UGA researchers develop ‘super’ yeast that turns pine into ethanol

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/uga-researchers-develop-super-yeast-that-turns-pine-into-ethanol/

UGA researchers develop ‘super’ yeast that turns pine into ethanol

From forest to fuel tank

November 17, 2011

…

"Companies are interested in producing ethanol from woody biomass such as pine, but it is a notoriously difficult material for fermentations," said Joy Doran-Peterson, associate professor of microbiology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

"The big plus for softwoods, including pine, is that they have a lot of sugar that yeast can use," she said. "Yeast are currently used in ethanol production from corn or sugarcane, which are much easier materials for fermentation; our process increases the amount of ethanol that can be obtained from pine."

Before the pinewood is fermented with yeast, however, it is pre-treated with heat and chemicals, which help open the wood for enzymes to break the cellulose down into sugars. Once sugars are released, the yeast will convert them to ethanol, but compounds produced during pretreatment tend to kill even the hardiest industrial strains of yeast, making ethanol production difficult.

Doran-Peterson, along with doctoral candidate G. Matt Hawkins, used directed evolution and adaptation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a species of yeast used commonly in industry for production of corn ethanol, to generate the "super" yeast.

…

[NickB79]

1. This can't live outside the specialized conditions of a lab, right?

The last thing we need is more diseases attacking forests right now.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. “…Before the pinewood is fermented with yeast, however, it is pre-treated with heat and chemicals…”

I wouldn’t be too concerned about it eating all of the trees in the forest.

[hunter]

3. Pine Vodka, I can't wait.

Maybe it tastes like paint stripper, but I'll bet it's cheap...

;)

[madokie]

4. Hell I thought pine was what they made gin out of

nasty shit anyway

[eppur_se_muova]

5. You're thinking of juniper (jenever) berries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin#Etymology

[madokie]

6. Yes you are correct

To me gin taste like pine smells and that was what I was referring to even though I didn't make myself clear. :hi:
Thanks for the link as I never would have known what gin was made of. I guess you can call me a teetotaler now that I'm in my older age.