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Decoding Biofuels: Lignin's Role in Energy Production

Explore lignin's impact on biofuel production efficiency, the use of soybeans as a model, and innovative genomics for lignin degradation. Discover how biofuels mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable energy solutions.

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Decoding Biofuels: Lignin's Role in Energy Production

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  1. Biofuels From Plants to Energy: Efficient Lignin Degradation Margarette Francis, Maham Hijazi, Reeda Mahmood, Riza Unabia & Manaum Zain

  2. Fossil fuels: usage and concerns • “Fossil Fuels” in today’s world • Green house gasses, climate change and global warming • Why still use them? • Economically, it is more beneficial • Hybrid electric car • inefficent

  3. Alternative options… • Biofuels Ethanol • Increasingly common option in agricultural and forestry industry in Canada • DISADVANTAGE presence of lignin • Genomics to overcome this problem • An exemplary model SOYBEAN

  4. Why SOYBEAn? • Soybean (Glycine max) • Abundant all over the world • Grown in Southern and Eastern Ontario • Breeding advances (E.O) • Significant source of protein and oil

  5. Ethanol as an energy source… • Reduces greenhouse gases • Does not contribute to carbon dioxide emissions (34% reduction) • Input of energy required to produce ethanol has dropped by 36% • Gives more energy compared to other renewable sources

  6. Why Is lignin a Barrier? • Barrier for cellulose and hemicellulose extraction • Lignin removal improve the digestibility of the biomass • Mechanical and chemical treatments are used to breakdown lignin • rate of reaction is slow • Altering the pathway in order to reduce lignin is more effective • rate of reaction is comparatively faster Wood Composition. (2007). Retrieved from http://learn.forestbioenergy.net/learning-modules/module-6/unit-1/lesson-1 Yarris, L. (2013, November 13). Lignin-Feasting Microbe Holds Promise for Biofuels. States News Service. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-348985171.html?

  7. The effect of lignin reduction on the structure of plants • Removing too much lignin from a plant affects its phenotype • Research conducted on the plant Arabidopsis thaliana • Reduction of 64% of lignin, compensated by the increase in matrix polysaccharides or cellulose • Afingen technique was used for lignin reduction, producing functionally and structurally normal plants Stems & Vascular Tissue. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.sciencepartners.info/?page_id=534

  8. The Phenylpropanoid Pathway Reinprecht, Y., Yadegari, Z., Perry, G., Siddiqua, M., Wright, L., Mcclean, P., & Pauls, K. (2013). In silico comparison of genomic regions containing genes coding for enzymes and transcription factors for the phenylpropanoid pathway in Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Glycine max L. Merr. Frontiers in Plant Science. Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2013.00317/full

  9. A closer look…. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyzes the reaction that is involved in the formation of the monolignols that make up lignin. CAD CAD CAD Syringyl lignin P-Hydoxyphenol lignin Guaiacyl lignin Baldoni, A., Von Pinho, E. V. R., Fernands, J. S., Abreu, V. M., & Carvalho, M. L. M. (2013). Gene Expression in the lignin biosynthesis pathway during soybean seed development. Genet. Mol. Res 12 (3) 2618-2624

  10. METHODS for GENOME EDITING • Finger nucleases • RNA interference • Transcription activator-like effector nucleases • Expensive and time-consuming • A recent and more innovative process..

  11. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins CRISPR/Cas9 System

  12. What is it? • derived from a natural process found in bacteria to protect themselves from pathogens • targets genes for editing and regulating • comparable to Photoshop Horizon Licenses Harvard University Gene-Editing Technology. (2013). Drug Discovery & Development.

  13. To initiate gene modification, sgRNA (single guide RNA) Cas9 nuclease Cas9 complex

  14. Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM) Target Sequence Gene of Interest

  15. Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway Stop Codon

  16. Summation: crispr/Cas system altered gene sequence  dysfunctional CAD gene

  17. What makes a good biofuel? • Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential • Cost-Effectiveness • Energy Allocations for Crops

  18. Abundance in Canada - Ontario Crop Production Data in Metric Tonnes • Soybean is one of the most widely used feedstock for biofuel production. • Canada’s second leading crop. Statistics Canada. CANSIM table  001-0010

  19. Energy Allocations WCBA. Canada. http://westerncanadabiodiesel.org/biodiesel/ Soybean has a much higher net energy balance as compared to various other feedstocks

  20. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS • According to the Canadian Natural Resources model, GHGenius, soybean biodiesel and corn ethanol were found to reduce GHG emissions by 50% and 21%, respectively. • According to theGreenhouse gases, regulated Emissions and Energy in Transportation (GREET) model for life cycle analysis, all soybean-derived fuels achieve a significant reduction (52–107%) in fossil energy use and in petroleum use (more than 85%)

  21. Why is it good for Canada? • Cost-effective • Eco-friendly • Sustainable • Renewable

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