Utilization of waste material such as waste waters of paper and pulp industry in production of bioenergy is often hindered by the poor ability of microbes to degrade polymeric carbohydrates for their energy source. The goal of this international research project is to produce the biofuel butanol from waste materials. Researchers of the partnering University of Delhi focus on polymeric carbohydrate degrading enzymes and production of starting material for the butanol producing bioprocess. TUT focuses on searching for microbes suitable for bioenergy production and engineering the microbes for optimal production efficiency and alcohol tolerance. Genomic sequencing will be used to define metabolic routes for butanol tolerance and production. The metabolic flux of these routes will be driven towards enhanced butanol production by systems biology modeling and in vivo genomic engineering.
Persons responsible: Professor Matti Karp, Research fellow Tommi Aho, Professor Rajendra Saxena (Univ. of Delhi, India)
Researchers: MSc Bobin George Abraham
Funding: Academy of Finland
Duration: 2011-2013