Assessment of the glucose's effects on beta-glucosidase produced by the fungus Myceliophthora thermophila M.7.7 and the addition of glucose isomerase on this inhibition during the saccharification of sugar cane bagasse

• Grant number: 12/18769-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Eleni Gomes
• Grantee: Emily Colferai Bonfá
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 10/12624-0 - Application of physical-chemical and enzymatic methods in the saccharification of sugar cane bagasse: studies on microorganisms, fermentative processes and hydrolyses methods, AP.TEM

Abstract

In Brazil, ethanol is produced from the juice of sugar cane, a raw material that offers higher efficiency and lower cost of commercial production. However, with the growing demand of ethanol fuel, it is estimated that ethanol production will soon not be enough to meet the country's home market. With the pressing need to increase production without considerable modification in the sugar cane fields, industrial wastes are seen as a target raw material to ethanol production, considering the large volume of material generated, and the potential for fermentable production of sugars by hydrolysis. But several economic and technical difficulties are found during the conversion of biomass into fermentable sugars, including the efficiency limitations in enzymatic saccharification process. One of those obstacles is the inhibition of beta-glucosidase by the sugar present in the midst of hydrolysis, which prejudice the sequential process for other hydrolytic enzymes in cellulolytic complex. The objective of this project is to study the mechanism of glucose's inhibition on crude beta-glucosidase, produced by the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila M.7.7. using solid state fermentation. Also, the studies will aim the evaluation of glucose isomerase's effect added in reaction, to verify if the conversion of D-glucose to D-fructose results on decrease of inhibitory effect caused by glucose.