Optimization of biomass feedstock for saccharification

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Cellulosic plant biomass is an attractive feedstock for the production of biobased products such as biofuels. Bioethanol is currently produced from sugarcane or starch rich grains like corn, however, widespread use of these feedstocks is limited by climate or cost. A more abundant and practical feedstock is cellulose, a beta1,4 glucan. This is largely because of high productivity (tonnes per hectare per year) as well as lower demand for chemical and energy inputs than traditional food crops. Cellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production would thus have a much better potential for fossil fuel displacement than do other feedstocks. Technologies for processing cellulosic biomass, however, suffer from inefficiencies that drive up the cost so that cellulose derived fuels are not yet cost-competitive. A major technical obstacle that needs to be overcome is the recalcitrance of cellulose to processing using low cost, high yield methods. Frontier Agri-Science Inc. is a Canadian agricultural biotechnology located in Ottawa Ontario and founded in 2010. Frontier's mandate is to develop, test and market improved crop varieties for food and biofuel production. Frontier's flagship drought tolerant technology in currently in testing and development around the world for use in major commercial crops and the company is now looking to invest further in bioenergy crop research. The bioenergy sector, however, is a large industry and significant capital investment is required to successfully test and market new crops and methods for biofuel production. To attract this investment, promising early stage technologies must be developed to the point that tangible market value can be demonstrated. The demonstration work itself requires time, expertise and a financial commitment, representing a funding gap for new Canadian enterprises. The collaboration between Frontier and Prof. Dario Bonetta, together with the financial support of NSERC's Engage Grant program will allow the technology to be assessed for commercial potential. Successful outcomes will allow Frontier to confidently invest the time and financial resources it will require to move forward with the development and marketing of new biofuel crop varieties and manufacturing methods.