The energy and cost to convert lingo-cellulosic material (grass, wood, vegetable residuals, etc.) to liquid fuel is a barrier to commercialization. One of the larger costs involves the enzymatic conversion of plant materials into fermentable sugars, due to the amount and number of enzymes required to break cellulose into fermentable sugars. To overcome this barrier, this project will engineer single enzymes with multiple activity, known as fusion enzymes, for the efficient conversion of cellulosic materials into fermentable sugars. Phase I will involve the construction and characterization of a prototype cellulosic fusion enzyme. Phase II will be directed at the optimization and production of the fusion enzymes, and testing the enzymes on a small scale.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:Compared to ethanol produced from corn, cellulose biomass is inexpensive, but the enzyme costs are 4-to-7 times more. The fusion enzyme technology would provide multiple enzymatic activities for the cost of manufacturing one product, potentially reducing the costs of producing bio-fuel. The combination of multiple activities into one fusion enzyme could potentially reduce enzyme costs by 30% or more
