Japanese sake brewer produces cellulosic ethanol
One of Japan's largest sake manufacturers, Gekkeikan, has announced the development of a new "super yeast" able to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-edible parts of plants, such as paddy straw and chaff. The super yeast that produces alcohol was created with genetic engineering, by integrating koji mold genes that produce cellulolytic enzymes into sake yeast. These enzymes become densely displayed on the surfaces of the yeast cells. Since this super yeast has the functions of the standard koji mold, it achieves one-step production of ethanol from pretreated cellulose. The company claims the whole process is completed with a new easier pre-treatment at high temperature and pressure, which saves energy and uses insignificant chemical components.[Source: Japan for Sustainability]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 8:30PM (8/19/2008)
The market ALWAYS fills a vacuum.
That's why you can't legislate morality, why the black market exists and why socialism and gov’t central planning is only a good idea to half-minded fools.
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Brent 12:32AM (8/20/2008)
I agree.
Noz 6:24AM (8/20/2008)
Rubbish...
Lot's of countries have socialist ways of thinking...and they do just fine and have created some of the world's best products and inventions...Japan being one of them.
Fear of socialism only stems from a culture that cares for nothing but money and greed is rampant. While there is enormous corruption in the Japanese government, the people as a whole are socialist in mentality. They work together, they help each other, and progress forward...a completely foreign and irrational concept to a society found in a country like the US where the only thing that matters is who can screw who the most....a very healthy social structure I must say.
jpm100 5:53AM (8/20/2008)
Japan's success comes from Hamiltonian trade policies. Much like it worked for the US until we abandoned them in favor of developing the financial sector.
Mike James 5:59PM (8/20/2008)
That's why you can't legislate morality...
It is wrong to murder a fellow human being. There is a law against that. It is wrong to counterfeit currency, and use it to buy things. There is a law against that. Etc, etc.
Parliaments and legislatures and Congresses legislate morality every day. These curious examples of morality legislated are called...laws.
tankd0g 10:45PM (8/19/2008)
This is how Godzilla got started...
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EVan 10:14AM (8/20/2008)
I'm glad they found a use for chaff, whatever that is.
I feel as though it's something they would harvest from sweaty backpackers and marathon runners...
:-(
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Chris M 3:06AM (8/23/2008)
When grains are harvested (wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, etc) the edible parts are separated from the inedible parts. The inedible parts of the plant are the "chaff".
Erik 3:08PM (8/20/2008)
What stops this new yeast from eating my house?
Yikes.
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Robert 7:32PM (8/20/2008)
Your house is not soaking in warm water.
Chris M 3:10AM (8/23/2008)
Great way to make use of what used to be farm waste.
The only problem is that some fools will freak out over it being "genetically modified" and try to ban it without really understanding it at all.
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