Project Number: 3620-41000-121-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Sep 19, 2004
End Date: Sep 18, 2009

Objective:
The broad goal of the proposed research is to develop new microorganisms and biocatalysts that can be employed in the fermentative conversion of renewable agricultural materials to fuels and other value-added products. The research entails engineering existing fermentative microorganisms to possess desirable traits for industrial fermentation of lignocellulosic material or searching for new microorganisms that possess these traits.

Approach:
Novel microorganisms, genes, and enzymes will be sought that can be employed in the fermentative conversion of agricultural commodities into biofuels and bioproducts. Specific approaches include: (1) application of high throughput screening procedures to develop, by use of directed evolution and gene shuffling, microbial strains and enzymes with superior ability to convert agricultural materials to biofuels and bioproducts, (2) apply metabolic engineering and genetic manipulation methods to existing and newly discovered/developed microbial strains to improve on ability to perform in an industrial fermentation environment and to optimize production of desired products, and (3) determine the potential for use of microorganisms from extreme environments (e.g., extreme thermophiles, halophiles, acido/alkalophiles) as biotechnological agents. BSL-1 and Risk Group RG1 recertified April 17, 2008.