AVT - Research - Research project

Biofuels are considered as alternative transportation fuels due to environmental problems and petroleum prices. In recent years it has been proposed that cellulosic biomass could replace traditional feedstock (starch/oil crops) as an abundantly available source for the sustainable production of transportation fuels or fuel precursors. State-of-the-art for the biochemical conversion of cellulosic biomass is a process consisting of two separate reaction steps: Saccharification of cellulose to fermentable sugars using cellulases and fermentation of sugars to platform chemicals using microorganisms. Since commonly used microorganisms lack cellulolytic enzymes, the addition of commercial and costly cellulases is necessary. Advantages of simultaneous over separate saccharification and fermentation are, that only one reactor is required and no product inhibition of the cellulases occurs.

Within the cluster of excellence “Tailor-Made fuel from biomass” the direct fermentation of cellulose to the platform chemical itaconic acid is investigated. Cellulases are developed and obtained from the “Institute of Molecular Biology” (RWTH Aachen), which provide a high activity under fermentation condition. Additionally genetic modified microorganisms are used to convert sugars gained through saccharification into itaconic acid with a high product yield (cooperation with the “Institute for applied Mikrobilogy”, RWTH Aachen and the “Department of Genetics”, Phillips University Marburg). This permits the simultaneous and synergistic saccharification and fermentation which guarantees a high yield. Within this project the influence of fermentation parameters as well as the metabolism of itaconic acid formation will be investigated.