ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF LIGNOCELLULOSE ARE WASTED BUT THE ECONOMY OF PREPARING IT FOR INDUSTRIAL USE HAS HITHERTO PREVENTED DEVELOPMENT.

ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF LIGNOCELLULOSE ARE WASTED BUT THE ECONOMY OF PREPARING IT FOR INDUSTRIAL USE HAS HITHERTO PREVENTED DEVELOPMENT. CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL LIGNINOLYTICMETHODS TEND TO BE ENERGY INTENSIVE AND/OR ARE ECOLOGICALLY UNDESIRABLE. MANY LIGNIN DEGRADING WHITE ROT BASIDIOMYCETESARE KNOWN, BUT PRODUCTION ON A LARGE SCALE HAS BEEN HAMPEREDBY SOME UNUSUAL OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS AND A SLOW REACTION RATE. A SOLID SUBSTRATE REACTOR DEVELOPED BY THIS COMPANY MAY BE ADAPTED FOR LOW COST LIGNINASE PRODUCTION. THE REACTOR PERMITS CLOSE CONTROL OF ALL OPERATING PARAMETERS INCLUDING OXYGEN. IT IS PROJECTED THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN A MORE POTENT PREPARATION WHICH CAN ECONOMICALLY DEGRADE LIGNIN. THIS APPROACH IS NOT WITHOUT RISK, CONSIDERING THAT THIS ENZYME HAS NEVER BEEN COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED. AN INEXPENSIVE LIGNINASE WILL PERMIT UTILIZATION OF WASTE LIGNOCELLULOSICS NOW BEING BURNED, BURIED OR OTHERWISE CREATING DISPOSAL PROBLEMS. USEFUL PRODUCTS INCLUDE ETHANOL, SUGARS AND PROTEIN WHILE SUPPLIES OF FOOD AND FIBER ARE UNAFFECTED.