PRESENTATION BY
Dr Angela Boyce
Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences University of Limerick

PRESENTATION TITLE
Application of Novel Thermoacidophilic Enzymes in the Production of Second-generation Bioethanol


ABSTRACT
The development of biofuels has gained increasing interest in recent years due to an urgent global need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.  Second-generation biofuels, produced from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks (for example, crop residues, agricultural processing byproducts, forest and sawmill residues and energy crops) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions without competing with food production.  The production of lignocellulosic bioethanol is technically challenging owing to the recalcitrance of lignocellulose to degradation and current biochemical production processes involve an initial pretreatment step to disrupt the lignocellulose structure followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose to produce a high monosaccharide yield for subsequent fermentation to bioethanol.  The application of thermo(acido)philic lignocellulose-degrading enzymes in this process has the potential to improve individual process steps, overcome existing process limitations and facilitate alternative process configurations and possible consolidation of unit operations, thereby contributing to the development of a more efficient and economical process.  Screening of environmental isolates, fungi, bacteria and archaea has been undertaken with the aim of identifying enzymes suitable for this application.  Several novel lignocellulolytic enzymes identified will be discussed in terms of their potential suitability for use in the production of second-generation bioethanol and in particular, their potential application in a novel enzymatic pretreatment approach which could potentially overcome existing limitations and reduce the severity and environmental impact of pretreatment.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr Angela Boyce is a postdoctoral researcher with the Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick.  She obtained a BSc in Industrial Biochemistry and a PhD in Enzyme Biotechnology, both from the University of Limerick.  Since completing her PhD, she has worked on various enzymology projects within the research group of Professor Gary Walsh focusing on the application of enzymes in animal feed, stabilisation of industrially relevant enzymes by PEGylation and the use of enzymes for cleaning-in-place in dairy processing.  Current research focuses on enzymes produced by thermoacidophiles, in particular, lignocellulolytic enzymes of potential application in the production of second-generation bioethanol.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED AT 11h45

For further information, please contact:
Professor Gary Walsh, Tel. No: (061) 202664 or Email: gary.walsh@ul.ie