IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-020-15704-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Development of a thermophilic coculture for corn fiber conversion to ethanol

Author

Listed:
  • Dhananjay Beri

    (Dartmouth College
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • William S. York

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    University of Georgia
    University of Georgia)

  • Lee R. Lynd

    (Dartmouth College
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Enchi Corporation
    Dartmouth College)

  • Maria J. Peña

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    University of Georgia)

  • Christopher D. Herring

    (Dartmouth College
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    Enchi Corporation)

Abstract

The fiber in corn kernels, currently unutilized in the corn to ethanol process, represents an opportunity for introduction of cellulose conversion technology. We report here that Clostridium thermocellum can solubilize over 90% of the carbohydrate in autoclaved corn fiber, including its hemicellulose component glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX). However, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum or several other described hemicellulose-fermenting thermophilic bacteria can only partially utilize this GAX. We describe the isolation of a previously undescribed organism, Herbinix spp. strain LL1355, from a thermophilic microbiome that can consume 85% of the recalcitrant GAX. We sequence its genome, and based on structural analysis of the GAX, identify six enzymes that hydrolyze GAX linkages. Combinations of up to four enzymes are successfully expressed in T. thermosaccharolyticum. Supplementation with these enzymes allows T. thermosaccharolyticum to consume 78% of the GAX compared to 53% by the parent strain and increases ethanol yield from corn fiber by 24%.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhananjay Beri & William S. York & Lee R. Lynd & Maria J. Peña & Christopher D. Herring, 2020. "Development of a thermophilic coculture for corn fiber conversion to ethanol," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15704-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15704-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15704-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-020-15704-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15704-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.