Mushrooms Enhance Production of Ethanol and Biodiesel
In my last article, we discussed how mushrooms can be used as a catalytic agent in the biodegradation of fossil fuels and plastics. As more researchers discover the unique properties of mushrooms, the wide-spread applications are quickly being learned. Several scientists have been experimenting with ways to use mushroom mycelium as an efficient and cost effective way of producing ethanol. On of the largest issues in the ethanol production industry is the difficulty in breaking down complex lignins and carbohydrates in crop wastes. In nature, mushrooms are the expert decomposer and are capable of creating enzymes that are far more efficient at reducing biomass into usable sugars (the source of ethanol) than any agent currently on the market.
One specific area of research has been on the Agaricus bisporus mushroom strain (also known as portobello, table or button mushroom) by scientists at the University of Warwick in Denmark. Agaricus mushrooms are a specialized decomposer of wood, leaves, and organic litter that are frequently found in forest soil. Scientists at Warwick have been working hard to sequence the genome of this particular strain, and by doing so, hope to isolate the genes responsible for creating the decomposing enzymes, and synthesize them in the lab. Through the use of these enzymes, it would be possible to fully break down every part of a plant, from the corn stock to the corn cob, into a source of ethanol. Below is a picture of Agaricus bisporus.
Discovering efficient ways of breaking down plant material is key in managing global carbon in the ethanol industry. Rather than slashing and burning forests to create new crop regions, lands that are already in use can be tapped to their maximum capacity. Many farmers leave their agro-waste in the fields to rot, or burn it. All of this waste could be collected, and with the aid of mushroom enzymes, used as an inexpensive source of biofuel. This process would also reduce pollution and asthma created by smoke and soot. The Agaricus bisporus mushroom is currently grown on a global scale, so the infrastructure is already in place to produce significant amounts of the enzymes. Sequencing of the Agaricus bisporus genome could also lead to better cultivation techniques and yields, providing an economic boost to those who grow these edible mushrooms as a crop.
Exciting progress is also being made in the field of biodiesel. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have developed a cost effective and efficient means of producing biodiesel using the mushroom strain Metarhizium anisopliae. Production of biodiesel typically involves adding heat to a mixture of methanol, lye, and vegetable oil until esters are formed. This process can take up to several hours, causing a significant waste of energy. However, the scientists found that Metarhizium anisopliae produces an enzyme, known as lipase, which can bind the methanol to the oil without adding any heat. In order to synthesize biodiesel, the enzyme producing fungus is compacted into small pellets, and passed through a mixture of methanol and sunflower oil. Studies are still being done to determine how much energy this whole process can save.
In the search for fossil fuel alternatives, it is important that we keep an open mind. We have yet to discover the "perfect" energy source, and it should be our mission to search for and improve upon our current methods of energy generation. As the issue of global warming continues to stare us in the face, we are quickly realizing that nature has a precarious balance. Push that balance to far to any one side, and we may disrupt it entirely. The necessary steps we must take to maintain that balance require cooperation with the environment. Organisms in nature have, and always will be, linked by a give and take connection.
A symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi occurs naturally in the environment. The fungi help provide essential nutrients to the plant by breaking down soil components, while the plant provides sugars for the fungi. Perhaps it is possible for humans and fungi to create a similar relationship whereby we can mutually benefit each other. To learn more about how mushrooms work check out the Planet Earth video series produced by Sir David Attenborough available through Discovery Channel and stay tuned to Biomass Authority.
References:
Rowe, Aaron (Aug. 20, 2007). Fungi Make Biodiesel Efficiently at Room Temperature. Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/08/fungi-make-biod.html
(July 19, 2007). Mushroom Genome Could Assist In Biofuel Production and Carbon Management. Green Car Congress, Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://www.greencarcongress.com /2007/07/mushroom-genome.html
(Nov. 08, 2008). Now, biofuel is mushrooming! . Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://www.commodityonline.com/news /Now-biofuel-is-mushrooming!-12630-3-1.html
One specific area of research has been on the Agaricus bisporus mushroom strain (also known as portobello, table or button mushroom) by scientists at the University of Warwick in Denmark. Agaricus mushrooms are a specialized decomposer of wood, leaves, and organic litter that are frequently found in forest soil. Scientists at Warwick have been working hard to sequence the genome of this particular strain, and by doing so, hope to isolate the genes responsible for creating the decomposing enzymes, and synthesize them in the lab. Through the use of these enzymes, it would be possible to fully break down every part of a plant, from the corn stock to the corn cob, into a source of ethanol. Below is a picture of Agaricus bisporus.
Discovering efficient ways of breaking down plant material is key in managing global carbon in the ethanol industry. Rather than slashing and burning forests to create new crop regions, lands that are already in use can be tapped to their maximum capacity. Many farmers leave their agro-waste in the fields to rot, or burn it. All of this waste could be collected, and with the aid of mushroom enzymes, used as an inexpensive source of biofuel. This process would also reduce pollution and asthma created by smoke and soot. The Agaricus bisporus mushroom is currently grown on a global scale, so the infrastructure is already in place to produce significant amounts of the enzymes. Sequencing of the Agaricus bisporus genome could also lead to better cultivation techniques and yields, providing an economic boost to those who grow these edible mushrooms as a crop.
Exciting progress is also being made in the field of biodiesel. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have developed a cost effective and efficient means of producing biodiesel using the mushroom strain Metarhizium anisopliae. Production of biodiesel typically involves adding heat to a mixture of methanol, lye, and vegetable oil until esters are formed. This process can take up to several hours, causing a significant waste of energy. However, the scientists found that Metarhizium anisopliae produces an enzyme, known as lipase, which can bind the methanol to the oil without adding any heat. In order to synthesize biodiesel, the enzyme producing fungus is compacted into small pellets, and passed through a mixture of methanol and sunflower oil. Studies are still being done to determine how much energy this whole process can save.
In the search for fossil fuel alternatives, it is important that we keep an open mind. We have yet to discover the "perfect" energy source, and it should be our mission to search for and improve upon our current methods of energy generation. As the issue of global warming continues to stare us in the face, we are quickly realizing that nature has a precarious balance. Push that balance to far to any one side, and we may disrupt it entirely. The necessary steps we must take to maintain that balance require cooperation with the environment. Organisms in nature have, and always will be, linked by a give and take connection.
A symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi occurs naturally in the environment. The fungi help provide essential nutrients to the plant by breaking down soil components, while the plant provides sugars for the fungi. Perhaps it is possible for humans and fungi to create a similar relationship whereby we can mutually benefit each other. To learn more about how mushrooms work check out the Planet Earth video series produced by Sir David Attenborough available through Discovery Channel and stay tuned to Biomass Authority.
References:
Rowe, Aaron (Aug. 20, 2007). Fungi Make Biodiesel Efficiently at Room Temperature. Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/08/fungi-make-biod.html
(July 19, 2007). Mushroom Genome Could Assist In Biofuel Production and Carbon Management. Green Car Congress, Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://www.greencarcongress.com /2007/07/mushroom-genome.html
(Nov. 08, 2008). Now, biofuel is mushrooming! . Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http://www.commodityonline.com/news /Now-biofuel-is-mushrooming!-12630-3-1.html
Biomass Resources
Biomass Companies
We are very interested in apply this, have capital, facilities and large source of mushrooms.