How microorganisms turn waste cardboard boxes into biodiesel

Because the world's oil reserves are finite, scientists have been researching other energy sources in recent decades. Today, we found that a team led by Li Sunmi, a South Korean beauty scientist, found a new microbe capable of converting common wastes like cardboard boxes and wood containing lignocellulose into diesel.

Lignocellulose is a type of agricultural accessory that causes farmers problems, similar to straw, waste paper and cardboard, shredded wood, and so on. These wastes are typically difficult to dispose of, and there are few options other than incineration. The answer is yes.

However, thanks to newly found microbes, we can now turn waste into gold by using microbe metabolism to convert trash into ecologically safe diesel, which not only tackles the problem of waste pollution but also provides important energy.

We're not unfamiliar with biodiesel. Many countries, including the United States and Brazil, refine biodiesel with soybean or palm oil, but these raw materials are quite adaptable, and biodiesel is utilised to create biodiesel.

Dr. Sunmi Lee and his colleagues at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology's (KIST) Clean Energy Research Center have developed a new type of microorganism that can produce biodiesel precursors from lignocellulosic biomass, such as waste agricultural by-products, waste paper, and cardboard boxes. This bacterium is capable of producing twice the amount of biodiesel as its predecessor.

During this metabolic process, this novel microbe feeds on the carbohydrates in lignocellulosic biomass to create biodiesel precursors. Sugars found in lignocellulosic biomass are typically 65-70 percent glucose and 30-35 percent xylose. Although some bacteria in nature can metabolise glucose to create diesel precursors, they cannot metabolise xylose, restricting raw material consumption.

The KIST research team devised a new type of microorganism that can efficiently digest xylose and glucose to make diesel precursors in order to overcome this challenge. The use of genetic scissors, in particular, has modified microorganism metabolic pathways to avoid interfering with the availability of coenzymes required for the creation of diesel precursors. The metabolism of xylose can be improved by successfully regulating the evolution of the laboratory, such as selecting and cultivating those microorganisms that perform well.

This demonstrates that all sugar components in lignocellulosic biomass (including xylose) can be used to make diesel precursors. The usage of raw materials nearly quadrupled when compared to prior experiments (the metabolic pathways used have unsolved coenzyme issues).

“Biodiesel is an effective alternative fuel that may cut greenhouse gas and dust emissions while allowing existing diesel cars to operate,” stated Dr. Li Shanmei. We've developed a key technology that can help increase biodiesel production's economics and efficacy."

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