Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Abd El-Fatah Abomohra, Mohamed E. El-Hefnawy, Qingyuan Wang, Jin Huang, Li Li, Jialing Tang, Soha Mohammed
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of seaweeds for heavy metal biosorption and biofuel production, with a focus on biogas and bioethanol yields from fermented biomass. Sargassum spp. showed the highest copper biosorption efficiency and the fermented biomass had higher bioethanol yield compared to Cu-sorbed biomass.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angela R. Gordillo Sierra, Luis Fernando Amador-Castro, Andree E. Ramirez-Partida, Tomas Garcia-Cayuela, Danay Carrillo-Nieves, Hal S. Alper
Summary: This study reports a method for producing biodiesel and high-value alginate from Sargassum biomass collected from the coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The findings indicate that pretreating the biomass with alginate extraction and enzymatic saccharification can release abundant sugars, and fermentation using engineered Yarrowia lipolytica can produce high lipid titers. Additionally, the study demonstrates the capability of extracting high-value purified alginate from this material.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
J. Jay Liu, Rofice Dickson, Haider Niaz, Jaap W. Van Hal, J. W. Dijkstra, Peyman Fasahati
Summary: Seaweed, as a third-generation biofuel feedstock, can contribute to offsetting climate change and supporting a cleaner marine environment. However, commercial-scale seaweed-based biorefineries face challenges in terms of low-cost cultivation and reducing the production costs of seaweed conversion to biofuels. Different conversion platforms have been explored, but it remains unclear which technology is economically competitive and what the major bottlenecks are for large-scale deployment of seaweed biorefineries.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Vivek Narisetty, R. Reshmy, Shraddha Maitra, Ayon Tarafdar, Maria Paul Alphy, A. Naresh Kumar, Aravind Madhavan, Ranjna Sirohi, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, Raveendran Sindhu, Sunita Varjani, Parameswaran Binod
Summary: Bio-based fuels and chemicals produced through the biorefinery approach are gaining popularity as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived processes, with positive environmental and societal impacts. By exploring the diversity of microorganisms and utilizing waste materials as substrates, valuable products can be generated, and municipal solid wastes show significant potential in this aspect.
BIOENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Stephanie Brain-Isasi, Sebastian Correa, Juan Amado-Hinojosa, Alejandro H. Buschmann, Carolina Camus, Maria Elena Lienqueo
Summary: This study successfully valorized the red alga Gracilaria chilensis by sequentially extracting phycobiliproteins (PBPs) and agar. The extracted PBPs (R-phycoerythrin and R-phycocyanin) were recovered and purified, while agar with similar physical properties as directly extracted agar from G. chilensis was obtained. The agar obtained after PBPs extraction showed no inhibitory effects on microbial growth and allowed effective nucleic acid separation.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ravichandran Pravin, Cheng-Di Dong, Ramanujam Praveenkumar, Anil Kumar Patel, Ashok Pandey, Gurunathan Baskar
Summary: This research focused on extracting algal oil from marine macroalgae Dictyota bartayresiana biomass, and optimized the extraction process using classical and statistical methods. The study determined the optimal conditions for oil extraction and characterized the extracted algal oil. A simulation of the extraction process for industrial scale production was conducted, and a technoeconomic assessment revealed positive results. The study demonstrates the potential for sustainable extraction of algal oil for biofuel production.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
R. C. Anu, Alexander Alokika, R. C. Kuhad, Alexander Rapoport, Vinod Kumar, Davender Singh, Vijay Kumar, Santosh Kumar Tiwari, Shruti Ahlawat, Bijender Singh
Summary: Biological pretreatment is an eco-friendly and economic method for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment, which utilizes microorganisms and enzymes to degrade lignocellulose and convert it into value-added products. Compared to physical and chemical methods, biological pretreatment does not require the use of toxic chemicals and is capable of detoxifying toxic compounds. Biological pretreatment can convert pretreated biomass into biofuels, organic acids, enzymes, and other products through various processes.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nanna Rhein-Knudsen, Diego Reyes-Weiss, Svein Jarle Horn
Summary: In this study, a new enzymatic extraction technique was developed for the production of pure and intact fucoidans from brown seaweeds. The fucoidans obtained by this method showed higher amounts of fucose and sulfate, the main components of fucoidans, compared to traditionally extracted fucoidans. The extracted fucoidans also had low contamination of cellulose, laminarin, and alginate. This new enzymatic extraction technique provides high purity fucoidans for further study of their structures and biological activities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aditi Wagle, Michael J. Angove, Asmita Mahara, Amrita Wagle, Bandita Mainali, Manoela Martins, Rosana Goldbeck, Shukra Raj Paudel
Summary: With increasing population and limited fossil fuel resources, the need for sustainable energy sources and conversion methods has become more important. This review explores the significance of multi-stage pre-treatment for biofuels production from biomass waste, highlighting its advantages and suggesting future research directions.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Rahul Kumar Goswami, Sanjeet Mehariya, Parthiba Karthikeyan Obulisamy, Pradeep Verma
Summary: Depletion of fossil fuel resources has led to a shift towards renewable energy sources, with biohydrogen recognized as a clean and efficient fuel source. Biological fermentation processes are preferred over thermochemical processes due to their eco-friendly and economically viable nature, but low yield and high costs remain obstacles for commercialization. An integrated microalgae-based hydrogen production process is proposed as a potential solution, with discussions on process integration, efficiency improvement, economic viability, and future research needs.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Tiago Barroso, William Sganzerla, Rafael Rosa, Luiz Castro, Francisco Maciel-Silva, Mauricio Rostagno, Tania Forster-Carneiro
Summary: The valorization of jabuticaba by-products through hydrothermal pretreatment was studied, and the results showed that sugars, organic acids, and anthocyanins can be recovered using this eco-friendly technology.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
K. L. Baltrusch, M. D. Torres, H. Dominguez, N. Florez-Fernandez
Summary: The tea industry can utilize its by-products to produce bioactive tea extracts for various applications. This study successfully stabilized and protected tea extracts using biopolymer delivery systems such as starch, carrageenan, or alginate. The resulting microencapsulated tea extracts exhibited high efficiency and showed promising properties for future applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Upcraft, Wei-Chien Tu, Rob Johnson, Tim Finnigan, Nguyen Van Hung, Jason Hallett, Miao Guo
Summary: There is a global issue with undernourishment and the demand for animal-sourced protein is expected to increase significantly. Single cell proteins offer a potential alternative to reduce the environmental impact of global protein consumption. Utilizing sugars derived from lignocellulosic residues can result in more sustainable protein production.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Arturo Di Fraia, Edoardo Miliotti, Andrea Maria Rizzo, Giulia Zoppi, Giuseppe Pipitone, Raffaele Pirone, Luca Rosi, David Chiaramonti, Samir Bensaid
Summary: This study converted lignin-rich stream from lignocellulosic ethanol production into biocrude through continuous hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), and produced hydrogen through aqueous phase reforming (APR). The use of NaOH catalyst resulted in a maximum biocrude yield of 27 wt%, and the phenolics in the co-produced aqueous phase were effectively removed through liquid-liquid extraction, improving the hydrogen yield of APR. Preliminary mass balances showed that APR can provide up to 46% of the theoretical hydrogen required for upgrading the HTL biocrude, enhancing the process performance and sustainability.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Edoardo Tito, Giulia Zoppi, Giuseppe Pipitone, Edoardo Miliotti, Arturo Di Fraia, Andrea Maria Rizzo, Raffaele Pirone, David Chiaramonti, Samir Bensaid
Summary: This study evaluated the techno-economic feasibility of coupling hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) with aqueous phase reforming (APR) to address the challenges of carbon loss and biocrude upgrading in HTL. Through experiment and literature data, mass and energy balances were performed, main equipment was designed, and capital and operating costs were evaluated. The results showed that the minimum selling prices for the biofuel were 1.23 euro/kg (LRS) and 1.27 euro/kg (CS). Heat exchangers accounted for most of the fixed capital investment, while electricity and feedstock had the highest impact on operating costs. The implementation of APR was particularly profitable with CS, as it produced 107% of the required hydrogen for biocrude upgrading, reducing the H2 production cost.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jianhui Bin, Lieselotte Obst-Huebl, Jian-Hua Mao, Kei Nakamura, Laura D. Geulig, Hang Chang, Qing Ji, Li He, Jared De Chant, Zachary Kober, Anthony J. Gonsalves, Stepan Bulanov, Susan E. Celniker, Carl B. Schroeder, Cameron G. R. Geddes, Eric Esarey, Blake A. Simmons, Thomas Schenkel, Eleanor A. Blakely, Sven Steinke, Antoine M. Snijders
Summary: Radiotherapy is the standard treatment for over 50% of cancer patients, and the use of FLASH-RT may provide additional benefits. Researchers have developed an experimental platform that delivers ultra-high dose rates of proton pulses to biological samples. Preliminary findings show that normal cells have higher survival rates compared to tumor cells at high dose rates.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nathalie Butt, Benjamin S. Halpern, Casey C. O'Hara, A. Louise Allcock, Beth Polidoro, Samantha Sherman, Maria Byrne, Charles Birkeland, Ross G. Dwyer, Melanie Frazier, Bradley K. Woodworth, Claudia P. Arango, Michael J. Kingsford, Vinay Udyawer, Pat Hutchings, Elliot Scanes, Emily Jane McClaren, Sara M. Maxwell, Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Emma Dugan, Blake Alexander Simmons, Amelia S. Wenger, Christi Linardich, Carissa J. Klein
Summary: Marine species and ecosystems are profoundly impacted by human activities such as pollution, fishing, and climate change. This study presents a framework for assessing the vulnerability of marine species to different stressors using life-history traits. The findings highlight the importance of considering the susceptibility of various taxonomic groups to different stressors in predicting marine biodiversity response.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hemant Choudhary, Blake A. Simmons, John M. Gladden
Summary: This study compares the feasibility of using two different ionic liquids (ILs) for pretreatment of two woody biomasses. The results show that the choice of IL has a significant impact on enzymatic digestibility, and the temperature and lignin content also affect the enzymatic conversion. The study also finds that the crystallinity of the biomass changes after pretreatment with different ILs.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Mee-Rye Park, Bonnie Fong, Taqwa Tofaha, Blake A. Simmons, Steven Singer
Summary: This study reports on the complete genome sequences of five Pseudomonas soil isolates capable of metabolizing pentose sugars and aromatic monomers. These findings provide insights into potential alternative hosts for the production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals from lignocellulosic feedstock.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Minliang Yang, Di Liu, Nawa Raj Baral, Chien-Yuan Lin, Blake A. Simmons, John M. Gladden, Aymerick Eudes, Corinne D. Scown
Summary: Plants and microbes have the potential to produce a variety of bio-products that are important for the future bioeconomy. This study compares the economic feasibility of in planta accumulation and microbial production of four compounds. The results show that in planta mass accumulation and microbial production can be cost competitive under certain conditions, and that engineered plants can outperform microbial routes in terms of accumulation rates. However, microbial production using sugar feedstock is currently more attractive for two compounds. Both platforms have the potential to replace fossil-derived products.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mood Mohan, Kenneth L. Sale, Roland S. Kalb, Blake A. Simmons, John M. Gladden, Seema Singh
Summary: In recent years, the cellulose-derived solvent Cyrene has gained considerable interest for its potential in green chemistry. This study used multiscale molecular simulation approaches to investigate the dissolution of lignin in Cyrene and Cyrene-cosolvent systems. The results demonstrated the potential of Cyrene-based solvents for efficient biomass delignification.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Le Thanh Mai Pham, Hemant Choudhary, Rahul Gauttam, Steven W. W. Singer, John M. M. Gladden, Blake A. A. Simmons, Seema Singh, Kenneth L. L. Sale
Summary: This article summarizes the latest developments in lignocellulosic biomass valorization, with a focus on the use of computational approaches in pretreatment, enzyme engineering, and genome modification. Physics-based modeling and machine learning methods have played important roles in studying and optimizing biomass degradation and conversion processes.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Mood Mohan, Nikhil Kumar, Vaibhav V. Goud, Blake A. Simmons, Kenneth L. Sale, John M. Gladden, Seema Singh, Tamal Banerjee
Summary: The present study aims to measure the solubility of glucose in three neat ionic liquids (ILs) and IL/cosolvent mixtures as a function of temperature. The IL [Emim][MeSO3] shows higher solubility of glucose than other ILs. The addition of DMSO as a cosolvent enhances the solubility of glucose in ILs by weakening the interactions between the anion and cation of IL, thereby increasing the solvation of glucose.
FLUID PHASE EQUILIBRIA
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kai Deng, Xi Wang, Nicole Ing, Paul Opgenorth, Markus de Raad, Jinho Kim, Blake A. Simmons, Paul D. Adams, Anup K. Singh, Taek Soon Lee, Trent R. Northen
Summary: We developed a novel mass spectrometry-based assay that allows rapid quantification of primary alcohols produced by cell cultures. This assay combines TEMPO-based oxidation chemistry and oxime ligation, followed by product analysis using Nanostructure-Initiator Mass Spectrometry. It can accurately monitor C5 to C18 alcohols, as well as glucose and gluconate in the growth medium, which is crucial for strain characterization and optimization. The assay shows comparable results to gas chromatography for isoprenol production but requires significantly less acquisition time per sample. By applying this assay, we gained new insights into the utilization of alcohols by P. Putida and found that this strain had limited growth on heptanol and octanol.
ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Hector G. Martin, Tijana Radivojevic, Jeremy Zucker, Kristofer Bouchard, Jess Sustarich, Sean Peisert, Dan Arnold, Nathan Hillson, Gyorgy Babnigg, Jose M. Marti, Christopher J. Mungall, Gregg Beckham, Lucas Waldburger, James Carothers, ShivShankar Sundaram, Deb Agarwal, Blake A. Simmons, Tyler Backman, Deepanwita Banerjee, Deepti Tanjore, Lavanya Ramakrishnan, Anup Singh
Summary: Self-driving labs combine fully automated experiments with AI, bringing a new paradigm to scientific research. While there are functioning SDLs in chemistry and materials science, synthetic biology offers unique opportunities due to the genome as a single target for affecting biological cell behavior. However, investment in biological SDLs should be directed towards solving difficult and enabling biological questions. Here, challenges and opportunities in creating SDLs for synthetic biology are discussed.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mee-Rye Park, Rahul Gauttam, Bonnie Fong, Yan Chen, Hyun Gyu Lim, Adam M. Feist, Aindrila Mukhopadhyay, Christopher J. Petzold, Blake A. Simmons, Steven W. Singer
Summary: The study of pentose sugar catabolism in the P. putida group revealed inherent diversity, which provides alternative hosts for biomass conversion.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julius Choi, Alberto Rodriguez, Blake A. A. Simmons, John M. M. Gladden
Summary: The range of applications for industrial hemp has expanded in various sectors. Hemp hurd can be used to produce biodegradable packaging materials, which can then be used as a feedstock for biofuel production. The packaging materials showed better performance compared to untreated hemp hurd in terms of sugar yield and sugar concentrations. This study demonstrates the potential of valorizing hemp hurd-based packaging as a feedstock for biofuel production once it reaches its end of primary use.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mood Mohan, Blake A. Simmons, Kenneth L. Sale, Seema Singh
Summary: Lignin, a abundant biopolymer in nature, has the potential to be used as sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, finding suitable solvents and efficient technologies for lignin dissolution and depolymerization is a challenge. Based on computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, certain ionic liquids, such as tetrabutylammonium-based ILs, are predicted to be effective solvents for lignin dissolution.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chien-Yuan Lin, Gina M. M. Geiselman, Di Liu, Harsha D. D. Magurudeniya, Alberto Rodriguez, Yi-Chun Chen, Venkataramana Pidatala, Faride Unda, Bashar Amer, Edward E. K. Baidoo, Shawn D. D. Mansfield, Blake A. A. Simmons, Seema Singh, Henrik V. V. Scheller, John M. M. Gladden, Aymerick Eudes
Summary: In this study, the expression of bacterial enzyme QsuB in poplar trees resulted in lower lignin content and higher release of glucose and xylose during enzymatic saccharification. The fermentation of the modified biomass using engineered Rhodosporidium toruloides strains showed improved production of advanced bioproducts without negative impact on cell growth.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mood Mohan, Jay D. Keasling, Blake A. Simmons, Seema Singh
Summary: Plastic waste is accumulating rapidly in the environment, but our understanding of its persistence is limited. Efficient dissolution and upcycling of plastic waste pose a significant challenge, and finding suitable solvents is a major concern. This study demonstrates the use of an extensive computational model to predict the behavior of plastic waste dissolution in ionic liquids, and identifies potential solvents for the process.