生物质原料的全部范围。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力从生物能源延伸到农业和生物材料行业。生物基产品是一种有吸引力的绿色和可持续的长期替代石油基产品。Lignolink的技术有可能使纤维素生物燃料在商业上更加可行，并且通过允许使用更温和的预处理条件而更加环保，从而导致更高的产品产量和效率。预处理是生物燃料生产中最大的单一成本，并且可能是经济可行性的重要限制因素。通过促进生物质可处理性使来自生物质的糖产率增加50%或更多本身具有提高纤维素生物质用于能源、专用化学品和生物材料的商业可行性的巨大潜力，因此应促进经济上可行的商业生产技术的开发。Lignolink的技术同样可以通过改善动物消化过程中的分解来改善用作牲畜饲料的生物质。这可以提高养分提取的效率，从而减少畜牧业所需的土地基础和对环境的影响。