SBIR Phase I:Engineering Thermophilic Geobacillus to Secrete an Enzyme Cocktail for Industrial Biomass Conversions

This SBIR Phase I project will genetically engineer a thermophilic bacterial strain capable of expressing and secreting all the enzymes necessary for biomass hydrolysis and that can grow on minimal media in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The National Energy Plan Renewable Fuel Standard mandates the production of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels from non-food based crops by 2022. In order to achieve this goal, an economically feasible process to hydrolyze biomass must be developed. Production of cellulosic ethanol currently involves pretreating biomass with steam, acid or base to make it more accessible to enzymatic digestion. Enzymes, namely those possessing cellulase, xylanase,