One-pot saccharification of cellulosic feedstock

In this latest effort, Simmons, Singh, Gladden and their colleagues (at the DOE’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI))used Jtherm (a compost-derived consortium of bacterium adapted to grow on switchgrass) for the saccharification of switchgrass following an imidazolium-based ionic liquid pretreatment. With this one-pot system, they liberated 81.2% glucose and 87.4% xylose over the course of a 72 hour processing at 70 C. They were then able to separate the sugars at better than 90% efficiency. R&D Daily 08/14/2013