SBIR Phase I: Engineering Thermophilic Geobacillus to Secrete an Enzyme Cocktail for Industrial Biomass Conversions

SBIR第一阶段项目将对一种嗜热菌株进行基因工程改造，该菌株能够表达和分泌生物质水解所需的所有酶，并且可以在有氧和厌氧条件下在基本培养基上生长。 国家能源计划可再生燃料标准要求到2022年从非粮食作物中生产210亿加仑先进生物燃料。为了实现这一目标，必须开发一种经济可行的水解生物质的方法。纤维素乙醇的生产目前涉及用蒸汽、酸或碱预处理生物质，以使其更易于酶消化。生物质经预处理后，会加入具有纤维素酶、木聚糖酶、β-木糖苷酶及β-葡萄糖苷酶活性的酶，将生物质水解成可发酵生产燃料的五碳糖及六碳糖。该项目的更广泛/商业影响是利用本地生物质生产低成本生物燃料。 这可以降低和稳定能源价格，加强国家能源安全，减少财政赤字，创造美国就业机会，促进经济发展。

This SBIR Phase I project will genetically engineer a thermophilic bacterial strain capable of expressing and secreting all the enzymes necessary for biomass hydrolysis and that can grow on minimal media in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The National Energy Plan Renewable Fuel Standard mandates the production of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels from non-food based crops by 2022. In order to achieve this goal, an economically feasible process to hydrolyze biomass must be developed. Production of cellulosic ethanol currently involves pretreating biomass with steam, acid or base to make it more accessible to enzymatic digestion. Enzymes, namely those possessing cellulase, xylanase, â-xylosidase and â-glucosidase activities, will be added after pretreatment to hydrolyze the biomass to its constituent five and six carbon sugars that can be fermented to produce fuel.The broader/commercial impact of the project will be low cost bio-fuel made from local biomass. This could reduce and stabilize energy prices, strengthen the national energy security, reduce the fiscal deficit, create American jobs and promote economic development.