Corn is not the future of Biofuels. It is a political distraction, and researchers are moving beyond crops for fuel.

We are moving quickly into an era of next generation biofuels such as Cellulosic Ethanol derived from waste materials, and algae fuels derived from carbon emission feedstocks.

Cellulosic Ethanol is a particular challenge given the slow rate of speed associated with the Breaking down sugar-rich materials (e.g. agricultural waste like corn cobs).  To develop faster, lower cost systems we must first understand how these proteins (enzymes called cellulases) do their magic of breaking down complex Cellulose bonds into simple pieces of sugar.

Supercomputers open up new knowledge
Researchers at the San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC) are creating virtual molecules that might mimic how enyzmes 'dance' above a cellulose chain before it rips up a single sugar molecule feeding it into its 'molecular conveyor belt' to 'unzip' the bonds into basic sugars that can be fermented into a liquid fuel. 

Why supercomputers?  Few things in the world are as complicated as understanding the shape and movement (folding) of proteins, or the breaking down of strong cellulose walls.  Supercomputer simulations help us decode the secrets of molecular movement!

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Category: Energy
Year: 2018
Tags: energy, bioenergy, biofuels, algae, cellulosic, ethanol, hydrogen