Cellulose-to-sugars: Bioprocessing "wastes" to biofuels, chemicals, and materials

CARB 101

Sharon P. Shoemaker, spshoe@mac.com, California Institute of Food and Agricultural Research, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616
Currently there is a major thrust in the U.S. and other countries to commercially produce cellulosic ethanol as a renewable alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel fuels. Ethanol is an oxygenate fuel used as a gasoline extender and octane enhancer. The hopes are that practical and cost-competitive ethanol can be produced by converting cellulosic biomass wastes, i.e., sugarcane bagasse, to sugars followed by their fermentation. Other valuable products can also be produced from the treatment of cellulosic wastes and these will also be discussed.