Resource World Magazine

58 www.resourceworld.com F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Developments in Alternative Energy by Jane Bratun USING MICROBES FOR BIOFUEL PROCESSING The US Department of Energy (DOE) BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) has identi- fied a microbe, isolated two decades ago from a hot spring in Russia, which simultaneously "solubilizes," or helps to dissolve, the major components of plant fiber: cellulose, hemi- cellulose, and lignin, without pretreatment. The BESC researchers have also developed a means of genetically modifying the microbe and have begun to coax it into producing fuel. The researchers have started out with hydrogen production but are working toward liquid fuel production. The ultimate goal is a proof of concept for what is called consolidated bioprocessing using a single organism or community of organisms to go from raw biomass to liquid fuels in a single step. The research was lead by Michael W. W. Adams, a professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) and a principal investigator in BESC. Adams, a nationally recognized specialist in thermophiles, found his microbe through the scientific literature. Adams discovered that the C.bescii microbe can solubilize all three major components of raw switchgrass without pretreatment. (The researchers analyzed what was left over of the plant matter after the C.bescii did its work. They expected to find mostly lignin, but instead they found cellulose, hemicel - lulose, and lignin in comparable quantities – which meant that the bug had solubilized all three.) According to Adams, it is not that the microbe digests lignin, but that it is so effective at solubilizing cellulose and hemi - cellulose that the lignin may simply fall away in pieces. A UGA-based team of BESC researchers led by Professor Janet Westpheling has devel- oped a method of genetically modifying the microbe. The initial modification (deleting a single gene) suppressed lactate production by the bacterium and increased the microbe's hydrogen gas output. Further modifications aimed at producing liquid fuels are planned, to show proof of concept for consolidated bioprocessing with this microbe. Adams points out that research on C.bescii and its genus is at an early stage, and C.bescii has its limitations. It can solubilize only about a third of a switchgrass sample in a single round. Adams speculates that other members of the Caldicellulosiruptor genus may prove more effective. Funding for the project is through the DOE Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research. MAKING PLASTIC FROM AIR Founded by researchers from Princeton University and Northwestern University in 2003, NewLight Technologies LLC located in Irvine, CA has developed a system for making plastic out of air. Instead of using petroleum, the feedstock for the plastic is the airborne carbon emitted by sewage treat - ment plants, landfills, power plants, and other industrial sites. Besides reducing the need for petroleum, the product, known as AirCarbon™, captures and recycles green- house gas emissions. According to NewLight, AirCarbon is the equivalent of a range of plastics that includes polypropylene, poly- ethylene, and polystyrene. The NewLight system funnels emissions into a patented conversion reactor and carbon and oxygen are separated out and reassembled into long chains of molecules called polymers, known as plastic. AirCarbon plastic is biodegradable and recyclable, and, Newlight cites a third party verified cradle-to-grave analysis demonstrating that AirCarbon is a carbon-negative material. JUMPING ROPE TO CREATE ELECTRICITY New York City's Uncharted Play is harnessing the kinetic energy of people and objects in motion and converting this energy to elec- tricity. Their new device harvests the energy of kids at play by converting the kinetic energy from jumping rope into electric- ity. The PULSE jump rope from Uncharted Play, which is in a limited beta release of 100 devices, uses the spinning rope to generate an electrical charge in the handle. This power is then stored for later use to charge lights, cell phones, or other small devices. By using the adaptor that comes with each PULSE, minutes of play can provide hours of power. The beta release versions of the PULSE are available from Uncharted Play for $129 – with the aim of improving the technology and lowering the price before a wider release. HARVESTING OIL FROM ALGAE Heliae® Development LLC, based in Gilbert, Arizona, and Israel's TransBiodiesel Ltd. are sharing technologies to produce biodiesel from algae. The Haliae operation uses cultivated strains of the microalgae Heliae, and TransBiodiesel provides enzyme- based biocatalysts for advanced biodiesel production. alternative energy review "Haliae uses sunlight and low-cost carbon feedstocks to produce products from algae."

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