Using Microbial Communities with Cellulolytic Activity to Create Biofuels, Truong, Lindy; Cerda, Vanessa; Jimenez, Steven
College of Science and Mathematics
The current endeavor of the biofuel industry is to use microorganisms that secrete cellulolytic enzymes to break down cellulose into simple sugars that can be fermented into ethanol and biobutanol. The focus thus far, has been largely on singular organisms in hopes of discovering the most efficient for cellulose hydrolysis. Little has been done to study the efficiency of microbial communities. In this experiment, lichen, a microbial symbiotic community between fungi and algae or photosynthetic bacteria, is used to measure for cellulolytic activity against that of individual microorganisms. Locally selected samples at Houston Baptist University are collected for fungi, algae, bacteria, and lichen, and grown in a laboratory setting on agar plates using carboxymethylcellulose as the sole carbon source. Congo Red solution, a biological stain that forms strong non-covalent bonds to cellulose, is then used to detect the presence of the enzymatic activity as the organisms degrade the cellulose present through the clear zones that form where cellulose has been broken down. The specimens are also tested on minimal media that has Filter paper as its sole carbon source to measure their efficiency with crystalline cellulose. This experiment hopes to provide support to using the synergism between certain organisms as a possible venue for the advancement in biofuel technology.
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