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Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Ethanol and lactic acid production from sugar and starch wastes by anaerobic acidification
Darwin1,2, Ralf Cord-Ruwisch1, Wipa Charles1
1Department of Environmental Engineering Murdoch University Murdoch Australia.
Abstract:
Anaerobic conversion of carbohydrates can generate various end-products. Besides physical parameters such as pH and temperature, the types of carbohydrate being fermented influences the fermentation pattern. Under uncontrolled pH, microbial mixed cultures from activated sludge and anaerobic digester sludge anaerobically produced ethanol from glucose while producing lactic acid from starch conversion. This trend was not only observed in batch trials. Also, continuous chemostat operation of anaerobic digester sludge resulted in the reproducible predominance of ethanol fermentation from glucose solution and lactic acid production from starch. Different feeding regimes and substrate availability (shock load versus continuous feeding) in glucose fermentation under non-controlled pH did not affect the ethanol production as the major end product. Shifts in feed composition from glucose to starch and vice versa result in an immediate change of fermentation end products formation.
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