The goal of the
Fiber Fermentation Project is to develop a yeast that is able to convert
more of the sugars in corn to ethanol. There are some sugars in corn
that make up a large percentage of the fiber that cannot be converted
to ethanol. The most abundant of these sugars are xylose and arabinose,
which make up 25% and 15% of the mass of corn fiber respectively.
The corn fiber is an undervalued portion of the kernel that is currently
found in either the DDGS or corn gluten feed co-products.
The inability to
convert these sugars to ethanol results in more than 10 billion pounds
of corn fiber, which is sold as a low-cost animal feed. This decreases
the profitability of ethanol production from corn. There has been
good progress in developing a yeast capable of fermenting xylose.
Arabinose utilization, however, has been much more difficult to attain.
Currently the NCGA
is working with the Corn Refiners Association and with the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop an arabinose utilizing yeast.
Good progress has been made during the past year towards solving one
of the more difficult steps in conversion. This achievement takes
us much closer towards a yeast that is able to efficiently ferment
corn to ethanol.
Utilization of
the fiber in ethanol production process influences profitability on
this 700 million bushel market.
KEY ISSUES
