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DOE OSTI · 1871910

Microbial Membranes: A Challenge for Bioenergy

Smith, Micholas·Petridis, Loukas·Elkins, James G.·Nickels, Jonathan·Katsaras, John·Smith, Jeremy
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Abstract

The production of bioenergy and bioproducts from lignocellulosic biomass promises to contribute significantly to the establishment of a clean, green economy. However, obstacles remain to making this industry economically viable. Among these is achieving high production rates and titers of target molecules through fermentation: microorganisms used in bioprocesses are inhibited by the toxic effects of biomass pretreatment and biofuel solvents which degrade the overall function of biological membranes. Here, we review historical research on the structure of the plasma membrane before detailing some progress on understanding the effects of amphiphilic solvents relevant to biofuel production on microbial membranes at the nanoscale.

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Smith, Micholas, Petridis, Loukas, Elkins, James G., Nickels, Jonathan, Katsaras, John, Smith, Jeremy. 2021-10-01. Microbial Membranes: A Challenge for Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.33224/rrch.2021.66.10-11.02

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