Biofuel is a potential alternative energy source to petroleum based fuel. The bacterium
Zymomonas mobilis is an efficient ethanol producer and is better than yeast (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with respect to ethanol productivity and tolerance.
Z. mobilis possesses nearly 100% theoretical ethanol conversion rate on glucose-based media, while it has only about 70% theoretical yield from sucrose. The reduced ethanol yield has been attributed to the formation of by-products such as
polysaccharides. The efficiency of ethanol production by
Z. mobilis from sucrose-based substrates can be improved by limiting the formation of
polysaccharides by optimizing the fermentation conditions or by genetic improvements of
Z. mobilis.
from Geetha et al
in Bacterial Polysaccharides: Current Innovations and Future TrendsLabels: bioethanol, biofuel