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Bioresour Technol

Title:		Lessons from the cow: what the ruminant animal can teach us about consolidated bioprocessing of cellulosic biomass
Author(s):		Weimer PJ; Russell JB; Muck RE;
Address:		"USDA-ARS-US Dairy Forage Research Center, 1925 Linden Drive West, Madison, WI 53706, United States. Paul.Weimer@ars.usda.gov"
Journal Title:		Bioresour Technol
Year:		2009
Volume:		20090626
Issue:		21
Page Number:		5323 - 5331
DOI:		10.1016/j.biortech.2009.04.075
ISSN/ISBN:		1873-2976 (Electronic) 0960-8524 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of cellulosic biomass is a promising source of ethanol. This process uses anaerobic bacteria, their own cellulolytic enzymes and fermentation pathways that convert the products of cellulose hydrolysis to ethanol in a single reactor. However, the engineering and economics of the process remain questionable. The ruminal fermentation is a very highly developed natural cellulose-degrading system. We propose that breakthroughs developed by cattle and other ruminant animals in cellulosic biomass conversion can guide future improvements in engineered CBP systems. These breakthroughs include, among others, an elegant and effective physical pretreatment; operation at high solids loading under non-aseptic conditions; minimal nutrient requirements beyond the plant biomass itself; efficient fermentation of nearly all plant components; efficient recovery of primary fermentation end-products; and production of useful co-products. Ruminal fermentation does not produce significant amounts of ethanol, but it produces volatile fatty acids and methane at a rapid rate. Because these alternative products have a high energy content, efforts should be made to recover these products and convert them to other organic compounds, particularly transportation fuels"
Keywords:		Animals *Biomass Cattle Cellulose/*metabolism Feeding Behavior Fermentation Rumen/metabolism Ruminants/*metabolism;
Notes:		"MedlineWeimer, Paul J Russell, James B Muck, Richard E eng Review England 2009/06/30 Bioresour Technol. 2009 Nov; 100(21):5323-31. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.04.075. Epub 2009 Jun 26"