Cellulases for Biomass Conversion from the Transgenic Maize Production System

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass can utilize large volumes of agricultural residues that are untapped today. Ethanol fuels burn cleanly, thus the use of ethanol for partial replacement of petroleum fuels will have a positive impact on the environment. The production of ethanol fuels from lignocellulosic biomass is ready to be developed into a viable industry. These experiments will identify plants that exhibit high expression of cellulases and b-D-glucosidase in transgenic seed. The seed will be used as starting material for a back-cross program to generate plants with acceptable agronomic character. These recombinant enzymes from transgenic maize are an important component of the enablement of the biomass to ethanol process, because maize is a cost-effective production and delivery system for the enzymes.