Researchers unlocking biomass energy

Delta Farm Press
Layne Cameron, Michigan State University
Jul. 27, 2011 2:27pm

Pretreating non-edible biomass — corn leaves, stalks or switch grass — holds the keys for unlocking its energy potential and making it economically viable, according to a team of researchers led by Michigan State University.



Shishir Chundawat, a post-doctoral researcher, and Bruce Dale, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, of MSU led a team of researchers in identifying a potential pre-treatment method that can make plant cellulose five times more digestible by enzymes that convert it into ethanol, a useful biofuel.

The research was supported by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, a partnership between the University of Wisconsin and MSU and published in the current issue of Journal of the American Chemical Society.



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