Metabolic Remodeling during Nitrogen Fixation in Zymomonas mobilis

Biofuels and bioproducts have the potential to serve as environmentally sustainable replacements for petroleum-derived fuels and commodity molecules. Advanced fuels such as higher alcohols and isoprenoids are more suitable gasoline replacements than bioethanol.

Consolidated Bioprocessing: Synthetic Biology Routes to Fuels and Fine Chemicals

The long road from emerging biotechnologies to commercial “green” biosynthetic routes for chemical production relies in part on efficient microbial use of sustainable and renewable waste biomass feedstocks. One solution is to apply the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microorganisms convert lignocellulose waste into advanced fuels and other chemicals. As lignocellulose is a highly complex network of polymers, enzymatic degradation or “saccharification” requires a range of cellulolytic enzymes acting synergistically to release the abundant sugars contained within. Complications arise from the need for extracellular localisation of cellulolytic enzymes, whether they be free or cell-associated. This review highlights the current progress in the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microbial chassis are engineered to grow on lignocellulose as sole carbon sources whilst generating commercially useful chemicals. Future perspectives in the emerging biofoundry approach with bacterial hosts are discussed, where solutions to existing bottlenecks could potentially be overcome though the application of high throughput and iterative Design-Build-Test-Learn methodologies. These rapid automated pathway building infrastructures could be adapted for addressing the challenges of increasing cellulolytic capabilities of microorganisms to commercially viable levels.

Advanced fuels from ethanol – a superstructure optimization approach

Advanced fuel design through integration of chemistries leading to different components: alcohols (blue); ethers (green); and olefins, parafins, and aromatics (yellow).

Effect of Variable Compression Ratio on Combustion Characteristics of Diesel Engine using Octanol as an Alternative Fuel

Alternative fuels also called as advanced fuels or non-conventional fuels, are any constituents or materials which could be used as fuels, apart from conventional fuels. The need of the hour is to ploy on to unconventional energy resources since conventional sources of energy are fast depleting. Also, we need to look out for the fuels which are environment friendly as well. Alternative fuels are immediately needed to deal with the dual issues of fast depletion of fossil fuel reserves as well as environmental pollution. Some of these fuels can be used directly while others need to be transformed to bring the relative properties close to conventional fuels. The economics of the fuels like vegetable oils, ethanol and methanol etc. compared to the traditional petroleum resources are marginal. In this paper, we are discussing the preparation of blends of octanol with diesel in the proportion of 5,10,15,20 and 25% to identify its potential to be used as an alternative fuel. Then after comparing the properties of blends with diesel and estimate its combustion characteristics at different compression ratio and compare with the diesel. To end with, the effect of variable compression ratio on combustion characteristics of blend would be analysed. As an outcome of the exhaustive engine trials, it may be recommended that 20% (v/v) of diesel can be replaced with IPA for direct application in unmodified diesel engines with a marginal increase in emissions of CO and HC and substantial improvements in the emissions of CO2 and NOx.