Integrating Separation and Conversion—Conversion of Biorefinery Process Streams to Biobased Chemicals and Fuels

The concept of the integrated biorefinery is critical to developing a robust biorefining industry in the USA. Within this model, the biorefinery will produce fuel as a high-volume output addressing domestic energy needs and biobased chemical products (high-value organics) as an output providing necessary economic support for fuel production. This paper will overview recent developments within two aspects of the integrated biorefinery—the fractionation of biomass into individual process streams and the subsequent conversion of lignin into chemical products. Solvent-based separation of switchgrass, poplar, and mixed feedstocks is being developed as a biorefinery “front end” and will be described as a function of fractionation conditions. Control over the properties and structure of the individual biomass components (carbohydrates and lignin) can be observed by adjusting the fractionation process. Subsequent conversion of the lignin isolated from this fractionation leads to low molecular weight aromatics from selective chemical oxidation. Together, processes such as these provide examples of foundational technology that will contribute to a robust domestic biorefining industry.     

Morphology and cell division of the oxytrichids Architricha indica nov. gen., nov. sp., and Histriculus histrio (Müller, 1773), Corliss, 1960 (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida)

The oxytrichid ciliate Architricha indica nov. gen., nov. sp., isolated from the river Yamuna, Delhi, shows a new combination of characters. It possesses a flexible body, 18 frontal-ventral-transverse (FVT) cirri, 3 right and 2 left marginal cirral rows, 6 dorsal bristle rows and 3 caudal cirri (CC). The FVT cirri arise from 6 primordia, which utilize 6 parental cirri in their origin as is typical of Oxytricha species. Multiple marginal rows (MMR) develop through 5 independent marginal primordia arising "within-row", 1 in each parental marginal row. All the 5 marginal rows are thus morphogenetically active. Such a mode of formation of MMR has not been recorded among oxytrichids and has necessitated separation of A. indica at the generic level. Histriculus, on the other hand, has well-known characteristics, viz. rigid body, confluent marginal rows and absence of CC. The morphogenesis of Histriculus histrio has been described by Berger and Foissner [1997. Cladistic relationships and generic characterization of oxytrichid hypotrichs (Protozoa, Ciliophora). Arch. Protistenkd. 148, 125-155]. Reinvestigation of very early stages of development revealed that (i) the FVT cirral primordia utilize kinetosomes from 5 parental FVT cirri, (ii) the primordium II of the proter is of a composite origin: kinetosomes from the oral primordium merge with the primordium II that originates from the buccal cirrus II/2 and (iii) the FVT primordia V and VI for the 2 daughter cells arise sequentially from the parental cirrus V/4. Thus, the genus Histriculus exhibits a new combination of characters with respect to the origin of FVT cirri, an additional pattern to be added to the known 6 patterns of FVT development in oxytrichids [Berger and Foissner, 1997; Berger, H., 1999. Monograph of the Oxytrichidae (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London].     

A Review of: “Immobilized Enzymes: Research and Development,I. Chibata,Ed., Kodansha,Ltd., Tokyo; John Wiley and Sons/HaIsted Press,New York, 1978; hardbound, 284 pages, $35.00”

A device of a new dish for the culturing of cells on a biological substrate, the eye lens capsule, is described. With the aid of this dish it is possible to investigate the possible interrelationships between the cell substratum and various biochemical characteristics of the cell. It is shown that the protein biosynthetic pattern differs between lens cells cultured on lens capsule as a substrate and cells cultured on foil. Moreover, the new dish opens the possibility to culture epithelial cells on a lens capsule, which gives an alternative to the culture of these cells on a collagen substrate.     

A Review of: “Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 1, T. S. Work and E. Work (eds.) North Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam/ American Elsevier Publishing Co. Inc., New York, 1969; 573 + vi pages,indices, hard cover; $29.00”

When calf rennet containing ～ 15% pepsin was applied to a Cibacron Blue agarose column at pH 5.5 in a low salt medium, pepsin passed through unadsorhed while chymosin was bound to the gel in the column. After washing the column, the bound chymosin was eluted with 1.7 M NaCl or 50% (v/v) aqueous ethylene glycol. The salt eluate was analyzed and found to contain > 97% pure chymosin. The fraction that passed through unadsorbed was found to contain > 96% pure pepsin. Thus a complete separation of chymosin and pepsin was effected by this technique without having to destroy either enzvme. Both enzymes are highly negatively charged at pH 5.5 but the separation does not arise from anion exchange since the gel functions as a cation exchanger. The separation appears to result from a combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions of chymosin with Blue agarose. It is suggested that the enhanced affinity of chymosin to the Blue gel over pepsin may arise from topographically specified interaction between chymosin and the blue chromophore. Differential surface hydrophobicity may also play a key role, since in the presence of 0.7 M Na2SO4 the same behavior as at low ionic strength is observed.