Clarince Joyce L.

Doroy

ChE 426N

BS ChE 4

Critique on the Research Paper: Bioconversion of lignocellulose: inhibitors and detoxification

This research paper is written by Leif J Jnsson, Bjrn Alriksson both from Sweden and Nils-Olof Nilvebrant from Norway. It talks about how enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation during the bioconversion of lignocellulose are inhibited by substances formed during the essential acidic thermochemical pretreatment step. Lignocellulose is an abundant and renewable resource for biofuels, chemicals and polymers. Bio-refineries using lignocellulosic biomass will become increasingly important in the future because they are a potential substitute for the oil refineries using un-renewable resources. Liquid biofuels include bioalcohols and biodiesel. Alcohols are produced from microbial fermentation of sugars or starches by biocatalysts, yeast or bacteria. Since lignocellulosic biomass is not used for food, it is a favorable source for alcohol. The conversion of ethanol from lignocellulose involves an acidic thermochemical pretreatment in order to provide the monosaccharides to be used in the fermentation process. Lignocellulose is composed mainly of three components, namely cellulos, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose and hemicellulose when hydrolyzed may produce furan aldehydes and aliphatic acids while lignin produces phenol depending on the process conditions. These compounds are the major contributors to inhibition. This review focuses on the ways to minimize inhibition problems such as conditioning and detoxification of slurries and hydrolysates, engineering microorganisms to adapt to inhibitory environment and adjusting and improving the fermentation technology. The title of the article is clear enough on the purpose of the study. The abstract is also clear, specific on what the article is all about, and representative of the whole article. In the introduction, the author has presented basically a summary of what the next parts would be and has also highlighted the importance of conducting the study which is very good for me. All of the discussions in the article are relevant although some parts have been overemphasized like the chemical treatment. The author should have focused more on the specific and important steps in minimizing inhibition. The chemical treatment part should have been condensed and the strategies to counteract inhibition problems should have been expanded. It is a good thing that the author used tables and illustrations in the article to further illustrate his point. References were also properly cited therefore making it easier for the reader to confirm facts and investigate further on the topic.