Dive Brief:
- A new study by the University of East Anglia determined that agricultural byproducts — straw, sawdust and corncobs — can be converted into bioethanol, a biofuel.
- Research indicates that five strains of yeast, when fermented, can be mixed with gasoline and used in cars without additional modifications.
- Experts gage that over 400 billion liters of bioethynol could be made from crop waste.
Dive Insight:
"Processes to generate bioethanol from straw and other by-products are currently complex and inefficient," according to Science Daily.
The researchers examined over 70 yeast strains looking for the "most tolerant." They discovered five that were furfural-resistant, a "toxic compound," plus "which produced the highest ethanol yield."
