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BROWSE BY: Directory | Research Thrust |
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Microbial Decomposition of Biomass, Biofilm Formation, and Fuels from Biomass
Investigating the physiology of microbes that ferment plant biomass. Our research is focused on a novel bacterium, Clostridium phytofermentans, first isolated from forest soil near Massachusetts' Quabbin Reservoir. This bacterium has a voracious appetite for plant biomass, decomposing all fermentable components of biomass, and produces ethanol as the primary product of fermentation.
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Research Interest |
Potential Application |
Using genomics and biochemistry to understand the pathway(s) for ethanol production by C. phytofermentans. |
Development of strategies for obtaining strains of C. phytofermentans that exhibit increased ethanol production for cellulosic biofuels applications. |
Investigations of enzymes (e.g., glycoside hydrolases) with unusual catalytic properties. |
Identification of enzymes for applications in energy, textile, paper manufacturing, and food industries. |
Investigations of developmental processes (e.g., biofilm formation, sporulation) in C. phytofermentans. |
Suggest cell-engineering strategies for improved process engineering in cellulosic ethanol production. |
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