the path forward for biofuels and biomaterial
The Path Forward for Biofuels and Biomaterials
1. Arthur J. Ragauskas1,*,
2. Charlotte K. Williams4,
3. Brian H. Davison6,
4. George Britovsek4,
5. John Cairney2,
6. Charles A. Eckert3,
7. William J. Frederick Jr.3,
8. Jason P. Hallett3,
9. David J. Leak5,
10. Charles L. Liotta1,
11. Jonathan R. Mielenz6,
12. Richard Murphy5,
13. Richard Templer4,
14. Timothy Tschaplinski7
+Author Affiliations
1. 1 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
2. 2 School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
3. 3 School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
4. 4 Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
5. 5 Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
6. 6 Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
7. 7 Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
1. ↵* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: arthur.ragauskas@chemistry.gatech.edu
ABSTRACT
Biomass represents an abundant carbon-neutral renewable resource for the production of bioenergy and biomaterials, and its enhanced use would address several societal needs. Advances in genetics, biotechnology, process chemistry, and engineering are leading to a new manufacturing concept for converting renewable biomass to valuable fuels and products, generally referred to as the biorefinery. The integration of agroenergy crops and biorefinery manufacturing technologies offers the potential for the development of sustainable biopower and biomaterials that will lead to a new manufacturing paradigm.
We are apt to forget the gasoline shortages of the 1970s or the fuel price panic after Hurricane Katrina, but these are but harbingers of the inevitable excess of growing demand over dwindling supplies of geological reserves. Before we
1. Arthur J. Ragauskas1,*,
2. Charlotte K. Williams4,
3. Brian H. Davison6,
4. George Britovsek4,
5. John Cairney2,
6. Charles A. Eckert3,
7. William J. Frederick Jr.3,
8. Jason P. Hallett3,
9. David J. Leak5,
10. Charles L. Liotta1,
11. Jonathan R. Mielenz6,
12. Richard Murphy5,
13. Richard Templer4,
14. Timothy Tschaplinski7
+Author Affiliations
1. 1 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
2. 2 School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
3. 3 School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
4. 4 Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
5. 5 Division of Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
6. 6 Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
7. 7 Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
1. ↵* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: arthur.ragauskas@chemistry.gatech.edu
ABSTRACT
Biomass represents an abundant carbon-neutral renewable resource for the production of bioenergy and biomaterials, and its enhanced use would address several societal needs. Advances in genetics, biotechnology, process chemistry, and engineering are leading to a new manufacturing concept for converting renewable biomass to valuable fuels and products, generally referred to as the biorefinery. The integration of agroenergy crops and biorefinery manufacturing technologies offers the potential for the development of sustainable biopower and biomaterials that will lead to a new manufacturing paradigm.
We are apt to forget the gasoline shortages of the 1970s or the fuel price panic after Hurricane Katrina, but these are but harbingers of the inevitable excess of growing demand over dwindling supplies of geological reserves. Before we
References: J. P. van Wyk, Trends Biotechnol. 19, 172 (2001). 5. ↵ Global Response to Climate Change (available at www.g8.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1123951048479). S. A. Nolen, C. L. Liotta, C. A. Eckert, Green Chem. 5, 663 (2003).