Eucalyptus as sugar provider for second generation ethanol production

• Grant number: 12/22652-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães Pereira
• Grantee: Jorge Lepikson Neto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/17846-0 - Functional characterization of transcription factors involved in the formation of tension wood in eucalyptus: impact on the chemical structure of the cell wall and suitability for production of second generation biofuels, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

With increasing demand for renewable energy growing every year, the search for alternative energy sources has been encouraged worldwide. Brazil has always been at the forefront of knowledge in the production of biofuels as well as being the largest producer of pulp from hardwood Eucalyptus spp, with a well developed industry and booming. Thus the consolidation of the country's energy sector and its establishment as the largest global producer of second generation ethanol involves the union of these two major markets. The main limitation to the use of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of eucalyptus energy comes from its structure of the cell wall, with lignin preventing access to cellulose and consequently its degradation in fermentable sugars. The cell wall composition is determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, varying between species and different nutritional conditions and climate.The aim of this study is to compare and characterize the cell wall of different species of eucalyptus, and commercial clones grown on different environmental conditions, evaluating the variance of components between them and linking it to its genetic background, determining the impact of all these factors in the use of eucalyptus for production of ethanol and consolidating Brazil at the forefront of bioenergy research.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LEPIKSON-NETO, JORGE; NASCIMENTO, LEANDRO C.; SALAZAR, MARCELA M.; CAMARGO, EDUARDO L. O.; CAIRO, JOAO P. F.; TEIXEIRA, PAULO J.; MARQUES, WESLEY L.; SQUINA, FABIO M.; MIECZKOWSKI, PIOTR; DECKMANN, ANA C.; et al. Flavonoid supplementation affects the expression of genes involved in cell wall formation and lignification metabolism and increases sugar content and saccharification in the fast-growing eucalyptus hybrid E-urophylla x E-grandis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY, v. 14, NOV 19 2014. (13/08293-7, 12/22652-7)