A bacteria found in a cow’s stomach can be used to create biofuel or bioethanol. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, and the University of Lisbon in Portugal investigated the effectiveness of a specific bacterial enzyme found in the rumen of herbivorous mammals in breaking down woody biomatter into simple sugar that can be efficiently fermented to produce bioethanol — a promising renewable fuel that can replace petroleum-based fuel systems. The findings were reported in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
The researchers made a breakthrough by removing the enzyme RfGH5 4 from the herbivorous mammals’ Ruminococcus flavefaciens bacterium and developing an efficient enzyme machinery to break down cellulose-containing biomass or woody structures into simple sugars. RfGH5 4 could be used on an industrial scale to produce bioethanol in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Researchers are interested in using biofuel because of dwindling fossil fuel reserves and the environmental pollution associated with their production and use. “Of the many biofuels known, ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is widely studied due to its positive environmental impact. This intoxicating component of spirits and drinks, which can also be used to fuel vehicles, is commonly produced by the fermentation of sugar and starch-containing raw materials – grapes, barley, potato, among others,” IIT-G professor Goyal said.
Why is this study important?
Agricultural residual biomass is wasted or burned, causing a variety of environmental problems such as global warming and climate change. Their deconstruction by RfGH5 4 may broaden their application beyond facilitating the bioethanol manufacturing process to include food medicine.
Biotechnology is being used to convert this waste into wealth in the form of bioethanol. The current bioethanol industry is in desperate need of efficient enzymes that can convert plant biomass to fermentable sugars.
