I got ethanol from a microbe in microgram per liter using HPLC, is that microbe considered a bioethanol producer regardless the improvement that will be made?
It is alright for a research purpose but not from commercial point of view.
It is correct.. you have to consider the biomass portion ( by referring to the literature) if you have any. I mean a microbe can not produce ethanol alone,
Many microbes or single cells of more complex organisms produce species for different purposes (metabolism by-products, defense, disifection etc.) at this level. It seems that technical production is not promising but yor question and background data are not sufficient for deeper discussion. What else ist still produced in your case. Maybe, other chemical species are more interesting.
thanks all for your answers.
Dr. Bergmann, you are right, may be there is another species that deserve study. Actually I am just screen the bioethanol from that microbe and try soon to improve the production, just want to confirm if it is real producer or not.
http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0020373.html
Bio-fuels: Ethanol producers
Abstract
Two groups of microbes, saccharolytic and ethanologenic, are important in ethanol production. The former makes sugar utilisation possible and the latter converts the sugar to ethanol. Many promising or potential ethanologenic and saccharolytic microbes fall within the respective phyla Ascomycota and Neocallimastigomycota for fungi, and Proteobacteria and Fibrobacteres for bacteria. Saccharomyces sp. (Ascomycota) and Zymomonas mobilis (Proteobacteria) are the only microbes naturally capable of producing ethanol close to theoretical maximum, with Saccharomyces cerevisiae predominant for current ethanol production based on starch and sugar feedstocks. To enable cellulosic ethanol technologies, microbial capability and efficiency must be enhanced by appropriately designed mixed‐culture systems and/or genetically modified microbes. As cellulosic ethanol nears commercialisation, these two approaches are key to sustainable and economical production.
Key Concepts:
Ethanol producers are known as ethanologens.
Currently, commercial production of bioethanol depends on yeast, especially species ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, for fermentation of hexose (6‐carbon) sugars.
Zymomonas mobilis is the only bacteria naturally capable of producing ethanol as the sole product and the only ethanologen that uses a nonglycolytic metabolic pathway.
Saccharolytic or hydrolytic microbes are an important complement to ethanologens in ethanol production.
Production of ethanol from carbohydrate oligomers (2–10 monosaccharide units) or polymers (>10 monosaccharide units) usually requires hydrolysis to simple hexose or pentose sugars.
Of the ten major phylogenetic phyla of fungi, only two are currently identified as relevant to ethanol production.
Thermophilic microorganisms and species of the genus clostridium are expected to play greater roles in future ethanol production.
Microbial consortia, comprising different saccharolytic and diverse sugar fermenting microbes, provide one promising strategy for cellulosic ethanol production.
Other cellulosic ethanol strategies are genetically modifying microbes capable of producing hydrolytic enzymes as well as co‐fermenting 5‐carbon and 6‐carbon sugars.
Keywords: bioethanol; fermentation; ethanologens; yeast; saccharolytic microbe; recombinant microbes; metabolic pathways; microbial consortium
Dear Fatemah,
If you are screening microorganisms for multiple uses, you might consider evaluating the mass yield of the product (concentration of the product / concentration of carbon source). Also, it is more likely to find good ethanol producers in anaerobic cultures.
For your information, "good ethanol producers" such as selected yeast and bacteria convert about 50% of C6 carbon sources to ethanol. But, as Dr. Bergmann stated, you may have other products in the fermented broth...
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