Isolation of a Peniophora Strain Capable of Producing Ethanol from Starch and Kitchen Waste

Worldwide greenhouse gas emissions are increasing and are thought to contribute to global warming, which has the potential to affect climate, ecosystems, and the spread of diseases. Among the various approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emission,the use of bioethanol has attracted international attention because it is a carbon-neutral fuel that is produced from naturally abundant biological materials. As bioethanol is predominantly derived from sugar or starch crops, it represents a sustainable, renewable, environmentally friendly transportation fuel that is a promising alternative to gasoline. Although bioethanol is increasingly being used as a fuel source around the world, the rapid increase in bioethanol use has also affected crop production patterns, resulting in increased food prices. 

Therefore, second-generation bioethanol production requires the development of economically feasible and sustainable processes utilizing renewable lignocellulosic materials that do not compete with food sources.Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant and inexpensive material available for bioethanol production. Lignocellulose, which is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is hydrolytically stable and is not readily broken down into fermentable sugars. Cellulose and hemicellulose are polysaccharides that can be hydrolyzed to hexose and pentose sugars, whereas lignin is a phenolic compound that cannot be used for ethanol production. A major practical limitation in biomass-to-ethanol conversion is the cost associated with the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, which requires enzymes such as cellulases.(Read more)