New Bioethanol Monitoring Method Could Boost Revenue by $1.6 Billion

A new method for monitoring contamination in bioethanol production could boost industry revenue by over $1.6 billion USD and cut CO2 emissions by 2 million tons.

For the first time ever, researchers at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) have investigated the contaminant population from the sugarcane bioethanol production process at strain-level resolution. This pioneering study reveals how strain dynamics are directly involved in process performance, emphasizing the need for improved microbial control techniques to enhance industrial efficiency. The research results are recently published in Nature Communications.

Enhanced process yield and environmental benefits
Bioethanol, a major renewable energy source, is derived from the fermentation of sugars by yeast, primarily Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, contaminant bacteria present in the raw material can significantly affect fermentation efficiency. Until now, these contaminant microbes have been characterized using methods that did not fully capture their diversity or impact.