SBIR Phase I: Xylose Isomerase from Marine Bacteria for Cellulosic Ethanol

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将证明使用来自海洋细菌的新型酶作为将生物质转化为乙醇的过程的一部分的可行性。 Trillium实验室的初步数据表明，这种酶具有独特的特性，能够使用强大的传统酵母将木糖（一种常见的生物质衍生糖）转化为乙醇的低成本过程。 第一阶段的工作将表征酶的生化性能，并将其用于实验室规模的木糖到乙醇的过程。 第一阶段项目的成功实施将为第二阶段项目奠定基础，该项目将开发这种酶的大批量生产，并将其用于中试规模的同时异构化和发酵（SIF）系统。 该研究的更广泛/商业影响是将纤维素生物质转化为乙醇的成本显著降低，从而更快速地部署商业纤维素乙醇工艺。 目前的美国可再生燃料标准（RFS）规定，每年180亿加仑的纤维素乙醇混合到全国？到2022年的运输燃料供应。 由于缺乏经济的纤维素乙醇工艺，实现这一目标的进展没有得到满足。该提案的创新将导致每吨生物质的乙醇产率增加30-40%的过程，从而显著提高整体工艺经济性。 一个具有成本效益的纤维素乙醇工艺将推动1000亿美元的资本投资，以满足可再生能源标准，并在生物燃料工业和农业部门创造就业机会。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of using a novel enzyme from a marine bacterium as part of a process to convert biomass to ethanol. The Trillium laboratory has preliminary data that indicates that this enzyme has unique characteristics that enables a low-cost process for converting xylose, a common biomass-derived sugar, into ethanol using robust conventional yeasts. Phase I work will characterize the biochemical performance of the enzyme and use it in a bench-scale xylose-to-ethanol process. Successful execution of the Phase I project will set the stage for a Phase II project that will develop high-volume production of this enzyme and use it in a pilot-scale Simultaneous Isomerization and Fermentation (SIF) system. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are dramatic cost reductions for conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol, and thus more rapid deployment of commercial cellulosic ethanol processes. The current United States Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandates that 18 billion gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol be blended into the nation?s transportation fuel supply by 2022. Progress toward this goal is not being met due to the lack of economic cellulosic ethanol processes. The innovation of this proposal will result in a process that increases ethanol yield per ton of biomass by 30-40% and thus dramatically improve overall process economics. A cost-effective cellulosic ethanol process will drive the investment of 100 billion dollars of capital capacity to meet the RFS and create jobs in the biofuels industry and agriculture sector.