BM2BD: Towards a Sustainable Biodiesel Industry
Biodiesel, technically defined as alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids, is considered as an excellent renewable energy carrier. It is now produced through transesterification of triacylglycerides (TAG) obtained from plant seeds or animal tissues. Feedstock for biodiesel has been included rapeseed oil, soybean oil and palm oil, etc. However, booming biodiesel production has put food and traditional oleochemical industry sectors in threat. It is apparently pivotal to develop non-conventional technology for production of TAG. Microbial lipids production through fermentation using oleaginous species can be an alternative way to the traditional oil crop-based practice 1. Many molds, yeasts and algae exhibit a capacity to assimilate carbohydrates and to accumulate intracellular lipids as high as over 70% (w/w). The major microbial lipids closely resemble vegetable oils in that they are composed of C16 and C18 series long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, it is well documented that oleaginous microbes can metabolize both hexoses and pentoses present in lignocellulosic biomass and other cheap raw materials 2.Scientists of Dalian Institutes of Chemical Physics, CAS, have advocated the proposal of biomass-to-biodiesel (BM2BD) that produces biodiesel using lignocellulosic materials 3. This technology included three steps, 1) Hydrolysis of lignocellulose to carbohydrates; 2) Fermentation with oleaginous microbes; and 3) Transesterification of microbial oil to biodiesel. The BM2BD strategy can be operated continuously and with no extensive arable land requirement. Moreover, by utilization of lignocellulosic biomass, it is no longer competing with food and oleochemical industry for raw materials. Lipid fermentation processes now achieved cellular lipid and biomass of over 65% (w/w) and 100 g/L, respectively 4. Other renewable materials, such as the tuber of Helianthus tuberosus and the shell of shrimp, have also been employed as feedstock for TAG fermentation. In parallel, researchers also obtained in-depth genetic and metabolic information for these oleaginous yeasts, which will facilitate further strain improvement. Apparently, BM2BD approach could produce an alternative feedstock, which is crucial for a sustainable biodiesel industry.
biomass biodiesel oleaginous microorganisms fermentation triacylglycerides
Zongbao Kent Zhao
Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 116023 Dalian, China
国际会议
The 12th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress(第十二届亚太化工联盟大会暨化工展览会)
大连
英文
2008-08-04（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）