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UCLA engineers develop new metabolic pathway for more efficient conversion of glucose into biofuels; possible 50% increase in biorefinery yield

Green Car Congress

The new pathway is intended to replace the natural metabolic pathway known as glycolysis, a series of chemical reactions that nearly all organisms use to convert sugars into the molecular precursors that cells need. The research is published in the journal Nature. However, the two remaining glucose carbons are lost as carbon dioxide.

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DOE awards $35M to 15 projects in ARPA-E ECOSynBio program to reduce carbon footprint of biofuel production

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Many biofuels, including ethanol, biodiesel and other products derived from organic material (biomass), are almost exclusively produced via fermentation. Single organism can be limited by CO 2 loss from core metabolic reactions; thus, coupling a heterotroph with an autotroph will enable CO 2 recycling and complete feedstock conversion.

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