Optimization of biomass feedstock for saccharification

纤维素植物生物质是生产生物基产品（如生物燃料）的有吸引力的原料。生物乙醇目前是由甘蔗或玉米等富含淀粉的谷物生产的，然而，这些原料的广泛使用受到气候或成本的限制。更丰富和实用的原料是纤维素，一种β 1,4葡聚糖。这主要是由于产量高（每年每公顷吨）以及对化学和能源投入的需求低于传统粮食作物。因此，用于生物燃料生产的纤维素原料将比其他原料具有更好的替代化石燃料的潜力。然而，加工纤维素生物质的技术效率低下，导致成本上升，因此纤维素衍生燃料尚未具有成本竞争力。需要克服的一个主要技术障碍是纤维素难以采用低成本、高产量的方法进行加工。Frontier Agri-Science Inc.是一家加拿大农业生物技术公司，位于安大略省渥太华，成立于2010年。Frontier的任务是开发、测试和销售用于食品和生物燃料生产的改良作物品种。Frontier的旗舰抗旱技术目前正在世界各地进行测试和开发，用于主要的商业作物，该公司现在正寻求进一步投资于生物能源作物的研究。然而，生物能源部门是一个庞大的行业，需要大量的资本投资才能成功地测试和销售用于生物燃料生产的新作物和方法。为了吸引这种投资，必须开发有前途的早期技术，使其能够显示出有形的市场价值。示范工作本身需要时间、专业知识和财政承诺，这对加拿大新企业来说是一个资金缺口。Frontier和Dario Bonetta教授之间的合作，以及NSERC的Engage赠款计划的财政支持，将使该技术能够评估其商业潜力。成功的结果将使Frontier能够自信地投入所需的时间和财力，推进新的生物燃料作物品种和制造方法的开发和营销。

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.